- 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-lat2:7.81.1-7.81.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-03
After a day's preparation, the Gauls launch a midnight assault on the plain's fortifications, and Vercingetorix leads his forces out of the town. The Romans defend vigorously in the dark, with Antonius and Trebonius sending reinforcements to hard-pressed areas.
Vno die intermisso Galli atque hoc spatio magno cratium, scalarum, harpagonum numero effecto1 media nocte silentio ex castris egressi ad campestres munitiones accedunt.
Having allowed one day to intervene, and having during this interval manufactured a large number of fascines, ladders, and grappling-hooks, the Gauls, marching out of their camp in silence at midnight, approached the fortifications on the plain.
Subito clamore sublato, qua significatione2 qui in oppido obsidebantur de suo adventu cognoscere possent, crates proicere, fundis, sagittis, lapidibus nostros de vallo proturbare reliquaque quae ad oppugnationem pertinent parant administrare.
Suddenly raising a shout, so that by this signal those who were besieged in the town might be able to know of their arrival, they began to throw down the fascines, to drive our men from the rampart with slings, arrows, and stones, and to prepare to execute the remaining measures which belong to an assault.
Eodem tempore clamore exaudito dat tuba signum suis Vercingetorix atque ex oppido educit.
At the same time, the shout being heard, Vercingetorix gave the signal to his men with the trumpet and led them out of the town.
Nostri, ut superioribus diebus, ut cuique erat locus attributus, ad munitiones accedunt; fundis librilibus3 sudibusque quas in opere disposuerant ac glandibus Gallos proterrent.
Our men, as on former days, according as his own post had been assigned to each, went to the fortifications; they kept off the Gauls with slings throwing one-pound stones, and stakes which they had disposed along the works, and leaden bullets.
Prospectu tenebris adempto multa utrimque vulnera accipiuntur. Complura tormentis tela coniciuntur.
Sight being taken away by the darkness, many wounds were received on both sides. Many missiles were discharged by the engines.
At Marcus Antonius et Gaius Trebonius legati, quibus hae partes ad defendendum obvenerant, qua ex parte nostros premi intellexerant, his auxilio ex ulterioribus castellis deductos4 summittebant.
But Marcus Antonius and Gaius Trebonius, the lieutenants to whom these parts had fallen for defense, whenever they understood that our men were hard pressed in any quarter, withdrew men from the more distant forts and sent them to their assistance.
- 7.81.1hoc spatio ... effecto
Ablative absolute construction meaning "this space of time having been used to make...". It is connected by atque to the preceding uno die intermisso, with spatio referring to the time interval of that single day.
- 7.81.2qua significatione
Ablative of a relative adjective, referring back to the preceding noun phrase subito clamore sublato ("suddenly raising a shout"), meaning "by which signal". The following verb possent is in the subjunctive (of purpose or result), meaning "so that by this signal... they might be able to know".
- 7.81.4fundis librilibus
Interpreted either as "slings throwing one-pound stones" or "one-pound stones (thrown by hand or sling)". The adjective librilis (weighing a pound) modifies fundis, emphasizing the heavy and destructive nature of the missiles used.
- 7.81.6deductos
Accusative plural masculine of the perfect passive participle, used substantively as the direct object of summittebant ("sent"). In this context, it refers to the soldiers who had been "withdrawn" (deductos) from the more distant forts.