Caesar DBG 5:31 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

April 5, 2014

Caesar DBG 5:31

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

[31] 1       Consurgitur ex consilio; comprehendunt utrumque et orant, ne sua dissensione et pertinacia rem in summum periculum deducat:         2       facilem esse rem, seu maneant, seu proficiscantur, si modo unum omnes sentiant ac probent; contra in dissensione nullam se salutem perspicere. Res disputatione ad mediam noctem perducitur.         3       Tandem dat Cotta permotus manus: superat sententia Sabini. Pronuntiatur prima luce ituros. 4 Consumitur vigiliis reliqua pars noctis, cum sua quisque miles circumspiceret, quid secum portare posset, quid ex instrumento hibernorum relinquere cogeretur.          5       Omnia excogitantur, quare nec sine periculo maneatur, et languore militum et vigiliis periculum augeatur.          6       Prima luce sic ex castris proficiscuntur, ut quibus esset persuasum non ab hoste, sed ab homine amicissimo Ambiorige consilium datum, longissimo agmine maximisque impedimentis.

[31]      1          Consurgitur ex consilio; comprehendunt utrumque et orant, ne sua dissensione et pertinacia rem in summum periculum deducat: The council broke up, and their friends seized both Cotta and Sabinus, begging them not to let their dissension and antagonism lead them all into greater danger; “deducat” is third person singular present subjunctive active of deduco, deducere, deduxi, deductum, “to lead, pull.”  “orant” is third person plural present indicative active of oro, orare, oravi, oratum. 

2          facilem esse rem, seu maneant, seu proficiscantur, si modo unum omnes sentiant ac probent There was not a problem with either staying or leaving so long as all saw and agreed as one; “probent” is third person plural present subjunctive active of probo, probare, probavi, probatum, “to approve, commend.” “sentiant” is third person plural present subjunctive active of sentio, sentire, sensi, sensum “to perceive, to believe.”  “proficiscantur” is third person plural present subjunctive active of the deponent proficiscor, proficisci, profectum sum. “maneant” is third person plural present subjunctive active of maneo, manere, mansi, mansum, “to stay, remain.” “esse” is present infinitive of sum, esse, fui, futurus. 

contra in dissensione nullam se salutem perspicere. But if the bickering continued, they saw no hope of survival; “perspicere” is present infinitive of perspicio, perscipere, perspexi, perspectum, “to perceive or discern.”   Res disputatione ad mediam noctem perducitur. The dispute dragged on until midnight; “perducitur” is third person singular present indicative passive of perduco, perducere, perduxi, perductum, “to drag out, prolong.”

3          Tandem dat Cotta permotus manus: superat sententia Sabini. Pronuntiatur prima luce ituros. At length, Cotta was prevailed upon to give in, and Sabinus’ position won out.  The word was passed that they would leave at first light; “ituros” is future active participle of the irregular eo, ire, ii, itum, “to go, leave.”  “pronuntiatur” is third person singular present indicative passive of pronuntio, pronuntiare, pronuntiavi, pronuntiatum, “to proclaim, declare, announce.” “superat” is third person singular present indicative active of supero, superare, superavi, superatum, “to surmount, overcome.” 

4          Consumitur vigiliis reliqua pars noctis, cum sua quisque miles circumspiceret, quid secum portare posset, quid ex instrumento hibernorum relinquere cogeretur No one slept the rest of that night, as every soldier was combing through his baggage to figure out which kit to haul along and which to leave behind; “cogeretur” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive passive of cogo, cogere, coegi, coactum, “to collect, assemble.” “relinquere” is present infinitive of relinquo, relinquere, reliqui, relictum, “to abandon, leave behind.”  “posset” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of possum, posse, potui.  “portare” is present infinitive of porto, portare, portavi, portatum. “circumspiceret” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of circumspicio, circumspicere, circumspexi, circumspectum, “to examine, review.”  “consumitur” is third person singular present indicative passive of consumo, consumere, consumpsi, consumptum, “to consume, take up completely.”  

5          Omnia excogitantur, quare nec sine periculo maneatur, et languore militum et vigiliis periculum augeatur And they were all trying to convince each other of reasons why it was way too dangerous to stay, and that the strain of constant vigilance would heighten the danger, and so on; “augeatur” is third person singular present subjunctive passive of augeo, augere, auxi, auctum, “to increase, augment.”  “maneatur” is third person singular present subjunctive passive of maneo, manere, mansi, mansum.  “excogitantur” is third person plural present indicative passive of excogito, excogitare, excogitavi, excogitatum, “to contrive, devise, invent.” 

6          Prima luce sic ex castris proficiscuntur, ut quibus esset persuasum non ab hoste, sed ab homine amicissimo Ambiorige consilium datum, At dawn they struck camp, having deluded themselves that the advice they followed came not from the enemy but from that most friendly fellow, Ambiorix;  “datum (esse) is perfect passive infinitive of do, dare, dedi, datum; see Steadman’s note. “persuasum” is perfect passive participle of persuadeo, persuadere, persuasi, persuasum, “to persuade, convince.”  “esset” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of sum, esse, fui, futurus.  “proficiscuntur” is third person plural present indicative active of the deponent proficiscor, proficisci, profectus sum.  

longissimo agmine maximisque impedimentis. The departing column stretched a great distance and the baggage slowed things to a crawl; ablative absolutes with participle understood; see Steadman’s note.