Week 16: Translation Caesar, De Bello Gallico (DBG), Book 5.42, Lines 1-11; Book 5.43, Lines 1-24; Book 5.44, Lines 1-28; Book 5.45, Lines 1-1- 12; Book 5.46, Lines 1-11; Book 5.47, Lines 1-15; Book 5.48, Lines 1-20 Book 5.42 [1] Ab hāc spē repulsī Nerviī vāllō pedum IX et fossā pedum Repulsed from this hope, the Nervii surround [the Roman camp] with a small wall of nine feet and a ditch XV hīberna cingunt. Haec et superiōrum annōrum cōnsuētūdine of fifteen feet. They had learned these things also from us through the experience of previous years ā nōbīs cōgnōverant et quōs clam dē exercitū habēbant captīvōs and were taught by those whom they held secretly as captives from [the Roman] army; ab eīs docēbantur; sed nūllā ferrāmentōrum cōpiā quae esset ad but with there being no supply of tools [OR: since there was no supply of tools ] which was [5] hunc ūsum idōnea, gladiīs caespitēs circumcīdere, 1manibus suitable for this use, they seemed to cut the sod with swords [and] sagulīsque terram exhaurīre vidēbantur. to remove the earth with their hands and their coats. Quā quidem ex rē hominum 1dem1tude cōgnōscī potuit: nam Indeed, from this action the number of men could be learned: for
minus hōrīs tribus mīlium pedum XV in circuitū mūnītiōnem in less than three hours they completed a fortification of fifteen miles in circumference; perfēcērunt; reliquīsque diēbus turrēs ad altitūdinem vāllī, falcēs on the remaining days they began to prepare and make siege towers about the height of the [Roman] wall, wall hooks, [10] testūdinēsque, quās īdem captīvī docuerant, parāre āc facere coepērunt. and moveable shelters, which the captives had also taught them. Book 5.43 [1] Septimō oppūgnātiōnis diē māximō coortō ventō On the seventh day of the assault, with a very great wind having arisen, ferventēs fūsilī ex argillā glandēs fundīs et fervefacta iacula they (i.e., the Nervii) began to hurl with slingshots red-hot bullets, [made] from softened potter s clay, and heated javelins in casās, quae mōre Gallicō strāmentīs erant tectae, iacere into the cabins which had been covered with straw according to the Gallic custom. coepērunt. Hae celeriter īgnem comprehendērunt et ventī These [cabins] quickly caught fire and the winds, [5] māgnitūdine in omnem locum castrōrum distulērunt. because of their size, spread [the fire] into every place of the camp.
Hostēs māximō clāmōre, sīcutī partā iam atque explōrātā vīctōriā, With very loud shouting, the enemy, as if victory had already been gained and confirmed, turrēs testūdinēsque agere et scālīs vāllum ascendere coepērunt. began to push forward towers and sheds and to climb the wall with ladders. At tanta mīlitum virtūs atque ea praesentia animī fuit ut, But so great was the courage of the soldiers and such was [their] presence of mind that, cum undique flammā torrērentur māximāque tēlōrum although they were being burned by flame(s) from all directions and were pressed hard by a great number of weapons, [10] multitūdine premerentur suaque omnia impedīmenta atque and they realized that all their baggage and omnēs fōrtūnās cōnflagrāre intellegerent, nōn modō all their fortunes (i.e., possessions) were on fire, not only dēmigrandī causā dē vāllō dēcēderet nēmō sed paene nē was no one departing the rampart for the sake of abandoning [it], but no one respiceret quidem quisquam, āc tum omnēs ācerrimē fortissimēque pūgnārent. even looked behind, and then they all fought very fiercely and very bravely. [15] Hic diēs nostrīs longē gravissimus fuit, sed tamen hunc habuit This day was by far the most serious for men; however, it had this outcome,
ēventum ut eō diē māximus numerus hostium vulnerārētur that on that day a very large number of the enemy was wounded atque interficerētur, ut sē sub ipsō vāllō cōnstīpāverant and killed, inasmuch as under the very wall itself they had crowded closely together recessumque prīmīs ūltimī nōn dabant. and ones in back did not give the first [attackers] a withdrawal. Paulum quidem intermīssā flammā et quōdam locō turrī adāctā Indeed, with the fire having been interrupted for a little and at a certain point with the tower having been pushed forwards [20] et contingente vāllum, tertiae cohortis centuriōnēs ex eō quō and making contact with the wall, the centurions of the third cohort withdrew from the place where stābant locō recessērunt suōsque omnēs remōvērunt; nūtū they were stationed and moved back all their men; with a gesture vōcibusque hostēs, sī introīre vellent, vocāre coepērunt: quōrum and calls they began to call out the enemy if they wanted to enter; of these prōgredī ausus est nēmō. Tum ex omnī parte lapidibus coniectīs no one dared come forward. Then with the stones having been thrown from every direction, dēturbātī, turrisque succēnsa est. they (i.e., the Nervii) were dislodged and the tower was burned.
