Caesar DBG 5 32 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

Caesar DBG 5:32

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

[32]          1         At hostes, posteaquam ex nocturno fremitu vigiliisque de profectione eorum senserunt, collocatis insidiis bipertito in silvis opportuno atque occulto loco a milibus passuum circiter duobus Romanorum adventum exspectabant,          2         et cum se maior pars agminis in magnam convallem demisisset, ex utraque parte eius vallis subito se ostenderunt novissimosque premere et primos prohibere ascensu atque iniquissimo nostris loco proelium committere coeperunt.

[32]             1            At hostes, posteaquam ex nocturno fremitu vigiliisque de profectione eorum senserunt But the enemy, once they saw from the commotion and sentry activity that the Romans were really on the move; “senserunt” is third person plural perfect indicative active of sentio, sentire, sensi, sensum, “to perceive with the senses.” 

collocatis insidiis bipertito in silvis opportuno atque occulto loco a milibus passuum circiter duobus Romanorum adventum exspectabant, they set up ambushes at two coverts in the woods and then began to await the arrival of the Roman force in a well-chosen secure location about 2 miles away; “exspectabant” is third person plural imperfect indicative active of expecto, exspectare, exspectavi, exspectatum, “to await, expect.”  “collocatis” is second person plural present indicative active of colloco, collocare, collocavi, collocatum, “to place, put, set in order.” “collocatis insidiis”:  ablative absolute. 

2            et cum se maior pars agminis in magnam convallem demisisset and when the better part of the column had snaked down into a steep ravine; “demisisset” is third person singular pluperfect subjunctive active of demitto, demittere, demisi, demissum, “(military) to send, bring, or lead soldiers down into a lower place.” 

ex utraque parte eius vallis subito se ostenderunt novissimosque premere et primos prohibere ascensu atque iniquissimo nostris loco proelium committere coeperunt they suddenly showed themselves and launched a pincer attack from two sides of this valley, striking the rear and blocking the advance of the vanguard, placing our troops at a serious disadvantage; “coeperunt” is third person plural perfect indicative active of the defective coepi, coepisse, coeptum, “to have begun.” (no present tense).  “committere” is present infinitive of committo, comittere, comisi, comissum, “to commence (a battle).”  “prohibere” is present infinitive of prohibeo, prohibere, prohibui, prohibitum, “to forbid, hold back.”  “premere” is present infinitive of premo, premere, pressi, pressum, “to press, pursue.”  See Steadman’s note.  “ostenderunt” is third person plural perfect indicative active of ostendo, ostendere, ostendi, ostentum, “to expose to view, exhibit, show.”