Latin III Caesar De Bello Gallico 5 37 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

April 30, 2014

Caesar DBG 5:37

Course Notes
© 2014 James Ransom, M.A., J.D.

[37]          1         Sabinus quos in praesentia tribunos militum circum se habebat et primorum ordinum centuriones se sequi iubet et, cum propius Ambiorigem accessisset, iussus arma abicere imperatum facit suisque ut idem faciant imperat.          2         Interim, dum de condicionibus inter se agunt longiorque consulto ab Ambiorige instituitur sermo, paulatim circumventus interficitur.          3         Tum vero suo more victoriam conclamant atque ululatum tollunt impetuque in nostros facto ordines perturbant.          4         Ibi Lucius Cotta pugnans interficitur cum maxima parte militum. Reliqui se in castra recipiunt unde erant egressi.          5         Ex quibus Lucius Petrosidius aquilifer, cum magna multitudine hostium premeretur, aquilam intra vallum proiecit; ipse pro castris fortissime pugnans occiditur. Illi aegre ad noctem oppugnationem sustinent;          6         noctu ad unum omnes desperata salute se ipsi interficiunt.          7         Pauci ex proelio lapsi incertis itineribus per silvas ad Titum Labienum legatum in hiberna perveniunt atque eum de rebus gestis certiorem faciunt.

            1            Sabinus quos in praesentia tribunos militum circum se habebat et primorum ordinum centuriones se sequi iubet Sabinus then ordered the military tribunes and senior centurions at hand to follow him; “iubet” is third person singular present indicative active of iubeo, iubere, iussi, iussum.  “habebat” is third person singular imperfect indicative active of habeo, habere, habui, habitum.           

et, cum propius Ambiorigem accessisset, iussus arma abicere imperatum facit suisque ut idem faciant imperat and when he had drawn near to Ambiorix, he was ordered to disarm, which he did, and ordered his men to do likewise.  “imperat” is third person singular present indicative active of impero, imperare, imperavi, imperatum, “to command, give orders to.”  “faciant” is third person plural present subjunctive active of facio, facere, feci, factum.  “facit” is third person singular present indicative active of facio. “imperatum”is perfect passive participle of impero, imperare, imperavi, imperatum, “to command, give orders to.”  “imperatum facit”=”the thing having been commanded.”  “abicere” is present infinitive of abicio, abicere, abieci, abiectum, “to cast down, throw away.”  “

“iussus” is perfect passive participle of  iubeo.  “accessisset” is third person singular pluperfect subjunctive active of accedo, accedere, accessi, accessum, “to go forward, approach.”

2            Interim, dum de condicionibus inter se agunt longiorque consulto ab Ambiorige instituitur sermo, paulatim circumventus interficitur. Meanwhile, as Ambiorix deceitfully dragged out the negotiations, Sabinus was little by little surrounded, then suddenly slain; “interficitur” is third person singular present indicative passive of interficio, interficere, interfeci, interfectum.  “circumventus” is perfect passive participle of circumvenio, circumvenire, circumveni, circumventum,” “to surround.”  “instituitur” isthird person singular present indicative passive of instituo, instituere, institui, institutum, “to set up, instigate.”   

3            Tum vero suo more victoriam conclamant atque ululatum tollunt impetuque in nostros facto ordines perturbant At that point, true to form, they took up shouting ferociously and yodelling their victory, then stormed our ranks in a shock attack.  “perturbant” is third person plural present indicative active of perturbo, perturbare, perturbavi, perturbatum, “to perturb or alarm.”  “tollunt” is third person plural present indicative active of tollo, tollere, sustuli, sublatum, “to raise, lift up, take up.”  “conclamant” is third erson plural presnt indicative active of conclamo, conclamare, conclamavi, conclamatum, “to shout or cry out.” 

4            Ibi Lucius Cotta pugnans interficitur cum maxima parte militum. Reliqui se in castra recipiunt unde erant egressi.  There Cotta fell fighting, with the greater part of his legion.  The survivors retreated back to the same camp they had just abandoned.  “erant egressi”:  see Steadman’s note.  “recipiunt” is third person plural present indicative active of recipio, recipere, recepi, receptum, “to take back, regain possession.”  “interficitur” is third person singular present indicative passive of interficio, interficere, interfeci, interfectum.

5            Ex quibus Lucius Petrosidius aquilifer, cum magna multitudine hostium premeretur, aquilam intra vallum proiecit;  Among them was a standard-bearer named Lucius Petrosidius.  While a great number of enemy swarmed around him, he hurled his eagle within the walls; “proiecit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of proicio, proicere, proieci, proiectum, “to throw or hurl.”   “premeretur” is third person singular imperfect passive subjunctive of premo, premere, pressi, pressum.              ipse pro castris fortissime pugnans occiditur. Then he fell fighting most courageously outside the camp; “occiditur” is third person singular present indicative passive of occido, occidere, occidi, occasum.  “pugnans” is present active participle of pugno, pugnare, pugnavi, pugnatum. 

Illi aegre ad noctem oppugnationem sustinent;             6            noctu ad unum omnes desperata salute se ipsi interficiunt They barely sustained the battle until nightfall; with the darkness, despairing of saving themselves, every last man took his own life;  “interficiunt” is third person singular present indictive active of interficio.  “desperata salute”:  ablative absolute.  “sustinent” is third person plural present indicative active of sustineo, sustinere, sustinui, sustentum, “to sustain, endure, hold out.” 

7            Pauci ex proelio lapsi incertis itineribus per silvas ad Titum Labienum legatum in hiberna perveniunt atque eum de rebus gestis certiorem faciunt A few deserters made their way back through devious paths through the forest to the camp of Titus Libienus, and provided a fairly reliable account of what had happened; “faciunt” is third person plural present indicative active of facio, facere, feci, factum.  “perveniunt” is third person plural present indicative active of pervenio, pervenire, perveni, perventum.  “ex proelio lapsi”:  see Steadman’s note.