- 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-lat2:8.40.1-8.40.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-04
Caesar arrives at Uxellodunum and plans to cut off the water supply to complete the siege. Since the river cannot be diverted due to the terrain, he posts troops to block the townspeople's descent to the water.
Cum contra exspectationem omnium Caesar Vxellodunum venisset oppidumque operibus clausum animadverteret neque ab oppugnatione recedi1 videret ulla condicione posse, magna autem copia frumenti abundare oppidanos ex perfugis cognosset, aqua prohibere hostem temptare coepit.
When Caesar had arrived at Uxellodunum contrary to everyone’s expectation, and observed that the town was shut in by siege works, and saw that the siege could not be raised under any condition, but had learned from deserters that the townspeople abounded in a great supply of corn, he began to attempt to debar the enemy from water.
Flumen infimam vallem dividebat, quae totum paene montem cingebat, in quo positum erat praeruptum undique oppidum Vxellodunum.
A river divided the lowest valley, which almost entirely surrounded the mountain on which the town of Uxellodunum, steep on every side, was situated.
Hoc avertere loci natura prohibebat: in infimis enim sic radicibus montis ferebatur, ut nullam in partem depressis fossis2 derivari posset.
The nature of the ground prevented this river from being diverted; for it ran at the very foot of the mountain in such a way that it could not be drawn off in any direction by digging deep trenches.
Erat autem oppidanis difficilis et praeruptus eo descensus, ut3 prohibentibus nostris4 sine vulneribus ac periculo vitae neque adire flumen neque arduo se recipere possent ascensu.
Moreover, the descent to it was so difficult and steep for the townspeople that, with our men opposing them, they could neither approach the river nor retreat up the steep ascent without receiving wounds and risking their lives.
Qua difficultate eorum cognita Caesar sagittariis funditoribusque dispositis, tormentis etiam quibusdam locis contra facillimos descensus collocatis aqua fluminis prohibebat oppidanos.
Caesar, having perceived this difficulty of theirs, stationed archers and slingers, and also placed engines in certain positions opposite the easiest descents, and thus debarred the townspeople from the water of the river.
- 8.40.1recedi
An impersonal passive infinitive used with posse, meaning 'that it was possible to withdraw (from the siege)'.
- 8.40.3depressis fossis
An ablative phrase of a noun and a participle. It can be interpreted as an ablative of means ('by digging deep trenches') or an ablative absolute with a concessive force ('even if trenches were dug deep'), which is more natural in this context.
- 8.40.4eo descensus, ut
The adverb eo (to such a degree) correlates with ut introducing a clause of result, emphasizing the difficulty of the descent (descensus).
- 8.40.4prohibentibus nostris
An ablative absolute using a present participle, expressing a circumstance or condition ('with our men opposing them' or 'if our men prevented them').