- 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-lat2:5.49.1-5.49.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-29
The Gauls lift the siege of Cicero to march against Caesar, and Cicero immediately sends a messenger to inform Caesar. Upon hearing of the enemy's approach, Caesar establishes an intentionally small camp in a strategic position to make the enemy underestimate his forces while preparing for the crossing.
Galli re cognita per exploratores obsidionem relinquunt, ad Caesarem omnibus copiis contendunt. Hae1 erant armata circiter milia LX.
The Gauls, having learned of this situation through scouts, abandoned the siege and marched against Caesar with all their forces. These consisted of about sixty thousand armed men.
Cicero data facultate Gallum ab eodem Verticone, quem supra demonstravimus, repetit, qui litteras ad Caesarem deferat;2 hunc admonet, iter caute diligenterque faciat:
Cicero, having obtained the opportunity, again requested a Gaul from the same Vertico whom we mentioned above, to carry a letter to Caesar; he cautioned him to make his journey cautiously and diligently.
perscribit in litteris hostes ab se discessisse omnemque ad eum multitudinem convertisse.
In the letter he wrote in detail that the enemy had departed from him and had turned their entire multitude toward him (Caesar).
Quibus litteris circiter media nocte Caesar adlatis suos facit certiores eosque ad dimicandum animo confirmat.
This letter having been delivered about midnight, Caesar informed his men and encouraged them in spirit for the fight.
Postero die luce prima movet castra et circiter milia passuum quattuor progressus trans vallem et rivum multitudinem hostium conspicatur.
On the following day, at dawn, he moved his camp, and having advanced about four miles, he caught sight of the multitude of the enemy across a valley and a river.
Erat magni periculi3 res tantulis copiis iniquo loco dimicare; tum, quoniam obsidione liberatum Ciceronem sciebat, aequo animo remittendum de celeritate existimabat:
It was a matter of great danger to fight in an unfavorable position with such small forces; moreover, since he knew that Cicero had been freed from the siege, he thought he might slacken his speed with an easy mind.
consedit et quam aequissimo loco potest castra communit atque haec, etsi erant exigua per se vix hominum milium septem4 praesertim nullis cum impedimentis, tamen angustiis viarum quam maxime potest contrahit, eo consilio, ut in summam contemptionem hostibus5 veniat.
He encamped and fortified his camp in as favorable a position as possible; and although this was small in itself, being for scarcely seven thousand men, especially as they had no baggage, yet he contracted it by narrowing the passages as much as possible, with the design that he might come into the greatest contempt in the eyes of the enemy.
Interim speculatoribus in omnes partes dimissis explorat quo commodissime itinere vallem transire possit.
In the meantime, having dispatched scouts in all directions, he explored by what route he could cross the valley most conveniently.
- 5.49.1Hae
Feminine plural demonstrative pronoun referring back to copiis (from copiae, feminine plural) in the preceding sentence, agreeing with its logical antecedent rather than the predicate noun milia (neuter plural).
- 5.49.2qui litteras ad Caesarem deferat
The relative pronoun qui followed by the present subjunctive deferat forms a relative clause of purpose ('to carry...'). The antecedent is Gallum.
- 5.49.6magni periculi
Genitive of quality (description). It functions predicatively to describe the subject infinitive phrase iniquo loco dimicare ('was a matter of great danger').
- 5.49.7etsi erant exigua per se vix hominum milium septem
The phrase hominum milium septem ('of seven thousand men') is a genitive of quality describing exigua. The main clause object haec (castra, neuter plural) also serves as the subject of the concessive clause introduced by etsi.
- 5.49.7hostibus
Dative of reference (or person judging). Used with in summam contemptionem veniat to express the idea of 'becoming an object of extreme contempt in the eyes of the enemy'.