- 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-lat2:6.30.1-6.30.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Basilus locates Ambiorix's position through a surprise march, but Ambiorix narrowly escapes into the forest thanks to his men's resistance, luck, and the surrounding terrain.
Basilus, ut imperatum est, facit. Celeriter contraque omnium opinionem confecto itinere multos in agris inopinantes deprehendit: eorum indicio ad ipsum Ambiorigem contendit, quo in loco cum paucis equitibus esse dicebatur.
Basilus did as he was ordered. Having completed his march quickly and contrary to everyone’s expectation, he caught many people in the fields off their guard; by their information, he hastened directly to Ambiorix himself, in the place where he was said to be with a few horsemen.
Multum cum in omnibus rebus tum in re militari potest fortuna. Nam sicut magno accidit casu ut in ipsum incautum etiam atque imparatum incideret, priusque eius adventus ab omnibus videretur, quam fama ac nuntius adferretur:1 sic magnae fuit fortunae2 omni militari instrumento, quod circum se habebat, erepto, raedis equisque comprehensis ipsum effugere mortem. Sed hoc quoque factum est, quod aedificio circumdato silva, ut sunt fere domicilia Gallorum, qui vitandi aestus causa plerumque silvarum atque fluminum petunt propinquitates, comites familiaresque eius angusto in loco paulisper equitum nostrorum vim sustinuerunt.3
Fortune has great power, not only in all other matters, but especially in military affairs. For just as it happened by a great fluke that he came upon Ambiorix himself while off his guard and unprepared, and his approach was seen by all before any rumor or messenger brought word of it; so it was a piece of great fortune that, although all the military equipment he had around him was seized, and his carriages and horses captured, he himself escaped death. But this also happened, because, in a building surrounded by a forest (as are generally the dwellings of the Gauls, who, for the sake of avoiding the heat, mostly seek the neighborhoods of forests and rivers), his companions and friends sustained for a short time the attack of our cavalry in a narrow place.
His pugnantibus4 illum in equum quidam ex suis intulit: fugientem silvae texerunt. Sic et ad subeundum periculum et ad vitandum multum fortuna valuit.
While they were fighting, one of his men placed him on a horse; the forests covered him as he fled. Thus, fortune was of great power both in incurring danger and in avoiding it.
- 6.30.2priusque eius adventus ab omnibus videretur, quam fama ac nuntius adferretur
The conjunction priusquam (before) is separated into prius and quam. The subjunctive mood in videretur and adferretur is used to express anticipation or prevention (his approach being seen before any rumor could arrive).
- 6.30.2magnae fuit fortunae
The genitive magnae fortunae is a predicate genitive (genitive of characteristic) qualifying the infinitive phrase ipsum effugere mortem (that he himself escaped death) as the subject. It is translated as 'it was a matter of great fortune.'
- 6.30.3quod ... sustinuerunt
The quod clause (with the indicative sustinuerunt) is a noun clause in apposition with the preceding hoc (nominative), explaining the concrete fact or cause (that his companions sustained the attack) by which he escaped.
- 6.30.4His pugnantibus
An ablative absolute construction with the present participle pugnantibus ('while they were fighting'), expressing an action occurring simultaneously with the main clause ('placed him on a horse').