De Bello Gallico 8.41

8.41.1Quōrum omnis posteā multitūdō aquātōrum ūnum in locum conveniēbat sub ipsīus oppidī mūrum, ubi magnus fōns aquae prōrumpēbat ab eā parte, quae ferē pedum CCC intervallō flūminis circuitū vacābat.

After that their whole crowd of water-carriers gathered at one spot beneath the very wall of the town, where a large spring of water gushed out, on the side that was left free by the river's circuit for a space of about three hundred feet.

Note. aquātōrum: 'water-carriers', the men sent to fetch water. pedum CCC intervallō: 'for a stretch of 300 feet'. vacābat: the ground around the spring was not enclosed by the river's loop.

8.41.2Hōc fonte prohibērī posse oppidānōs cum optārent reliquī, Caesar ūnus vidēret, ē regiōne eius vīneās agere adversus montem et aggerem īnstruere coepit magnō cum labōre et continuā dīmicātiōne.

Everyone else wished that the townspeople could be kept from this spring, but Caesar alone saw how; he began to push forward sheds up the hill opposite it and to build a ramp, with great labour and constant fighting.

Note. cum optārent reliquī, Caesar ūnus vidēret: concessive cum, 'though the others wished it, only Caesar saw how'. vīneās agere: to push forward the vineae, movable sheds protecting the men who built the ramp (agger).

8.41.3Oppidānī enim locō superiōre dēcurrunt et ēminus sine perīculō proeliantur multōsque pertināciter succēdentēs vulnerant;

For the townspeople ran down from the higher ground, fought at long range without danger to themselves, and wounded many of our men as they stubbornly pressed forward;

Note. Oppidānī … dēcurrunt … proeliantur … vulnerant: historic presents. ēminus: 'at long range', opposite of comminus.

8.41.3nōn dēterrentur tamen mīlitēs nostrī vīneās prōferre et labōre atque operibus locōrum vincere difficultātēs.

yet our soldiers were not deterred from moving the sheds forward and overcoming the difficulties of the ground by toil and siege-works.

Note. nōn dēterrentur … prōferre: dēterreō with an infinitive, 'are not deterred from moving forward'.

8.41.4Eōdem tempore cunīculōs tēctōs ab vīneīs agunt ad caput fontis;

At the same time they drove covered tunnels from the sheds towards the source of the spring;

Note. cunīculōs tēctōs: 'covered tunnels', mining galleries dug towards the spring's underground source.

8.41.4quod genus operis sine ūllō perīculō, sine suspīciōne hostium facere licēbat.

this kind of work could be done without any danger and without the enemy suspecting it.

Note. quod genus operis: 'and this kind of work'. sine suspīciōne hostium: the objective genitive means 'without the enemy suspecting it'.

8.41.5Exstruitur agger in altitūdinem pedum sexāgintā, collocātur in eō turris decem tabulātōrum, nōn quidem quae moenibus aequāret (id enim nūllīs operibus efficī poterat), sed quae superāre fontis fastīgium posset.

A ramp was built up to a height of sixty feet, and on it was placed a tower of ten storeys, not, indeed, to match the walls (that could not be achieved by any siege-works), but to rise above the top of the spring.

Note. Exstruitur agger … collocātur … turris: two impersonal-looking passives side by side. decem tabulātōrum: genitive of description, 'of ten storeys'. quae moenibus aequāret: relative clause of purpose, 'to equal the walls'.

8.41.6Ex eā cum tēla tormentīs iacerentur ad fontis aditum, nec sine perīculō possent aquārī oppidānī, nōn tantum pecora atque iūmenta, sed etiam magna hostium multitūdō sitī cōnsūmēbātur.

When missiles were hurled from it by artillery at the approach to the spring, and the townspeople could not fetch water without danger, not only the cattle and pack animals but also a great number of the enemy were wasting away from thirst.

Note. cum tēla … iacerentur: causal cum. siti cōnsūmēbātur: 'was being worn away by thirst'; sitis has the ablative sitī.