Caesar De Bello Gallico 5 24 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

March 22, 2014

Caesar DBG 5:24

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

[24] Subductis navibus concilioque Gallorum Samarobrivae peracto, quod eo anno frumentum in Gallia propter siccitates angustius provenerat, coactus est aliter ac superioribus annis exercitum in hibernis collocare legionesque in plures civitates distribuere. Ex quibus unam in Morinos ducendam Gaio Fabio legato dedit, alteram in Nervios Quinto Ciceroni, tertiam in Esubios Lucio Roscio; quartam in Remis cum Tito Labieno in confinio Treverorum hiemare iussit. Tres in Belgis collocavit: eis Marcum Crassum quaestorem et Lucium Munatium Plancum et Gaium Trebonium legatos praefecit. Unam legionem, quam proxime trans Padum conscripserat, et cohortes V in Eburones, quorum pars maxima est inter Mosam ac Rhenum, qui sub imperio Ambiorigis et Catuvolci erant, misit. Eis militibus Quintum Titurium Sabinum et Lucium Aurunculeium Cottam legatos praeesse iussit. Ad hunc modum distributis legionibus facillime inopiae frumentariae sese mederi posse existimavit. Atque harum tamen omnium legionum hiberna praeter eam, quam Lucio Roscio in pacatissimam et quietissimam partem ducendam dederat, milibus passuum centum continebantur. Ipse interea, quoad legiones collocatas munitaque hiberna cognovisset, in Gallia morari constituit.

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[24] Subductis navibus concilioque Gallorum Samarobrivae peracto With the ships safe on shore, a council of Gauls was convened at Samarobriva; “peracto” is perfect passive participle of perago, peragere, peregi, peractum, “to execute, accomplish.”  “subductis” is perfect passive participle of subduco, subducere, subduxi, subductum, “to haul up onto land, to beach.”              quod eo anno frumentum in Gallia propter siccitates angustius provenerat since in that year the grain crop had come in short due to a drought in Gaul; “provenerat” is third person singular pluperfect indicative active of provenio, provenire, proveni, proventum, “to appear, grow up.”

coactus est aliter ac superioribus annis exercitum in hibernis collocare legionesque in plures civitates distribuere he was forced to scrap the winter stations of troops standard in earlier years, and to disperse the legions over a wider group of states; “distribuere” is present infinitive of distribuo, distribuere, distribui, distributum, “to assign, distribute.”  “collocare” is present infinitive of colloco, collocare, collocavi, collocatum, to plalce, set in order, settle.”  “coactus est”:  see Steadman’s note. 

Ex quibus unam in Morinos ducendam Gaio Fabio legato dedit, alteram in Nervios Quinto Ciceroni, tertiam in Esubios Lucio Roscio; quartam in Remis cum Tito Labieno in confinio Treverorum hiemare iussit.   One legion he assigned to the legate Gaius Fabius to lead into the land of the Morini, another to Quintus Cicero (to the Nervii), a third to Lucius Roscius (Esubians); and he ordered a fourth, under Titus Labienus, to spend the winter with the Remi, on the border of the Treveri tribe; “iussit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of iubeo, iubere, iussi, iussum.  “dedit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of do, dare, dedi, datum.  “ducendam” is future passive participle (gerundive) of duco, ducere, duxi, ductum; see Steadman’s note. 

Tres in Belgis collocavit: eis Marcum Crassum quaestorem et Lucium Munatium Plancum et Gaium Trebonium legatos praefecit He allocated three legions to Belgian territory and put the quaestor Marcus Crassus and the legates Lucius Munatius Plancus and Gaius Trebonius in command;  “praefecit”  is third person singular perfect indicative active of praeficio, praeficere, praefeci, praefectum, “to place in command.”  “collocavit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of colloco, collocare, collocavi, collocatum, “to place, settle.” 

Unam legionem, quam proxime trans Padum conscripserat, et cohortes V in Eburones, quorum pars maxima est inter Mosam ac Rhenum, qui sub imperio Ambiorigis et Catuvolci erant, misit; Eis militibus Quintum Titurium Sabinum et Lucium Aurunculeium Cottam legatos praeesse iussit.One legion, which he had just drafted from across the River Po, he sent along with five cohorts into Eburone territory, which lies mainly between the Meuse and the Rhine.  The Eburones were under the rule of Ambiorix and Catuvolcus.  Caesar ordered the legates Quintus Titurius Sabinus and Lucius Aurunculeius Cotta to command these formations; “iussit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of iubeo, iubere, iussi, iussum.  “praeesse” is present infinitve of praesu, praeesse, praefui, praefuturus, “to command, rule over.”  “misit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of mitto, mittere, misi, missum.  “erant” is third person plural imperfect indicative active of sum, esse, fui, futurus.  “conscripserat” is third person singular pluperfect indicative active of conscribo, conscribere, conscripsi, conscriptum, “to enlist, enroll.” 

Ad hunc modum distributis legionibus facillime inopiae frumentariae sese mederi posse existimavit By this disposition of the legions Caesar planned to minimize the impact of food shortages; “existimavit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of existimo, existimare, existimave, existimatum, “to think, estimate, judge.”  “posse” is present infinitive of possum, posse, potui.  “mederi” is present infinitive of the deponent medeor, mederi, “to amend, relieve, heal, cure.” 

Atque harum tamen omnium legionum hiberna praeter eam, quam Lucio Roscio in pacatissimam et quietissimam partem ducendam dederat milibus passuum centum continebantur.  And in any event, the winter camps of the legions were all within a 100 mile radius, except for that of Lucius Roscius, who had been given a mission to an unusually peaceful and subdued region; “continebantur” is third person plural imperfect indicative passive of contineo, continere, continui, contentum, “to enclose, bound, limit.”  “dederat” is tjhird person singular pluperfect indicative active of do, dare, dedi, datum.  “ducendam” is future passive participle  (gerundive) of duco, ducere, duxi, ductum. 

Ipse interea, quoad legiones collocatas munitaque hiberna cognovisset, in Gallia morari constituit Meanwhile, until he had learned that the legions were in place and dug in, Caesar determined to remain in Gaul; “constituit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of constittuo, constituere, constitui, constitutum.  “morari” is present infinitve of the deponent moror, morari, moratus sum, “to linger, delay.”  “cognovisset” is third person singular pluperfect subjunctive active of cognosco, cognoscere, cognovi, cognitum.  “collocatas” is perfect passive participle of colloco, collocare, collocavi, collocatum, “to put in place, settle.”