De Bello Gallico 8.35

The supply convoy destroyed

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8.35.1Magnā cōpiā frūmentī comparātā cōnsīdunt Drappēs et Lucterius nōn longius ab oppidō X mīlibus, unde paulātim frūmentum in oppidum supportārent.Having collected a great supply of grain, Drappes and Lucterius take up a position no more than ten miles from the town, so that from there they could carry the grain into the town little by little.Note. nōn longius … X mīlibus: 'not further than ten miles'. unde … supportārent: relative clause of purpose, 'from where they could carry'. 8.35.2Ipsī inter sē prōvinciās partiuntur: Drappēs castrīs praesidiō cum parte cōpiārum restitit;They divide the duties between themselves: Drappes stayed behind with part of the forces to guard the camp;Note. prōvinciās: here 'duties, tasks'. castrīs praesidiō: double dative, 'as a guard for the camp'. restitit: from restō, 'stayed behind'. 8.35.2Lucterius agmen iūmentōrum ad oppidum dūcit.Lucterius leads the train of pack animals to the town.Note. agmen iūmentōrum: 'the train of pack animals'. 8.35.3Dispositīs ibi praesidiīs hōrā noctis circiter decimā silvestribus angustīsque itineribus frūmentum importāre in oppidum īnstituit.Having posted guards there, at about the tenth hour of the night he begins to bring the grain into the town by narrow paths through the woods.Note. hōrā noctis circiter decimā: the Romans divided the night into twelve hours, so this is shortly before dawn. silvestribus angustīsque itineribus: 'by narrow paths through the woods'. 8.35.4Quōrum strepitum vigilēs castrōrum cum sēnsissent, explōrātōrēsque missī quae gererentur renūntiāssent, Canīnius celeriter cum cohortibus armātīs ex proximīs castellīs in frūmentāriōs sub ipsam lūcem impetum fēcit.When the sentries of the camp heard the noise they made, and scouts sent out had reported what was happening, Caninius quickly, with armed cohorts from the nearest forts, attacked the grain-carriers at first light.Note. vigilēs: 'sentries'. sub ipsam lūcem: 'just at dawn'. frūmentāriōs: 'the grain-carriers'.

8.35.5Eī repentīnō malō perterritī diffugiunt ad sua praesidia;Terrified by this sudden disaster they scatter to their own posts;Note. Eī: nominative plural of is, 'they'. ad sua praesidia: 'to their own posts'. 8.35.5quae nostrī ut vīdērunt, ācrius contrā armātōs incitātī nēminem ex eō numerō vīvum capī patiuntur.when our men saw these, they were roused even more fiercely against men under arms and let no one of that number be taken alive.Note. quae: the posts (praesidia). contrā armātōs: against men who still had their weapons. nēminem … vīvum capī patiuntur: 'they let no one be taken alive'. 8.35.5Profugit inde cum paucīs Lucterius nec sē recipit in castra.Lucterius escapes from there with a few men, and does not get back to the camp.Note. Profugit: 'escapes'. Lucterius later fled to an Arvernian noble who handed him over to Caesar (chapter 44).

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×2, cum clauses ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (84 words)

magnus, -a, -um	large, big, great, mighty; loud
cōpia, -ae, f.	supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops
frūmentum, -ī, n.	grain
comparō, -parāre, -parāvī, -parātus	prepare, collect
cōnsīdō, -sīdere, -sēdī, -sessus	sit down
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
nōn, adv.	not
longē, adv.	far
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
oppidum, -ī, n.	town
Roman numeral	a number written with letters: I 1, V 5, X 10, L 50, C 100, D 500, M 1000
mīlle, indecl. adj.	a thousand; mīlia, -ium, n. plur., thousands;
unde, adv.	whence
paulātim (adv.)	little by little, gradually
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
supportō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	bring up, convey
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
inter, prep, with acc.	among, between
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.	himself, herself, itself, themselves
prōvincia, -ae f.	province; here, the Roman Province in southern Gaul
partior, -īrī, partītus sum	share out, divide
castra, -ōrum, n. plur.	camp
praesidium, -ī, n.	protection; guard, escort
cum, prep, with abl.	with
pars, partis, f.	part, side, direction
restō, -āre, restitī	stay behind, remain
agmen, -minis, n.	band, column
iūmentum, -ī n.	pack animal, beast of burden
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus	lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry
dispōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positum	station here and there, post
ibi, adv.	in that place, there
hōra, -ae, f.	hour
nox, noctis, f.	night
circiter, prep. with acc. and adv.	about
decimus, -a, -um	tenth
silvestris, -e	wooded
angustus, -a, -um	narrow, cramped
que, enclitic conj.	and
iter, itineris, n.	a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march
importō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	bring in, import
īnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus	decide upon, determine
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
strepitus, -ūs m.	noise, din
vigil, -is m.	watchman, sentry
cum, conj.	when, while, after; since; although
sentiō, sentīre, sēnsī, sēnsus	perceive, feel
explōrātor, -ōris, m.	explorer, scout, spy
mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus	send
gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus	carry, wear; carry on, do
renūntiō, -nūntiāre, -nūntiāvī, -nūntiātus	bring back word, report, announce
celeriter, adv.	swiftly, quickly
cohors, cohortis f.	cohort (a tenth of a legion); company
armātus, -a, -um	armed
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)	out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
proximus, -a, -um	nearest, next
castellum, -ī n.	fort, redoubt
frūmentārius, -a, -um	of grain (rēs frūmentāria: grain supply)
sub, prep. with acc. and abl.	under; sub vesperum, towards evening
lūx, lūcis, f.	light
impetus, -ūs, m.	attack; impetum facere, to charge
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
repentīnus, -a, -um	sudden
malum, -ī, n.	evil, mischief
perterreō, -terrēre, -terrui, -territus	thoroughly frighten, terrify
diffugiō, -ere, -fūgī	scatter in flight, flee in all directions
suus, -a, -um	his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
noster, -tra, -trum	our
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
ācriter, adv.	sharply, fiercely
contrā, prep, with acc.	against, contrary to
incitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	stir up, provoke
nēmō, nēminis, m. and f.	no one, nobody
numerus, -ī, m.	number
vīvus, -a, -um	alive, living
capiō, capere, cēpī, captus	take, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt
patior, patī, passus, bear	suffer, allow
profugiō, -ere, -fūgī	flee, escape
inde (adv.)	from there; then
paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.	few
neque or nec, conj.	and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
recipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus	take or get back, recover; sē recipere, to betake oneself, withdraw; to collect oneself, recover

Hirtius, De Bello Gallico VIII. Latin text: T. Rice Holmes, C. Iuli Commentarii Rerum in Gallia Gestarum VII, A. Hirti Commentarius VIII (Oxford, 1914), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: LatinCy, then every word checked and corrected by hand. English translation, notes and grammar hints: written for this app.