De Bello Gallico 8.42

8.42.1Quō malō perterritī oppidānī cūpās sēbō, pice, scandulīs complent;

Terrified by this distress, the townspeople filled barrels with tallow, pitch and wooden shingles;

Note. Quō malō: connecting relative, 'by this distress'. cūpās sēbō, pice, scandulīs complent: barrels filled with tallow, pitch and wooden shingles, all highly flammable.

8.42.1eās ārdentēs in opera prōvolvunt eōdemque tempore ācerrimē proeliantur, ut ab incendiō restinguendō dīmicātiōnis perīculō dēterreant Rōmānōs.

they set them on fire and rolled them down onto the works, and at the same time fought most fiercely, to keep the Romans from putting out the fire by the danger of fighting.

Note. ut … dēterreant Rōmānōs: purpose clause; ab incendiō restinguendō, gerundive, 'from putting out the fire'; dīmicātiōnis perīculō, 'by the danger of fighting'.

8.42.2Magna repente in ipsīs operibus flamma exstitit.

Suddenly a great blaze rose up among the very works.

Note. ipsīs operibus: 'the works themselves', where the soldiers were.

8.42.2Quaecumque enim per locum praecipitem missa erant, ea vīneīs et aggere suppressa comprehendēbant id ipsum quod morābātur.

For whatever was sent down the steep slope was stopped by the sheds and the ramp, and set fire to the very thing that held it back.

Note. Quaecumque … missa erant, ea …: the relative clause comes first and ea picks it up. id ipsum quod morābātur: 'the very thing that was holding them up', the sheds and ramp catch fire.

8.42.3Mīlitēs contrā nostrī, quamquam perīculōsō genere proelī locōque inīquō premēbantur, tamen omnia fortissimō sustinēbant animō.

Our soldiers, on the other hand, although they were hard pressed by a dangerous kind of fighting and an unfavourable position, still bore everything with the greatest courage.

Note. contrā: here an adverb, 'on the other hand'. quamquam … premēbantur, tamen: a concessive clause with the correlative tamen.

8.42.4Rēs enim gerēbātur et excelsō locō et in cōnspectū exercitūs nostrī, magnusque utrimque clāmor oriēbātur.

For the action took place on high ground and in full view of our army, and a great shout went up from both sides.

Note. Rēs … gerēbātur: 'the action was fought'. utrimque: 'on both sides'.

8.42.5Ita quam quisque poterat maximē īnsignis, quō nōtior testātiorque virtūs esset eius, tēlīs hostium flammaeque sē offerēbat.

So every man, the more conspicuous he could make himself, so that his courage might be better known and better attested, exposed himself to the enemy's missiles and to the flames.

Note. quam quisque poterat maximē īnsignis: 'each man as conspicuous as he could be'. quō nōtior testātiorque … esset: quō + comparative in a purpose clause. telīs … flammaeque: datives with sē offerēbat, 'exposed himself to'.