Books 1-4: Historical Overview

Transcription

1 Books 1-4: Historical Overview Caesar came to Gaul in 58 BC. This year saw him fight two campaigns. He was victorious in both. First, he defeated the Helvetii. Then, at the request of several Gallic tribes, he defeated and expelled Ariovistus, a Germanic king who had set up a small but expanding kingdom in Gaul, slightly north and to the east of where the Aedui and Sequani lived. As we have discussed, it is tremendously important to avoid thinking that history was, or is, inevitable. There is no such thing as fate. History turns on the deeds and decisions of men, whether individually, in small groups, or once in a while in larger groups. It is true that other factors may contribute to history a nation, for example, possesses an advantage if it happens to have abundant natural resources, or if it has geographical features that discourage attack. But it is equally true that an individual s thoughts, beliefs, choices, and actions and this is true on a cultural and national scale, too are far more determinative. Many cultures and nations possess similar natural advantages. Not all of them flourish. History does not happen it is made. To deny this is not only to deny the objective lessons of history, but to deny free will itself. Caesar was not destined to be a genius or a legend he made himself those things. After the campaigns of 58, Caesar decided to station several legions in Gallia Comata ( Long-haired Gaul, i.e. Greater Gaul). He did this because the summer s campaigns had taught him that peace in Gaul was always a tenuous prospect. Some Gallic tribes had no problem with the presence of Roman soldiers in their midst the Aedui and the Sequani, for example. They were allies of Rome. But the various tribes of the Belgae did not like the presence of Roman soldiers beyond the borders of the province. Thus in 57, several tribes of the Belgae initiated war. Caesar beat them badly, though not easily. For the time being, northern Gaul was pacified just as the middle was as a result of the campaigns of 58. In 56 BC, Caesar sent several of his officers to the western coast of Gaul, in order to assure that the tribes there would provision his army with grain. Rather than acquiesce to this, several tribes took Caesar s envoys prisoner. He swiftly brought several legions to western Gaul and crushed the offending tribes. These operations were on a smaller scale than those of the previous two years, but they were ruthlessly effective nonetheless: Caesar had made it unpopular in that region to resist the will of Rome. 55 BC dawned. German barbarians were making excursions across the River Rhine into Gaul. This was another migration, on a scale with that of the Helvetii three years earlier. Caesar beat back the Germans. Not content with this, he decided to invade Germania and make a statement. He ordered his soldiers to build a great bridge across the Rhine. It would have been fairly easy to merely ferry his troops across the large river in boats, but the construction of the bridge proved to the barbarians what the legions were capable of doing none of the Gallic or Germanic tribes possessed the technical know-how to construct anything like it. The bridge was a tangible testament of the power of Rome. Caesar s excursion into Germania was brief and without any battles the Germans fled many miles away at the advent of the legions. This was satisfactory to Caesar, because his point had been made the legions could and would go anywhere. He had other plans, anyway.

2 The island of Britannia lay about twenty miles from northwest Gaul across what is now called the English Channel. No Roman, perhaps outside of a few enterprising merchants, had ever been there. The various tribes of the Britanni were a Celtic race, though even more primitive than their fellows in Gaul. Caesar had several reasons for going to Britannia. One was no doubt the sheer adventure and excitement of going to this mysterious new world and, doubtless, the glory and awe that he knew this would inspire back in Rome. The other reason was that Caesar had been told that some of the Britanni had been coming across the channel and taking part in the various rebellions. He wanted to punish them, and deter them from doing so in the future. It is extremely unlikely that he had any plans of actually subduing Britannia or remaining there. Caesar: BC 59 - consulship 58 - news about impending migration of Helvetians; Caesar leaves Rome in March and arrives at the Rhone in 8 days, averaging 90 miles per day - March: two additional legions recruited from Cisalpine Gaul: the Eleventh and Twelfth - April-May: campaign against the Helvetians - summer: campaign against Ariovistus - legions assigned winter quarters among the Sequani; first time in history that a Roman army is stationed in Greater Gaul 57 - winter: two more legions recruited from Cisalpine Gaul: Legiō XIII and XIV -summer: campaign against Belgae 56 - minor operations in western Gaul 55 - first bridging of the Rhine / short foray into Germania; first invasion of Britannia

