Caesar De Bello Gallico 4:35, 4:36.1 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

March 5, 2014

DBG 4:35, 4:36.1

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

[35]          1         Caesar, etsi idem quod superioribus diebus acciderat fore videbat, ut, si essent hostes pulsi, celeritate periculum effugerent, tamen nactus equites circiter XXX, quos Commius Atrebas, de quo ante dictum est, secum transportaverat, legiones in acie pro castris constituit.

2         Commisso proelio diutius nostrorum militum impetum hostes ferre non potuerunt ac terga verterunt.         

3         Quos tanto spatio secuti quantum cursu et viribus efficere potuerunt, complures ex iis occiderunt, deinde omnibus longe lateque aedificiis incensis se in castra receperunt.

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1            Caesar, etsi idem quod superioribus diebus acciderat fore videbat, ut, si essent hostes pulsi, celeritate periculum effugerent Though Caesar foresaw that, just as [had befallen] on previous occasions, if the enemy were beaten, they would trust to speed to escape danger;  “effugerent” is third person plural imperfect active subjunctive of effugio, effugere, effugi, effugiendum, “flee from, escape.” Celeritate:  may be treated as ablative of means or ablative of manner.  “essent pulsi”:  pluperfect passive subjunctive.  “videbat” is third person singular imperfect indicative active of video, videre, vidi, visum.  “acciderat” is third person singular pluperfect indicative active of accido, accidere, accidi, “to happen, befall.” 

tamen nactus equites circiter XXX, quos Commius Atrebas, de quo ante dictum est, secum transportaverat, legiones in acie pro castris constituit on the other hand, he had at his disposal about 30 cavalry whom the already mentioned Commius Atrebas had ferried across with him. Caesar deployed his troops in fighting formation before the camp.  “constituit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of constituo, constituere, constitui, constitutum, “to set up, establish.”  “acie” is ablative singular of the fifth declension noun acies, aciei, f.,

“sharp edge,” “battle line.”  “transportaverat” is third person singular pluperfect indicative active of transporto, transportare, transportavi, transportatum.  “nactus” is perfect participle of the deponent nanciscor, nancisci, nactus sum, “to acquire, possess, have the use of.” 

2            Commisso proelio diutius nostrorum militum impetum hostes ferre non potuerunt ac terga verterunt.  Once battle began, the enemy was able to withstand our assault  for only so long, and soon fled the way they came.  “verterunt” is third person plural perfect indicative active of verto, vertere, verti, versum, “turn around, retreat.”  “potuerunt” is thirtd person plural perfect indicative active of the irregular possum, posse, potui.  Remember that “possum” takes the infinitive.  Here the infinitive is “ferre,” from fero, ferre, tuli, latum. 

3            Quos tanto spatio secuti quantum cursu et viribus efficere potuerunt, complures ex iis occiderunt, deinde omnibus longe lateque aedificiis incensis se in castra receperunt After having pursued the retreating force as fast and far as their strength would allow, killing a good number of them, our [mounted] force put to the torch every structure for miles around and then regained the camp; “receperunt” is third person plural perfect indicative active of recipio, recipere, recepi, receptum, “take back, regain.  “incensis” is perfect passive participle (in an ablative absolute construction with “omnibus…) of incendo, incendere, incendi, incensum, “set on fire, lay waste.”  “occiderunt” is third person plural perfect indicative active of occido, occidere, occidi, occasum.  “potuerunt” is third person plural perfect indicative active of possum.  “efficere,” controlled by “possum,” is present infinitive of efficio, efficere, effeci, effectum, “to execute, cause to occur.” “cursu et viribus”:  ablative of manner; see Steadman’s note. “viribus” is ablative plural of the third declension noun vis, vis, f., “force, violence.”  “secuti”=”having followed”; “secuti” is the perfect participle of the deponent verb sequor, sequi, secutus sum.  In context, the cavalry squadron mentioned earlier in the chapter is in all likelihood the component of Caesar’s forces that pursues the Britons.

[36] Eodem die legati ab hostibus missi ad Caesarem de pace venerunt That same day, emissaries were sent by the enemy; they came to Caesar seeking peace.  “venerunt” is third person plural perfect indicative active of venio, venire, veni, ventum, “to come, approach.”  “missi” is perfect passive participle of mitto, mittere, misi, missum.