Book 5.44 [1] Erant in eā legiōne fortissimī virī, centuriōnēs, quī There were in this legion very brave men, centurions, who. prīmīs ōrdinibus appropīnquārent, Titus Pullō et Lūcius were approaching the first rank, Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus. Vorēnus. Hī perpetuās inter sē contrōversiās habēbant, quīnam These [men] had perpetual disputes between them [as to] which anteferrētur, omnibusque annīs dē locīs summīs simultātibus should be preferred and, because of their very great rivalry, every year they competed for the highest places [5] contendēbant. Ex hīs Pullō, cum ācerrimē ad mūnītiōnēs in rivaly. Of these, Pullo, when the fighting was fiercest at the fortifications, pūgnārētur, 'Quid dubitās,' inquit, 'Vorēne? said, Why are you hesitating, Vorenus? aut quem locum tuae probandae virtūtis spectās? hīc diēs Or for what opportunity for praise of your courage are you waiting? This day dē nostrīs contrōversiīs iūdicābit.' Haec cum dīxisset, prōcēdit will decide about our dispute(s). When he had said these [words], he advanced extrā mūnītiōnēs, quaeque pars hostium cōnfertissima est vīsa outside the fortifications and he burst into the part of the enemy which seemed most closely packed.
[10] irrumpit. Nē Vorēnus quidem tum sēsē vāllō continet sed Nor indeed does Vorenus at that point keep himself within the rampart but, omnium veritus exīstimātiōnem subsequitur. Tum having feared everyone s judgment, follows after. Then mediocrī spatiō relīctō Pullō pīlum in hostēs immittit, atque with a fairly small space having been left, Pullo sends his javelin into the enemy and ūnum ex multitūdine prōcurrentem trāicit; quō percussō et pierces one running from the crowd; with this one having been struck and exanimātō, hunc scūtīs prōtegunt, in hostem tēla ūniversī knocked unconscious, they cover him with their shields, throw their spears all together at the enemy (i.e., Pullo), [15] cōniciunt neque dant regrediendī facultātem. Trānsfīgitur and do not give an opportunity of retreating. scūtum Pullōnī et verūtum in balteō dēfīgitur. Āvertit hīc Pullo s shield is pierced through and a short spear is stuck firmly in his sword belt. This misfortune turns aside cāsus vāgīnam et gladium ēdūcere cōnantī dextram morātur his scabbard and hinders his right hand from trying to draw his sword, manum, impedītumque hostēs circumsistunt. and the enemy surround the hindered [man].
Succurrit inimīcus illī Vorēnus et labōrantī subvenit. Ad hunc His rival Vorenus runs to help and comes to the aid of that {man] struggling. [20] sē cōnfestim ā Pullōne omnis multitūdō convertit; illum verūtō The entire crowd immediately turns itself away from Pullo toward this one (i.e., Vorenus): arbitrantur occīsum. Gladiō comminus rem gerit Vorēnus, atque they think that that one (Pullo) has been killed by a javelin. Vorenus carries on the fight with his sword in hand to hand combat and, ūnō interfectō reliquōs paulum prōpellit: dum cupidius īnstat, with one having been killed, drives the rest away a little: while he presses on more eagerly, in locum dēiectus īnferiōrem concidit. Huic rūrsus circumventō having been thrown down onto a lower place (i.e., on the ground) he falls down. fert subsidium Pullō, atque ambō incolumēs complūribus Pullo brings help to him having been surrounded again and, both unharmed, with several [men] [25] interfectīs summā cum laude sēsē intrā mūnītiōnēs recipiunt. having been killed, they retreat inside the fortifications with the higest praise. Sīc fōrtūna in contentiōne et certāmine utrumque versāvit, ut Fortune, in the rivalry and the competition, dealt with each of them in such a way that alter alterī inimīcus auxiliō salūtīque esset, neque dīiūdicārī one rival was a source of help and salvation to the other, and posset, uter utrī virtūte anteferendus vidērētur. it could not be decided which seemed preferable to the other in courage.