3 4.24 Problems with Landing At barbarī, cōnsiliō Rōmānōrum cognitō, praemissō equitātū et ēssedariīs, quō plērumque genere in proeliīs ūtī consuērunt, reliquīs copiīs subsecūtī nostrōs nāvibus ēgredī prohibēbant. Erat ob hās causās summa difficultās, quod navēs propter magnitūdinem nisi in altō cōnstituī nōn poterant,

4 mīlitibus autem, ignōtīs locīs, impedītīs manibus, magnō et gravī onere armōrum oppressīs simul et dē nāvibus desiliendum et in fluctibus consistendum et cum hostibus erat pugnandum, cum illī aut ex āridō aut paulum in aquam progressī omnibus membrīs expedītīs, nōtissimīs locīs, audacter tēla conicerent et equōs insuēfactōs incitārent.

5 Quibus rēbus nostrī perterritī atque huius omnīnō generis pugnae imperitī, nōn eādem alacritāte ac studiō quō in pedestribus ūtī proeliīs consuerant utēbantur.

6 Notes on 4.24 Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes

7 4.25 Roman Bombardment; A Brave Eagle-Bearer Quod ubi Caesar animadvertit, nāvēs longās, quārum et speciēs erat barbarīs inūsitātior et motus ad usum expedītior, paulum removērī ab onerāriīs nāvibus et rēmīs incitārī et ad latus apertum hostium constituī atque inde fundīs, sagittīs, tormentīs hostēs propellī ac submovērī iussit; quae rēs magnō usuī nostrīs fuit. Nam et nāvium figūrā

8 et rēmōrum mōtū et inusitātō genere tormentōrum permōtī barbarī constitērunt ac paulum modo pedem rettulērunt. Atque nostrīs mīlitibus cunctantibus, maximē propter altitūdinem maris, quī X legiōnis aquilam ferēbat, contestātus deōs ut ea rēs legiōnī feliciter ēvenīret, Dēsilite, inquit, commīlitōnēs, nisi vultis aquilam hostibus prōdere; ego certē meum rēī pūblicae atque imperātōrī

9 officium praestiterō. Hoc cum vōce magnā dīxisset, sē ex nāvī prōiēcit atque in hostēs aquilam ferre coepit. Tum nostrī cohortātī inter sē, nē tantum dēdecus admitterētur, universī ex nāvī dēsiluērunt. Hōs item ex proximīs primī nāvibus cum conspēxissent, subsecutī hostibus appropinquāverunt.

10 Notes on 4.25 Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes

11 4.26 The Romans Finally Make a Landing Pugnātum est ab utrīsque ācriter. Nostrī tamen, quod neque ordinēs servāre neque firmiter insistere neque signa subsequī poterant atque alius aliā ex nāvī quibuscumque signīs occurrerat sē aggregābat, magnopere perturbābantur; hostēs vērō, nōtīs omnibus vadīs, ubi ex lītore aliquōs singulārēs ex nāvī ēgredientēs

12 conspēxerant, incitātīs equīs impedītōs adoriēbantur, plūrēs paucōs circumsistēbant, aliī ab latere apertō in universōs tēla coniciēbant. Quod cum animadvertisset Caesar, scaphās longārum nāvium, item speculātōria navigia mīlitibus complērī iussit et, quōs laborantēs conspēxerat, hīs subsidia submittēbat. Nostrī, simul in āridō constitērunt, suīs omnibus consecūtīs, in hostēs impetum fecērunt

13 atque eōs in fūgam dedērunt; neque longius prosequī potuērunt, quod equitēs cursum tenēre atque insulam capere non potuerant. Hoc ūnum ad pristīnam fortūnam Caesarī defuit.

14 Notes on 4.26 Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes

15 4. 27 The Britons Send Ambassadors To Negotiate Peace Hostēs proeliō superātī, simul atque sē ex fūgā recēpērunt, statim ad Caesarem lēgātōs dē pace mīsērunt; obsidēs datūrōs quaeque imperāsset sēsē factūrōs pollicitī sunt. Ūnā cum hīs legātīs Commius Atrēbās vēnit, quem suprā demonstrāveram ā Caesare in Britanniam praemissum. Hunc illī ē nāvī ēgressum, cum ad eōs ōrātōris mōdō

16 Caesaris mandāta deferret, comprehenderant atque in vincula coiēcerant; tum proeliō factō remīsērunt. In petendā pace eius rēī culpam in multitūdinem coiēcērunt et propter imprudentiam ut ignōscerētur petivērunt. Caesar questus quod, cum ultrō in continentem lēgātīs missīs pacem ab sē petissent, bellum sine causā intulissent, ignōscere sē imprudentiae dixit obsidēsque imperāvit;

17 quōrum illī partem statim dedērunt, partem ex longinquiōribus locīs arcessitam paucīs diēbus sēsē datūrōs dīxērunt. Intereā suōs remigrāre in agrōs iussērunt, principēsque undīque convenīre et sē civitātēsque suās Caesarī commendāre coepērunt.

