De Bello Gallico 8.48

8.48.1Erat attribūtus Antōniō praefectus equitum C. Volusēnus Quadrātus quī cum eō hībernāret.

Assigned to Antony, to winter with him, was Gaius Volusenus Quadratus, commander of the cavalry.

Note. Erat attribūtus: pluperfect-like periphrasis, 'had been assigned'. praefectus equitum: commander of cavalry. quī … hībernāret: relative clause of purpose.

8.48.1Hunc Antōnius ad persequendum equitātum hostium mittit.

Antony sent him to pursue the enemy's cavalry.

Note. ad persequendum equitātum hostium: gerundive of purpose.

8.48.2Volusēnus ad eam virtūtem, quae singulāris erat in eō, magnum odium Commī adiungēbat, quō libentius id faceret quod imperābātur.

To that courage which was exceptional in him, Volusenus added a great hatred of Commius, so that he did what he was ordered all the more gladly.

Note. Volusēnus had been involved in the attempt on Commius' life (8.23), so the hatred was personal. quō libentius: purpose clause with comparative.

8.48.2Itaque dispositīs īnsidiīs saepius equitēs eius adgressus secunda proelia faciēbat.

So by laying ambushes he often attacked Commius' horsemen and fought successful engagements.

Note. dispositīs īnsidiīs: ablative absolute. secunda proelia: 'successful engagements'.

8.48.3Novissimē, cum vehementius contenderētur, ac Volusēnus ipsīus intercipiendī Commī cupiditāte pertinācius eum cum paucīs īnsecūtus esset, ille autem fugā vehementī Volusēnum prōdūxisset longius, inimīcus hominī suōrum invocat fidem atque auxilium, nē sua vulnera per fidem imposita paterentur impūnīta, conversōque equō sē ā cēterīs incautius permittit in praefectum.

In the end, when the fighting grew fiercer and Volusenus, eager to catch Commius himself, had pursued him too stubbornly with a few men, and Commius by headlong flight had drawn Volusenus too far, he, being the man's enemy, called on his own men to stand by him and help him, so that the wounds he had received through treachery should not go unpunished; and wheeling his horse round, he charged recklessly, away from the rest, at the commander.

Note. Novissimē: 'finally'. ipsīus intercipiendī Commī cupiditāte: gerundive in the genitive, 'from a desire to cut off Commius himself'. inimīcus hominī: 'hostile to the man'. nē … paterentur impūnīta: Commius appeals to his men's loyalty (fidem) so that his wounds, received through treachery (per fidem), should not go unpunished, a pointed play on fidēs.

8.48.4Faciunt hoc idem omnēs eius equitēs paucōsque nostrōs convertunt atque īnsequuntur.

All his horsemen did the same, turned back our few men and pursued them.

Note. hoc idem: 'this same thing'. nostrōs convertunt: 'turn our men back', i.e. put them to flight.

8.48.5Commius incēnsum calcāribus equum coniungit equō Quadrātī lanceāque īnfestā magnīs vīribus medium femur trāicit Volusēnī.

Commius drove his horse, spurred to fury, against the horse of Quadratus, and with his lance levelled drove it with great force through the middle of Volusenus' thigh.

Note. incēnsum calcāribus equum: 'his horse, spurred to fury'. lanceāque īnfestā: 'and with lance levelled'. medium femur: 'the middle of the thigh'.

8.48.6Praefectō vulnerātō nōn dubitant nostrī resistere et conversīs equīs hostem pellere.

When their commander was wounded, our men did not hesitate to stand their ground, wheel their horses and drive back the enemy.

Note. Praefectō vulnerātō: ablative absolute. nōn dubitant … resistere: dubitō with the infinitive, 'they do not hesitate to'.

8.48.7Quod ubi accidit, complūrēs hostium magnō nostrōrum impetū perculsī vulnerantur ac partim in fugā prōteruntur, partim intercipiuntur;

When this happened, many of the enemy, overwhelmed by the force of our men's charge, were wounded, and some were trampled down in the flight, some cut off;

Note. Quod ubi accidit: connecting relative. partim … partim: 'some … others'.

8.48.7quod malum dux equī vēlōcitāte ēvītāvit: graviter adeō vulnerātus praefectus, ut vītae perīculum aditūrus vidērētur, refertur in castra.

this disaster the leader escaped by the speed of his horse. The commander, wounded so badly that he seemed likely to lose his life, was carried back to the camp.

Note. quod malum dux … ēvītāvit: 'this disaster the leader escaped', with the connecting relative used as an adjective. adeō … ut … aditūrus vidērētur: result clause; vītae perīculum adīre, 'to come into danger of his life'.

8.48.8Commius autem sīve expiātō suō dolōre sīve magnā parte āmissā suōrum lēgātōs ad Antōnium mittit sēque et ibi futūrum, ubi praescrīpserit, et ea factūrum, quae imperārit, obsidibus firmat;

Commius, however, whether because his resentment had been satisfied or because he had lost a great part of his men, sent envoys to Antony and pledged with hostages that he would be wherever Antony directed and would do whatever he ordered;

Note. sīve … sīve: two possible motives. sē … futūrum … factūrum: future infinitives (esse omitted) in indirect statement after obsidibus firmat, 'he pledges by hostages that he will be …'. praescrīpserit, imperārit: perfect subjunctives in subordinate clauses of indirect speech.

8.48.9ūnum illud ōrat, ut timōrī suō concēdātur, nē in cōnspectum veniat cuiusquam Rōmānī.

one thing only he begged: that his fear be indulged, and that he not have to come into the presence of any Roman.

Note. ūnum illud ōrat: 'he begs only this'. ut timōrī suō concēdātur: impersonal passive, 'that allowance be made for his fear'.

8.48.9Cuius postulātiōnem Antōnius cum iūdicāret ab iūstō nāscī timōre, veniam petentī dedit, obsidēs accēpit.

Antony, judging that this request sprang from a justified fear, granted his plea and accepted the hostages.

Note. ab iūstō nāscī timōre: 'arose from a justified fear'. veniam petentī dedit: 'he granted pardon to the man asking'.

8.48.10Sciō Caesarem singulōrum annōrum singulōs commentāriōs cōnfēcisse;

I know that Caesar wrote a separate book for each year;

Note. Here Hirtius steps out of the narrative to explain his method: Caesar wrote one book (commentārius) for each year of the war.

8.48.10quod ego nōn exīstimāvī mihi esse faciendum, proptereā quod īnsequēns annus, L. Paulō C. Mārcellō cōnsulibus, nūllās habet magnopere Galliae rēs gestās.

but I did not think I needed to do so, because the following year, when Lucius Paulus and Gaius Marcellus were consuls, contains no events of great importance in Gaul.

Note. L. Paulō C. Mārcellō cōnsulibus: ablative absolute dating the year, 50 BC. mihi esse faciendum: gerundive of obligation with dative of agent, 'that it had to be done by me'.

8.48.11Nē quis tamen ignōrāret, quibus in locīs Caesar exercitusque eō tempore fuissent, pauca esse scrībenda coniungendaque huic commentāriō statuī.

Still, so that no one should be unaware where Caesar and his army were at that time, I have decided to write a few words and add them to this book.

Note. Nē quis … ignōrāret: purpose clause; quis after nē is indefinite. quibus in locīs: indirect question. pauca esse scrībenda coniungendaque: gerundives of obligation in indirect statement after statuī.