Caesar De Bello Gallico 4.25 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

DBG 4.25
Course Notes
© 2014 James Ransom, M.A., J.D.

[25]          1         Quod ubi Caesar animadvertit, naves longas, quarum et species erat barbaris inusitatior et motus ad usum expeditior, paulum removeri ab onerariis navibus et remis incitari et ad latus apertum hostium constitui atque inde fundis, sagittis, tormentis hostes propelli ac submoveri iussit; quae res magno usui nostris fuit.        

2         Nam et navium figura et remorum motu et inusitato genere tormentorum permoti barbari constiterunt ac paulum modo pedem rettulerunt.          3         Atque nostris militibus cunctantibus, maxime propter altitudinem maris, qui X legionis aquilam gerebat, obtestatus deos, ut ea res legioni feliciter eveniret, ' desilite', inquit, ' milites, nisi vultis aquilam hostibus prodere; ego certe meum rei publicae atque imperatori officium praestitero.'          4         Hoc cum voce magna dixisset, se ex navi proiecit atque in hostes aquilam ferre coepit.

5         Tum nostri cohortati inter se, ne tantum dedecus admitteretur, universi ex navi desiluerunt.                  6         Hos item ex proximis primi navibus cum conspexissent, subsecuti hostibus adpropinquaverunt.

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1            Quod ubi Caesar animadvertit When Caesar realized the situation; "animadvertit" is third person singular present active indicative of animadverto, animadvertere, animadverti, animadversum, "notice, observe, judge, estimate."  naves longas...paulum removeri ob onerariis navibus...iussit he ordered the warships to remove a short distance from the troop carriers; "removeri" is present passive infinitive of removeo, removere, removi, remotus, "remove."  et remis incitari et ad latus apertum hostium constitui and to swiftly reposition on the enemy's left flank; "constitui" is present passive infinitive of constituo, constituere, constitui, constitutum, "to set up, establish."  "incitari" is present active infinitive of incito, incitare, incitavi, incitatum, "to set in rapid motion, hasten, accelerate."  atque inde fundis, sagittis, tormentis hostes propelli ac submoveri and from there drive the enemy away with slingshot, arrows and missiles; "submoveri" is present passive infinitive of submoveo, submovere, submovi, submotum, "to drive off or away."  "propelli" is present passive infinitive of propello, propellere, propuli propulsum, "to expel, drive away."   

Now for the subordinate clause earlier in the sentence:  quarum et species erat barbaris inusitatior et motus ad usum expeditior which were not only less familiar to the savages, but more maneuverable; "inusitatior" and "expeditior":  comparative adjectives. 

quae res magno usui nostris fuit  these tactics were very effective for our side.  See Steadman's note on the use of the dative. 

2            Nam et navium figura et remorum motu et inusitato genere tormentorum permoti barbari constiterunt ac paulum modo pedem rettulerunt Now the natives, driven into a panic by the spectre of the ships and their menacing oars and strange engines of war, stopped and retreated a short distance; "rettulerunt" is third person plural perfect indicative active of (re-)fero, ferre, tuli, latum, "to drive or carry back, to return."  "permoti" is perfect passive participle of permoveo, permovere, permovi, permotum, "to shake up, agitate." 

3            Atque nostris militibus cunctantibus, maxime propter altitudinem maris Meanwhile our soldiers hesitated, primarily because of the depth of the sea; "cunctantibus" is the ablative masculine present participle of the deponent cunctor, cunctari, cunctatus sum, "to delay, hesitate, hold up."  ablative absolute with "nostris militibus." 

qui X legionis aquilam gerebat, obtestatus deos, ut ea res legioni feliciter eveniret, the eagle-bearer of the 10th Legion, having prayed the gods that the legion might gain strength by what he was about to do; "eveniret" is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of evenio, evenire, eveni, eventum, "to happen, occur, come forth."  "obtestatus" is perfect participle of the deponent obtestor, obtestari, obtestatus sum, "to beseech, implore, bear witness (or call on someone to bear witness)."  "gerebat"  is third person singular imperfect indicative active of gero, gerere, gessi, gestum, "to carry, bear." 

' desilite', inquit, ' milites, nisi vultis aquilam hostibus prodere; ego certe meum rei publicae atque imperatori officium praestitero.' "Jump in, comrades!" he said, "unless you want our standard to fall to the foe; in any event, I at least will have done my duty, both to Rome and to our general."  "praestitero" is first person singular future perfect active of praesto, praestare, praestiti, praestatum, "to stand out, excel."  "prodere" is present infinitive active of prodo, prodere, prodidi, proditum, "to give up, abandon, surrender."  "desilite" is plural imperative of desilio, desilire, desilui, "to jump down, dismount."

4            Hoc cum voce magna dixisset, se ex navi proiecit atque in hostes aquilam ferre coepit Once having shouted these words, he pushed off from the ship and bore the eagle of the legion toward the enemy. "coepit" is third person singular perfect indicative active of the defective verb coepi, coepisse, coeptum, "to begin." "ferre" is present infinitive active of fero, ferre, tuli, latum, "to bear, carry."  "proiecit" is third person singular perfect indicative active of proicio, proicere, proieci, proiectum, "to thrust, hurl forth, stretch out."  "dixisset" is third person singular pluperfect subjunctive active of dico, dicere, dixi, dictum; temporal subjunctive with cum. 

5            Tum nostri cohortati inter se, ne tantum dedecus admitteretur, universi ex navi desiluerunt At this, the cohort, unanimous that such a disgrace must be averted, jumped down from the ship as one man; "desiluerunt" is third person plural perfect indicative active of desilio, desilere, desilui.  "admitteretur" is third person singular imperfect subjunctive passive of admitto, admittere, admisi, admissum, "let in, admit, allow." 

6            Hos item ex proximis primi navibus cum conspexissent, subsecuti hostibus adpropinquaverunt When the men of the nearby ships saw this, they also followed suit and drew close to engage the enemy; "adpropinquaverunt" is third person plural perfect indicative active of adpropinquo, adpropinquare, adpropinquavi, adpropinquatum, "to approach, come near"; controls the dative "hostibus."  "subsecuti" is the perfect participle of the deponent (sub-) sequor, sequi, secutus sum, "to immediately follow." "conspexissent" is third person plural pluperfect subjunctive active of conspicio, conspicere, conspexi, conspectum, "to watch, notice, catch sight of."  temporal subjunctive with cum.