Caesar De Bello Gallico 4:29 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar,  De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

February 23, 2014

DBG 4:29

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

[29]  1       Eadem nocte accidit ut esset luna plena, qui dies a maritimos aestus maximos in Oceano efficere consuevit, nostrisque id erat incognitum.                2          Ita uno tempore et longas naves, [quibus Caesar exercitum transportandum curaverat,] quas Caesar in aridum subduxerat, aestus complebat, et onerarias, quae ad ancoras erant deligatae, tempestas adflictabat, neque ulla nostris facultas aut administrandi aut auxiliandi dabatur.                3          Compluribus navibus fractis, reliquae cum essent funibus, ancoris reliquisque armamentis amissis ad navigandum inutiles, magna, id quod necesse erat accidere, totius exercitus perturbatio facta est.                 4       Neque enim naves erant aliae quibus reportari possent, et omnia deerant quae ad reficiendas naves erant usui, et, quod omnibus constabat hiemari in Gallia oportere, frumentum in his locis in hiemem provisum non erat.

          1          Eadem nocte accidit ut esset luna plena It so happened there was a full moon on that night;  “esset” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of sum, esse, fui, futurus.  Temporal subjunctive with ablative of time when (“eadem nocte”).  qui dies a maritimos aestus maximos in Oceano efficere consuevit on the same day the ocean reaches high tide; “consuevit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of consuesco, consuescere, consuevi, consuetum, “to accustom, habituate.”  “efficere” is present active infinitive of efficio, efficere, effeci, effectum, “to accomplish, execute, complete, reach.” nostrisque id erat incognitum though this fact was unknown to our men.  “incognitum”:  neuter accusative adjective in agreement with “id.”

2          TAKE THE TWO COORDINATED MAIN CLAUSES FIRST:   Ita uno tempore et longas naves…aestus complebat, et onerarias…tempestas adflictabat thus, simultaneously the warships were being flooded and the troop ships damaged by storm; “adflictabat” is third person singular imperfect indicative active of adflicto, adflictare, adflictavi, adflictatum, “to strike, damage.”  “complebat” is third person singular imperfect indicative active of compleo, complere, complevi, completum, “to cover, overwhelm.” 

THEN ANALYZE THE SUBORDINATE CLAUSES: …quibus Caesar exercitum transportandum curaverat… which Caesar had deployed in order to transport the troops; “curaverat” third person singular pluperfect indicative active of curo, curare, curavi, curatum, “to arrange, undertake, procure.” is transportandum:  future passive participle  (gerundive) of transporto, “carry across, transport”; supply the missing infinitive esse; see Steadman’s note.  …quas Caesar in aridum subduxerat…  [and] which Caesar had landed on the shore; “subduxerat” is third person singular pluperfect indicative active of subduco, subducere, subduxi, subductum, “to land, beach.”  …quae ad ancoras erant deligatae [and] which were secured at anchor; “deligatae” is perfect passive participle of deligo, deligere, delegi, delectum, “to tie up.” 

 neque ulla nostris facultas aut administrandi aut auxiliandi dabatur nor could any of our men either give direction or render aid to those in danger;  “dabatur” is third person singular imperfect indicative passive of do, dare, dedi, datum.  “administrandi” and “auxiliandi”:  see Steadman’s note. 

3          Compluribus navibus fractis A number of ships broke up; in the ablative absolute construction, “fractis” is perfect passive participle of frango, frangere, fregi, fractum, “to break, shatter.”  reliquae cum essent funibus, ancoris reliquisque armamentis amissis ad navigandum inutiles the rest had lost rope, anchor and rigging, and were not at all seaworthy; “ad navigandum”:  see Steadman’s note. “amissis” is perfect passive participle of amisso, amittere, amisi, amissum, “to lose.”  “essent” is third person plural imperfect subjunctive active of sum, esse, fui, futurus. 

magna, id quod necesse erat accidere, totius exercitus perturbatio facta est under such circumstances, the predictable result was that the whole army fell into a panic.  “accidere” is present infinitive active of accido, accidere, accidi, “to happen, befall.” 

4          Neque enim naves erant aliae quibus reportari possent Nor were other ships available to retrieve the stranded crews; “possent” is third person plural imperfect subjunctive active of possum, posse, potui.  “reportari” is present passive infinitive of reporto, reportare, reportavi, reportatum, “carry or bring back.”

et omnia deerant quae ad reficiendas naves erant usui and they were lacking materials that could be used to repair the ships; “usui” is perfect passive participle of the deponent utor, uti, usus sum, “to use, employ.” “ad reficiendas”:  see Steadman’s note.  “deerant” is third person plural imperfect indicative active of desum, desse, defui, defuturus, “wanting, lacking.” 

et, quod omnibus constabat hiemari in Gallia oportere and, since all were agreed to see the winter through back in Gaul; “oportere” is present infinitive active of the impersonal verb oportet, oportere, oportuit, “it is necessary, proper.”  “constabat” is third person singular imperfect indicative active of consto, constare, constiti, constatum, “to agree, decide.”  “hiemari” is present infinitive passive of hiemo, hiemare, hiemavi, hiematum, “to winter, pass the winter.” 

frumentum in his locis in hiemem provisum non erat no grain had been stored for passing a winter in such a place as this.  “provisum erat” is third person singular pluperfect indicative passive of provideo, providere, provisi, provisum, “to provide.”