- Source
- Julius Caesar. Aulus Hirtius. C. Iuli Commentarii Rerum in Gallia Gestarum VII A. Hirti Commentarius VII. Holmes, T. Rice (Thomas Rice), editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1914.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.38.1-1.38.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-24
Upon receiving news that Ariovistus is marching to seize Vesontio, the largest and most strategically fortified town of the Sequani, Caesar hastens there by forced marches, occupies it first, and establishes a garrison due to its natural strength and abundant supplies.
Cum tridui viam processisset, nuntiatum est ei Ariovistum cum suis omnibus copiis ad occupandum Vesontionem, quod1 est oppidum maximum Sequanorum, contendere [triduique viam a suis finibus processisse]. Id ne accideret, magnopere sibi praecavendum Caesar existimabat. Namque omnium rerum quae ad bellum usui erant summa erat in eo oppido facultas, idque natura loci sic muniebatur ut magnam ad ducendum bellum2 daret facultatem, propterea quod flumen [alduas] Dubis ut circino circumductum paene totum oppidum cingit, reliquum spatium, quod est non amplius pedum MDC, qua flumen intermittit, mons continet magna altitudine,3 ita ut radices eius montis ex utraque parte ripae fluminis contingant, hunc murus circumdatus arcem efficit et cum oppido coniungit.
When he had proceeded a three days’ journey, it was reported to him that Ariovistus was hastening with all his forces to seize Vesontio, which is the largest town of the Sequani, [and had proceeded a three days’ journey from his own territories]. Caesar thought that he must take great precautions lest this should happen; for in that town there was the greatest supply of all things which were of use for war, and it was so fortified by the nature of the ground that it gave great facility for protracting the war, because the river Dubis [[Alduas]], as if traced round with a pair of compasses, almost surrounds the entire town. A mountain of great height fills up the remaining space, which is not more than sixteen hundred feet, where the river leaves a gap, in such a way that the roots of that mountain touch the bank of the river on each side. A wall thrown around this mountain makes it a citadel and joins it with the town.
Huc Caesar magnis nocturnis diurnisque itineribus contendit occupatoque oppido ibi praesidium conlocat.
Hither Caesar hastened by great marches by day and night, and having seized the town, stationed a garrison there.
- 1.38.1quod
The relative pronoun quod has as its antecedent Vesontionem (feminine), but its gender is attracted to that of the predicate noun within the relative clause, oppidum (neuter).
- 1.38.2ad ducendum bellum
A gerund construction. Although ducere can mean 'to conduct' a war, in this context of natural fortifications giving advantage to the defenders, it is best interpreted as 'to protract' or 'prolong' the war.
- 1.38.3reliquum spatium, quod est non amplius pedum MDC, qua flumen intermittit, mons continet magna altitudine
Hyperbaton. The subject is mons near the end, and the initial reliquum spatium is the object of continet. The relative clauses quod est... and qua... interrupt the flow, but the core structure is mons continet reliquum spatium. The phrase pedum MDC is a genitive of measure/quality modifying spatium.