Book 5.45 [1] Quantō erat in diēs gravior atque asperior oppūgnātiō, By how much the assault was more serious and more adverse every day, et māximē quod māgnā parte mīlitum cōnfectā vulneribus and particularly because, with a large part of the soldiers having been exhausted from [their] wounds, rēs ad paucitātem dēfēnsōrum pervēnerat, tantō crēbriōrēs the matter had come down to a small number of defenders, by so much more frequent litterae nūntiīque ad Caesarem mittēbantur; quōrum pars letters and messengers were sent to Caesar; some of whom [5] dēprehēnsa in cōnspectū nostrōrum mīlitum cum cruciātū were caught and killed with torture in sight of our soldiers. necābātur. Erat ūnus intus Nervius, nōmine Verticō, locō nātus There was inside [the Roman camp] a Nervian, Vertico by name, born in a respected position, honestō, quī ā prīmā obsidiōne ad Cicerōnem perfūgerat, who had fled for refuge to Cicero at the beginning of the siege suamque eī fidem praestiterat. and had bestowed on him his good faith. Hīc servō spē lībertātis māgnīsque persuādet praemiīs ut litterās This man persuades a slave, by the hope of freedom and with great rewards, to
[10] ad Caesarem dēferat. Hās ille in iaculō illigātās effert, et carry a letter to Caesar. That man (i.e., the slave) carries it out fastened inside a spear and, Gallus inter Gallōs sine ūllā suspiciōne versātus ad Caesarem pervenit. having moved without any suspicion as a Gaul among Gauls, arrived at Caesar. Ab eō dē perīculīs Cicerōnis legiōnisque cōgnōscitur. From him it is learned about the dangers of Cicero and [his] legion. Book 5.46 [1] Caesar, acceptīs litterīs hōrā circiter ūndecimā diēī, statim nūntium Caesar, with the letter having been received at about the eleventh hour of the day, immediately in Bellovacōs ad Marcum Crassum quaestōrem mittit, cūius sends a messenger into [the territory of] the Bellovaci to Marcus Crassus the quaestor, whose hīberna aberant ab eō mīlia passuum XXV; iubet mediā nocte winter camp was 25 miles from him; he orders the legion to set out in the middle of the night legiōnem proficīscī celeriterque ad sē venīre. Exit cum nūntiō and to come to him quickly. Crassus departs along with the messenger. [5] Crassus. Alterum ad Gāium Fabium lēgātum mittit, ut in He sends another [messenger] to Gaius Fabius the legate, that Atrebātium fīnēs legiōnem addūcat, quā sibi iter faciendum he should bring his legion into the territory of the Atrebates, where he (i.e., Caesar) knew that he
sciēbat. had to travel. Scrībit Labiēnō, sī reī pūblicae commodō facere posset, cum He writes to Labienus, if he could do so without detriment to the state, legiōne ad fīnēs Nerviōrum veniat. Reliquam partem exercitūs, that he should come to the territory of the Nervii. He does not think that he should wait for the remaining part of the army [10] quod paulō aberat longius, nōn putat exspectandam; equitēs because it was a little too far away; circiter quadringentōs ex proximīs hībernīs colligit. he quickly collects about 400 cavalry from the nearest winter camps. Book 5.47 [1] Hōrā circiter tertiā ab antecursōribus dē Crassī Having been informed at about the third hour by the advance guard about the adventū certior factus, eō diē mīlia passuum XX prōcēdit. arrival of Crassus, he proceeds 20 miles on that day. Crassum Samarobrīvae praeficit legiōnemque eī attribuit, He puts Crassus in charge of Samarobriva and assigns him a legion, quod ibi impedīmenta exercitūs, obsidēs cīvitātum, litterās because he was leaving behind there the army s baggage, the hostages of the tribes, the public documents,
