- 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-lat2:4.25.1-4.25.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-28
Caesar orders the warships to deploy and repel the enemy to break the deadlock. Inspired by the brave act of the tenth legion's eagle-bearer who leaps into the sea, the Roman soldiers find their courage and follow him into battle.
Quod ubi Caesar animadvertit, naves longas, quarum et species erat barbaris inusitatior et motus ad usum expeditior, paulum removeri ab onerariis navibus et remis incitari et ad latus apertum hostium constitui atque inde fundis, sagittis, tormentis hostes propelli ac submoveri iussit; quae res magno usui nostris1 fuit.
When Caesar observed this, he ordered the warships—whose appearance was less familiar to the barbarians and whose movement was quicker for practical use—to be removed a little from the transport ships, to be impelled by oars, and to be stationed towards the exposed flank of the enemy, and from that position the enemy to be repulsed and driven back by slings, arrows, and artillery; which circumstance was of great service to our men.
Nam et navium figura et remorum motu et inusitato genere tormentorum permoti barbari constiterunt ac paulum modo pedem rettulerunt.
For, terrified by the shape of the ships, the motion of the oars, and the unfamiliar nature of the artillery, the barbarians stopped and retreated just a little.
Atque nostris militibus cunctantibus,2 maxime propter altitudinem maris, qui X legionis aquilam gerebat, obtestatus deos, ut ea res legioni feliciter eveniret, ' desilite', inquit, ' milites, nisi vultis aquilam hostibus prodere; ego certe meum rei publicae atque imperatori officium praestitero.3'
And while our soldiers were hesitating, chiefly on account of the depth of the sea, he who carried the eagle of the tenth legion, having supplicated the gods that the event might turn out prosperously for the legion, said, “Leap down, soldiers, unless you wish to betray the eagle to the enemy; I at least shall have performed my duty to the republic and to my general.”
Hoc cum voce magna dixisset, se ex navi proiecit atque in hostes aquilam ferre coepit.
When he had said this with a loud voice, he cast himself from the ship and began to carry the eagle toward the enemy.
Tum nostri cohortati inter se, ne tantum dedecus admitteretur, universi ex navi desiluerunt.
Then our men, having exhorted one another that so great a disgrace should not be incurred, all leaped down from the ship.
Hos item ex proximis primi navibus4 cum conspexissent, subsecuti hostibus adpropinquaverunt.
When the first men from the nearest ships saw them likewise, they followed close behind and approached the enemy.
- 4.25.1magno usui nostris
A "double dative" construction. It combines the dative of purpose/effect (magno usui, "for a great utility") with the dative of interest/reference (nostris, "for our men"), used with fuit to mean "was of great service to our men."
- 4.25.3nostris militibus cunctantibus
An ablative absolute construction. The noun militibus and the present participle cunctantibus (along with the possessive adjective nostris) are both in the ablative case, forming an adverbial clause grammatically independent of the main clause, here expressing time or cause ("while our soldiers were hesitating").
- 4.25.3praestitero
First-person singular future perfect indicative active of the verb praesto ("to perform/fulfill"). Here, the future perfect is used to express a firm resolve or assurance that the duty "will certainly and immediately be fulfilled," rather than a simple future event.
- 4.25.6ex proximis primi navibus
A hyperbaton (word order inversion). The adjective primi ("the first"), which modifies the subject, is inserted between the prepositional phrase ex proximis navibus ("from the nearest ships"). 'Primi' can also be interpreted adverbially as "first" or "immediately."