Caesar De Bello Gallico 4:31 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico
Instructor:  James Ransom

Caesar DBG 4:31

Course Notes

© 2014 James Ransom, M.A., J.D.

[31]      1        At Caesar, etsi nondum eorum consilia cognoverat, tamen et ex eventu navium suarum et ex eo quod obsides dare intermiserant fore id quod accidit suspicabatur.       2       Itaque ad omnes casus subsidia comparabat. Nam et frumentum ex agris cotidie in castra conferebat et, quae gravissime adflictae erant naves, earum materia atque aere ad reliquas reficiendas utebatur et quae ad eas res erant usui ex continenti comportari iubebat.    3 Itaque, cum summo studio a militibus administraretur, XII navibus amissis, reliquis ut navigari satis commode posset effecit.

1  At Caesar, etsi nondum eorum consilia cognoverat But Caesar, though he had not yet learned of their plans; “cognoverat” is third person singular pluperfect indicative active of cognosco, cognoscere, cognovi, cognitum. 

tamen et ex eventu navium suarum et ex eo quod obsides dare intermiserant fore id quod accidit suspicabatur  was nevertheless suspicious, both because of the wreck of his ships and because the enemy had broken off its promised delivery of hostages; “suspicabatur” is third person singular imperfect indicative active of the deponent suspicor, suspicari, suspicatus sum, “to mistrust or suspect.”  “intermiserant” is third person singular pluperfect indicative active of intermitto, intermittere, intermisi, intermissum, “to interrupt, stop, omit.”  “dare” is present infinitive of do, dare, dedi, datum.  “eventu”:  ablative singular of the fourth declension noun eventus, eventus, m.

2  Itaque ad omnes casus subsidia comparabat So he began to prepare for the worst case [lit., “for every case”]; “comparabat” is third person singular imperfect indicative active of comparo, comparare, comparavi, comparatum, “to prepare.”  “subsidia” is accusative plural of the second declension noun subsidium, subsidii, n., “relief, reserves.” 

Nam et frumentum ex agris cotidie in castra conferebat et Daily he reaped grain from the fields into the camp; “conferabat” is third person singular imperfect indicative active of confero, conferre, contuli, conlatum, “to bring together, collect.” 

et, quae gravissime adflictae erant naves, earum materia atque aere ad reliquas reficiendas utebatur and from the most badly damaged ships he salvaged timber and bronze to repair the rest; “utebatur” is third person singular imperfect indicative active of the deponent utor, uti, usus sum, “to use, employ.”  “reficiendas” is future passive participle of reficio; “those ships to be repaired.”  “erant” is third person plural imperfect indicative active of sum, esse, fui, futurus. 

et quae ad eas res erant usui ex continenti comportari iubebat and to the same purpose, he ordered that repair equipment be shipped over from the mainland; “iubebat” is third person singular imperfect indicative active of iubeo, iubere, iussi, iussum.  “comportari” is present passive infinitive of comporto, comportare, comportavi, comportatum. 

3 Itaque, cum summo studio a militibus administraretur,  In the event, as the troops accomplished this work [lit:  “as this work was accomplished by the troops”] with maximum efficiency; “administraretur” is third person singular imperfect passive subjunctive of administro, administrare, administravi, administratum, “take charge of, accomplish.” 

XII navibus amissis, reliquis ut navigari satis commode posset effecit by the loss of just 12 ships, the rest of the fleet was restored to service; “effecit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of efficio, efficere, effeci, effectum, “to cause, bring about.”  “posset” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of the irregular possum, posse, potui.  “navigari” is present passive infinitive of navigo, navigare, navigavi, navigatum, “to sail, navigate.”