[5] pūblicās, frūmentumque omne quod eō tolerandae hiemis causā and all the grain that he had brought there for the purpose of enduring winter. dēvēxerat relinquēbat. Fabius, ut imperātum erat, nōn ita Fabius, as it had been ordered, multum morātus in itinere cum legiōne occurrit. having delayed hardly at all with his legion meets [Caesar] on the march. Labiēnus, interitū Sabīnī et caede cohortium cōgnitā, cum omnēs Labienus, with the death of Sabinus and the slaughter of the cohorts having been found out, since ad eum Trēverōrum cōpiae vēnissent veritus nē, sī ex hībernīs all the troops of the Treveri had come towards him, having feared that, if [10] fugae similem profectiōnem fēcisset, hostium impetum sustinēre he made a departure from his winter quarters similar to flight, he would not be able to withstand nōn posset, praesertim quōs recentī vīctōriā efferrī scīret, litterās the enemy attack, particularly [those enemies] whom he knew to be elated with [their] recent victory, Caesarī remittit: quantō cum perīculō legiōnem ex hībernīs sends a letter back to Caesar: [he explains] with what great danger he would take the legion out of the winter quarters; ēductūrus esset; rem gestam in Ebūrōnibus perscrībit; docet he describes an action done in [the territory of] the Eburones; he explains
omnēs equitātūs peditātūsque cōpiās Trēverōrum tria mīlia that all the cavalry and infantry forces of the Treveri [15] passuum longē ab suīs castrīs cōnsēdisse. had encamped three miles away from his camp. Book 5.48 [1] Caesar, cōnsiliō ēius probātō, etsī opīniōne trium Caesar, with his (i.e., Labienus ) plan having been approved, although disappointed in [his] expectation legiōnum dēiectus ad duās redierat, tamen ūnum commūnis of three legions had gone back to two, nevertheless placed the only help of safety for all salūtis auxilium in celeritāte pōnēbat. Vēnit māgnīs itineribus in speed. He came by forced marches in Nerviōrum fīnēs. Ibī ex captīvīs cōgnōscit quae apud into the territory of the Nervii. There from captives he learns what [5] Cicerōnem gerantur quantōque in perīculō rēs sit. Tum cuidam is done at [the camp of] Cicero and in what great danger the situation is. Then ex equitibus Gallīs māgnīs praemiīs persuādet utī ad Cicerōnem epistolam dēferat. with great rewards he persuades a certain one of the Gallic cavalry to deliver a letter to Cicero.
Hanc Graecīs cōnscrīptam litterīs mittit, nē interceptā He sends it written in Greek letters, so that with the letter having been intercepted, epistolā nostra ab hostibus cōnsilia cōgnōscantur. Sī adīre nōn our plans would not be learned by the enemy. If he (i.e., the messenger) is not able to get through, [10] possit, monet ut trāgulam cum epistolā ad āmmentum dēligātā he (i.e., Caesar) advises that he throw a spear with the letter tied to the strap intrā mūnītiōnem castrōrum abiciat. In litterīs scrībit sē cum inside the fortification(s) of the camp. In the letter, he writes that he, legiōnibus profectum celeriter adfore; hortātur ut prīstinam having set out with the legions, will quickly be there; he encourages him (i.e., Cicero) to virtūtem retineat. Gallus perīculum veritus, ut erat praeceptum, retain his former courage. The Gaul, having feared the danger, throws the spear as he had been trāgulam mittit. ordered. [15] Haec cāsū ad turrim adhaesit neque ab nostrīs bīduō It by chance sticks to a tower and, not noticed by our men for two days, animadversa tertiō diē ā quōdam mīlite cōnspicitur, dēmpta on the third day is seen by a certain soldier, having been removed,
ad Cicerōnem dēfertur. Ille perlēctam in conventū mīlitum is delivered to Cicero. He reads it, having been read through, out loud in an assembly of the soldiers recitat, māximāque omnēs laetitiā adficit. Tum fūmī and affects them with great joy. Then smoke incendiōrum procul vidēbantur, quae rēs omnem dubitātiōnem of fires is seen in the distance, which thing drives away all doubt [20] adventūs legiōnum expulit. of the approach of the legions.