18 Notes on 4.27 Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes

19 4.28 A Storm Drives Off Caesar s Fleet; The Romans Are Stranded Hīs rēbus pāce confirmātā, post diem quartum quam est in Britānniam ventum nāvēs XVIII, dē quibus suprā demonstrātum est, quae equitēs sustulerant, ex superiōre portū lēnī ventō solvērunt. Quae cum appropinquārent Britānniae et ex castrīs vidērentur, tanta tempestās subitō coörta est ut nūlla eārum cursum

20 tenēre posset, sed aliae eōdem unde erant profectae referrentur, aliae ad inferiōrem partem insulae, quae est prōpius sōlis occāsum, magnō suī cum perīculō deicerentur; quae tamen, ancorīs iactīs, cum fluctibus complērentur, necessāriō adversā nocte in altum provectae continentem petiērunt.

21 Notes on 4.28 Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes

22 4.29 More Ships Are Wrecked Eādem nocte accidit ut esset luna plēna, quī diēs maritimōs aestūs maximōs in Ōceanō efficere consuēvit, nostrīsque id erat incognītum. Ita ūnō tempore et longās nāvēs, quibus Caesar exercitum transportandum curāverat, quāsque in aridum subdūxerat, aestus complēverat,

23 et onerāriās, quae ad ancorās erant deligātae, tempestās afflictābat, neque ūlla nostrīs facultās aut administrandī aut auxiliandī dabātur. Complūribus nāvibus fractīs, reliquae cum essent fūnibus, ancorīs reliquīsque armamentīs amissīs ad navigandum inūtilēs, magna, id quod necesse erat accidere, tōtīus exercitūs perturbātio facta est.

24 Neque enim nāvēs erant aliae quibus reportārī possent, et omnia dēerant quae ad reficiendās nāvēs erant usuī, et, quod omnibus constābat hiemārī in Galliā oportere, frumentum in hīs lōcīs in hiemem provīsum nōn erat.

25 Notes on 4.29 Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes

26 4.30 The Britons Break The Truce Quibus rēbus cognitīs, principēs Britānniae, quī post proelium ad Caesarem convēnerant, inter sē collocutī, cum equitēs et nāvēs et frumentum Rōmānīs dēesse intellegerent et paucitātem mīlitum ex castrōrum exiguitāte cognōscerent, quae hōc erant etiam angustiora quod sine impedimentīs Caesar legiōnēs transportāverat. Optimum factū

27 esse dūxērunt rebelliōne factā frūmentō commeātūque nostrōs prohibēre et rem in hiemem prodūcere, quod eīs superātīs aut redītū interclusīs nēminem posteā bellī inferendī causā in Britanniam transitūrum cōnfidēbant. Itaque rursus coniurātiōne factā paulātim ex castrīs discedere et suōs clam ex agrīs dēdūcere coepērunt.

28 Notes on 4.30 Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes

29 4.31 Caesar Suspects An Ambush; Some Ships Are Repaired At Caesar, etsī nōndum eōrum cōnsilia cognōverat, tamen et ex ēventū nāvium suārum et ex eō quod obsidēs dare intermīserant fore id quod accidit suspicābātur. Itaque ad omnēs casūs subsidia comparābat. Nam et frūmentum ex agrīs cotidiē in castra conferēbat et, quae gravissimē afflictae erant nāvēs,

30 eārum materiā atque aere ad reliquās reficiendās ūtēbātur et quae ad eās rēs erant usuī ex continentī comportārī iubēbat. Itaque, cum summō studiō ā mīlitibus administrāretur, XII nāvibus āmissīs, reliquīs ut navigārī satis commodē posset effēcit.

