Caesar De Bello Gallico 5:40 Course Notes

Latin III:  Caesar, De Bello Gallico

Instructor:  James Ransom

May 5, 2014

Caesar DBG 5:40

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

[40]          1         Mittuntur ad Caesarem confestim ab Cicerone litterae magnis propositis praemiis, si pertulissent: obsessis omnibus viis missi intercipiuntur.          2         Noctu ex materia, quam munitionis causa comportaverant, turres admodum CXX excitantur incredibili celeritate; quae deesse operi videbantur, perficiuntur.          3         Hostes postero die multo maioribus coactis copiis castra oppugnant, fossam complent. Eadem ratione, qua pridie, ab nostris resistitur.          4         Hoc idem reliquis deinceps fit diebus.          5         Nulla pars nocturni temporis ad laborem intermittitur; non aegris, non vulneratis facultas quietis datur.          6         Quaecumque ad proximi diei oppugnationem opus sunt noctu comparantur; multae praeustae sudes, magnus muralium pilorum numerus instituitur; turres contabulantur, pinnae loricaeque ex cratibus attexuntur.          7         Ipse Cicero, cum tenuissima valetudine esset, ne nocturnum quidem sibi tempus ad quietem relinquebat, ut ultro militum concursu ac vocibus sibi parcere cogeretur.

            1            Mittuntur ad Caesarem confestim ab Cicerone litterae magnis propositis praemiis, si pertulissent Cicero promptly sent word to Caesar, and promised the messengers a huge bonus if they got through to him; “pertulissent” is third person plural pluperfect subjunctive active of perfero, perferre, pertuli, perlatum, “to bear or convey news.”  “propositis” is perfect passive participle of propono, proponere, proposui, popositum, “to set forth, declare.”  “mittuntur” is third person plural present indicative passive of mitto, mittere, misi, missum. 

obsessis omnibus viis missi intercipiuntur but all the roads were blocked and the messengers were waylaid; “intercipiuntur” is third person plural present indicative passive of intercipio, intercipere, intercepi, interceptum, “to intercept, cut off.”  “obsessis” is perfect passive participle of obsideo, obsidere, obsedi, obsessum, “to watch closely, beset, beseige.” 

2            Noctu ex materia, quam munitionis causa comportaverant, turres admodum CXX excitantur incredibili celeritate that night, with unbelievable speed, Cicero’s men constructed at least 120 towers out of the timber they had harvested for the camp’s defense; “excitantur” is third person plural present indicative passive of excito, excitare, excitavi, excitatum, “to raise, build.”  “comportaverant” is third person plural pluperfect indicative active of comporto, comportare, comportavi, comportatum, “to amass, collect.”  quae deesse operi videbantur, perficiuntur and any deficiencies in defensive preparations were identified and corrected; “perficiuntur” is third person plural present indicative passive of perficio, perficere, perfeci, perfectum, “to execute, complete, perfect.” “videbantur” is third person plural imperfect indicative passive of video, videre, vidi, visum.  “deesse” is present infinitive of desum, deesse, defui, defuturus, “to be wanting, lacking.” 

3            Hostes postero die multo maioribus coactis copiis castra oppugnant, fossam complent on the following day the enemy attacked the camp with far larger forces, and filled in the ditch; “complent”is third person plural present indicative active of compleo, complere, complevi, completum, “to fill up, fill in.”  “oppugnant” is third person plural present indicative active of oppugno, oppugnare, oppugnavi, oppugnatum, “to attack, assault, storm, besiege.”  “coactis” is perfect passive participle of cogo, cogere, coegi, coactum, “to collect, assemble, gather together.”

Eadem ratione, qua pridie, ab nostris resistitur but our resistance was equal to that of the previous day;  “resistitur” is third person singular present indicative passive of resisto, resistere, restiti, “to withstand, resist.” 

4            Hoc idem reliquis deinceps fit diebus This pattern continued from day to day; “fit” is third person singular present indicative passive of facio, facere, feci, factum. 

5            Nulla pars nocturni temporis ad laborem intermittitur Nor was their any break from work at night; “intermittitur” is third person singular present indicative passive of intermitto, intermittere, intermisi, intermissum, to interrupt, stop (temporarily).”

non aegris, non vulneratis facultas quietis datur. Neither the ill nor the wounded were given leave for recuperation; “datur” is third person singular present indicative passive of do, dare, dedi, datum. 

6            Quaecumque ad proximi diei oppugnationem opus sunt noctu comparantur Anything needed for battle the next day was assembled during the night; “comparantur” is third person plural present indicative passive of comparo, comparare, comparavi, comparatum, “to place together, prepare.”  “sunt” is third person singular present indicative active of sum, esse, fui, futurus. 

multae praeustae sudes, magnus muralium pilorum numerus instituitur They prepared many stakes with tempered points, and many javelins suited for fighting from the walls; “instituitur” is third person singular present indicative passive of instituo, instituere, institui, institutum, “to set up, prepare, build.”  turres contabulantur, pinnae loricaeque ex cratibus attexuntur the towers were lined with planks, and fitted with battle stations and breastworks made of woven wickerwood;  “attexuntur” is third person plural present indicative passive of attexo, attexere, attexui, attextum, “to join on, link to (as in weaving).  “contabulantur” is third person plural present indicative passive of contabulo, contabulare, contabulavi, contabulatum, “to cover with boards.”

7            Ipse Cicero, cum tenuissima valetudine esset Cicero himself, though in very uncertain health…; “esset” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of sum, esse, fui, futurus. See Steadman’s note.

ne nocturnum quidem sibi tempus ad quietem relinquebat denied himself any rest, even at night; “relinquebat” is third person singular imperfect indicative active of relinquo, relinquere, reliqui, relictum, “to abandon, relinquish, leave behind.” 

ut ultro militum concursu ac vocibus sibi parcere cogeretur till finally he was compelled to yield to the insistent pleas of the troops that he try to get some sleep; “cogeretur” is third perfect singular imperfect passive subjunctive of cogo, cogere, coegi, coactum, “to force, compel, urge.”