- 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-lat2:3.18.1-3.18.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Sabinus uses a Gallic agent to leak false information, convincing the enemy that the Roman army plans to retreat. Deceived by this, the Gallic forces decide to seize the opportunity, vote to attack the Roman camp, and begin their march.
Hac confirmata opinione timoris idoneum quendam hominem et callidum deligit, Gallum, ex iis quos auxilii causa secum habebat.
When this impression of fear had been confirmed, he selected a certain suitable and crafty Gaul from among those whom he had with him as auxiliaries.
Huic magnis praemiis pollicitationibusque persuadet uti ad hostes transeat, et quid fieri velit edocet.
He persuaded this man by great rewards and promises to go over to the enemy, and instructed him in what he wished to be done.
Qui ubi pro perfuga ad eos venit, timorem Romanorum proponit, quibus angustiis ipse Caesar a Venetis prematur docet, neque longius abesse quin1 proxima nocte Sabinus clam ex castris exercitum educat et ad Caesarem auxilii ferendi causa proficiscatur.
When he came to them in the character of a deserter, he laid before them the fear of the Romans, and informed them by what straits Caesar himself was hard pressed by the Veneti, and that it was not far off but that on the next night Sabinus would secretly lead his army out of the camp and set out to Caesar for the purpose of bringing aid.
Quod ubi auditum est, conclamant omnes occasionem negotii bene gerendi amittendam non esse: ad castra iri oportere.2 Multae res ad hoc consilium Gallos hortabantur: superiorum dierum Sabini cunctatio, perfugae confirmatio, inopia cibariorum, cui rei parum diligenter ab iis erat provisum, spes Venetici belli, et quod fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt.3
When this was heard, they all cried out that the opportunity of performing the business successfully ought not to be lost, and that they ought to go to the camp. Many things encouraged the Gauls to this plan: the hesitation of Sabinus during the previous days, the confirmation of the deserter, the lack of provisions, for which matter too little care had been taken by them, the hope of the Venetic war, and the fact that men generally believe what they wish to believe.
His rebus adducti non prius Viridovicem reliquosque duces ex concilio dimittunt quam ab iis sit concessum4 arma uti capiant et ad castra contendant.
Induced by these things, they did not let Viridovix and the other leaders leave the council until it was conceded by them that they should take up arms and hasten to the camp.
Qua re concessa laeti, ut explorata victoria, sarmentis virgultisque collectis, quibus fossas Romanorum compleant, ad castra pergunt.
This being granted, they, rejoicing as if victory were already assured, collected brushwood and twigs with which to fill up the trenches of the Romans, and marched to the camp.
- 3.18.4neque longius abesse quin
The impersonal expression abest quin (followed by the subjunctive) means "it is far from..."; here, with the comparative longius and the negative neque, it expresses immediacy: "it was not far off but that..." or "no more time would be lost before..." Sabinus's withdrawal. Syntactically, it forms an accusative and infinitive construction (neque longius abesse) dependent on docet (§3.18.3).
- 3.18.6ad castra iri oportere
This is an impersonal passive construction using iri, the passive infinitive of the intransitive verb eo (to go), literally meaning "that it ought to be gone to the camp," i.e., "that they should march to the camp." It functions as an infinitive clause in indirect speech depending on conclamant (§3.18.5).
- 3.18.6et quod fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt
A noun clause introduced by the conjunction quod ("the fact that..."), which stands in apposition to the preceding nouns (cunctatio, confirmatio, etc.) to detail the list of "many things" (Multae res) that encouraged the Gauls. It is a famous general observation on human psychology.
- 3.18.7non prius ... quam ab iis sit concessum
The correlative construction non prius ... quam means "not ... before" or "not until." sit concessum is an impersonal passive ("until it was conceded by them"), and the subjunctive is used to express anticipation or intention.