31 Notes on 4.31 Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes

32 4.32 The Britons Ambush Roman Foragers Dum ea geruntur, legiōne ex consuetūdine ūnā frumentātum missā, quae appellābātur VII, neque ūllā ad id tempus bellī suspiciōne interpōsitā, cum pars hominum in agrīs remanēret, pars etiam in castra ventitāret, eī quī prō portīs castrōrum in statiōne erant Caesarī nuntiāvērunt pulverem maiōrem

33 quam consuetūdō ferret in eā parte vidērī quam in partem legiō iter fēcisset. Caesar id, quod erat, suspicātus, aliquid nōvī ā barbarīs inītum consiliī, cohortēs quae in statiōne erant sēcum in eam partem proficīscī, ex reliquīs duās in statiōnem succēdere, reliquās armārī et confestim sēsē subsequī iussit. Cum paulō longius ā castrīs processisset, suōs ab hostibus

34 premī atque aegrē sustinēre et, cōnfertā legiōne, ex omnibus partibus tēla conīcī animadvertit. Nam quod omnī ex reliquīs partibus demessō frūmentō pars ūna erat reliqua, suspicātī hostēs hūc nostrōs esse ventūrōs noctū in silvīs delituerant; tum dispersōs depōsitīs armīs in metendō occupātōs subitō adortī paucīs interfectīs reliquōs

35 incertīs ordinibus perturbāverant, simul equitātū atque ēssedīs circumdederant.

36 Notes on 4.32 Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes

37 4.33 The War-Chariots of the Britons Genus hoc est ex ēssedīs pugnae. Prīmō per omnēs partēs perequitant et tēla coīciunt atque ipsō terrōre equōrum et strepitū rotārum ordinēs plērumque perturbant et, cum sē inter equitum turmās insinuāverunt, ex ēssedīs dēsiliunt et pedibus proeliantur. Aurigae interim paulātim ex proeliō excēdunt atque ita currūs conlocant ut, sī illī ā

38 multitudine hostium premantur, expedītum ad suōs receptum habeant. Ita mobilitātem equitum, stabilitātem peditum in proeliīs praestant, ac tantum ūsū cotidiānō et exercitātiōne efficiunt utī in declivī ac praecipitī lōcō incitātōs equōs sustinēre et brevī moderārī ac flectere

39 et per temonem percurrere et in iugō insistere et sē inde in currūs citissimē recipere consuerint.

40 Notes on 4.33 Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes

41 4.34 Caesar Brings Reinforcements Quibus rēbus perturbātīs nostrīs novitate pugnae tempore opportunissimō Caesar auxilium tulit: namque eius adventū hostēs constitērunt, nostrī sē ex timore recepērunt. Quō factō, ad lacessendum hostem et committendum proelium aliēnum esse tempus arbitrātus suō sē locō continuit et brevī tempore intermissō

42 in castra legiōnēs redūxit. Dum haec geruntur, nostrīs omnibus occupātīs quī erant in agrīs reliquī discessērunt. Secutae sunt continuōs complurēs diēs tempestātēs, quae et nostrōs in castrīs continērent et hostem ā pugnā prohibērent. Interim barbarī nuntiōs in omnēs partēs dimīsērunt paucitātemque nostrōrum mīlitum suīs praedicāvērunt et quanta praedae faciendae atque

43 in perpetuum suī liberandī facultās darētur, sī Rōmānōs castrīs expulissent, demonstrāvērunt. Hīs rēbus celeriter magnā multitudine peditātūs equitātūsque coactā ad castra vēnērunt.

44 Notes on 4.34 Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes

45 4.35 Caesar Sends A Small Contingent of Cavalry In Pursuit Caesar, etsī idem quod superiōribus diēbus acciderat fore vidēbat, ut, sī essent hostēs pulsī, celeritāte perīculum effugerent, tamen nactus equitēs circiter XXX, quōs Commius Atrēbās, dē quō ante dictum est, sēcum transportāverat, legiōnēs in aciē prō castrīs constituit. Commissō proeliō diutius nostrōrum mīlitum impetum

46 hostēs ferre non potuērunt ac terga vertērunt. Quōs tantō spatiō secutī quantum cursū et vīribus efficere potuērunt, complūrēs ex eīs occidērunt, deinde omnibus longē lātēque aedificiīs incensīs sē in castra recēpērunt The Britons Ask For Terms of Peace Eōdem diē lēgātī ab hostibus missī ad Caesarem dē pace vēnērunt. This is the end of the Book 4 selection. You are not responsible for knowing anything else from this Book.

47 Notes on Plot Summary/Historical Notes Grammar & Vocab Notes

48 Notes on Book 4