Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Gallic War, Book 8
De Bello Gallico 8.39
Caesar hurries to Uxellodunum
Hirtius, De Bello Gallico VIII. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō8.39.1Ibi crēbrīs litterīs Canīnī fit certior quae dē Drappete et Lucteriō gesta essent, quōque in cōnsiliō permanērent oppidānī.
There he was informed by frequent letters from Caninius of what had happened to Drappes and Lucterius, and of the plan in which the townspeople were persisting.
Note. Canīnī: contracted genitive of Canīnius. quae … gesta essent and quōque in cōnsiliō permanērent: indirect questions. quōque here is quō + -que, 'and in what plan', not the adverb quoque 'also'.
8.39.2Quōrum etsī paucitātem contemnēbat, tamen pertināciam magnā poenā esse adficiendam iūdicābat, nē ūniversa Gallia nōn sibi vīrēs dēfuisse ad resistendum Rōmānīs, sed cōnstantiam putāret, nēve hōc exemplō cēterae cīvitātēs locōrum opportūnitāte frētae sē vindicārent in lībertātem, cum omnibus Gallīs nōtum esse scīret reliquam esse ūnam aestātem suae prōvinciae, quam sī sustinēre potuissent, nūllum ultrā perīculum verērentur.
Although he despised their small numbers, he judged that their obstinacy must be severely punished, so that all Gaul should not think that it was not strength they had lacked for resisting the Romans but resolve, and so that the other states, relying on strong positions, should not follow this example and claim their freedom; for he knew that all the Gauls were aware that only one summer of his command remained, and that if they could hold out through it, they would have no further danger to fear.
Note. Quōrum: connecting relative, 'their'. magnā poenā esse adficiendam: gerundive of obligation, 'must be visited with severe punishment'. nē … putāret, nēve … sē vindicārent: two negative purpose clauses. sē vindicāre in lībertātem: a legal phrase, 'to claim oneself into freedom'. reliquam esse ūnam aestātem suae prōvinciae: Caesar's command in Gaul was due to end, so the Gauls hoped to outlast it.
8.39.4Itaque Q. Calēnum lēgātum cum legiōnibus relīquit quī iūstīs itineribus subsequerētur;
So he left his legate Quintus Calenus with the legions to follow him by regular marches;
Note. iūstīs itineribus: 'by regular marches' (a normal day's march, as opposed to forced marches).
8.39.4ipse cum omnī equitātū quam potest celerrimē ad Canīnium contendit.
he himself hurried with all the cavalry as fast as he could to Caninius.
Note. quam potest celerrimē: quam with a superlative, 'as fast as possible'.
Vocabulary
| ibi, adv. | in that place, there |
| crēber, -bra, -brum | frequent, numerous; close together |
| littera, -ae f. | letter (of the alphabet); pl. letter, writing |
| fīō, fierī, factus sum | be done or made, become, happen |
| certus, -a, -um | determined, fixed, certain; certiōrem facere, to make more certain, inform |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus | carry, wear; carry on, do |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj. | what? |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| cōnsilium, -ī, n. | advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence |
| permaneō, -manēre, -mānsi, -mānsus | remain |
| oppidānus, -ī m. | townsman (pl. the people of the town) |
| etsī, conj. | even if, although |
| paucitās, -ātis f. | small number, scarcity |
| contemnō, -ere, -tempsī, -temptus | despise, scorn, think little of |
| tamen, adv. | however, yet, nevertheless |
| pertinācia, -ae f. | stubbornness |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| poena, -ae, f. | penalty, punishment |
| afficiō, -ere, -fēcī, -fectum | affect, afflict |
| iūdicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | judge, decide |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| ūniversus, -a, -um | all together, whole, entire, all |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| vīs, vīs, f. | violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main |
| dēsum, deesse, dēfuī | be lacking, fail |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| resistō, -sistere, -stitī | stand back, resist |
| Rōmānus, -a, -um | Roman |
| sed, conj. | but |
| cōnstantia, -ae f. | steadiness, firmness |
| putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | think |
| nēve or neu, conj. | and that not, and not, nor |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| exemplum, -ī n. | example, precedent |
| cēterī, -ae, -a, plur. adj. | the other, the remaining, the rest of |
| cīvitās, -tātis, f. | state |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| opportūnitās, -ātis f. | advantage, favourable feature |
| frētus, -a, -um (+ abl.) | relying on |
| vindicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | punish; claim |
| lībertās, -tātis, f. | freedom, liberty |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| nōtus, -a, -um | known, well-known, famous |
| sciō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | know |
| reliquus, -a, -um | left, the remaining, the other, the rest of |
| ūnus, -a, -um | one; only, alone |
| aestās, -tātis, f. | summer |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| prōvincia, -ae f. | province; here, the Roman Province in southern Gaul |
| sī, conj. | if |
| sustineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold or bear up, sustain, withstand |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| nūllus, -a, -um | not any, none, no |
| ultrā (prep. + acc.) | beyond |
| perīculum, -ī, n. | danger, peril, risk |
| vereor, -ērī, -itus | fear |
| itaque, adv. | and so, accordingly, therefore |
| quīntus, -a, -um | fifth |
| lēgātus, -ī, m. | ambassador |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| iūstus, -a, -um | just |
| iter, itineris, n. | a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march |
| subsequor, -ī, -secūtus sum | follow closely |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| equitātus, -ūs m. | cavalry |
| quam, adv. | how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible |
| celeriter, adv. | swiftly, quickly |
| contendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch, hasten |