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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §1.24.1-1.24.4

Caesar's Battle Formation on the Hill

Passage 24 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Caesar draws up his veteran legions on the middle of the hill and places the newly levied legions and auxiliaries at the summit to secure the baggage. The pursuing Helvetii form a phalanx and advance close to the Roman front line.

§1.24.1Postquam id animum advertit, copias suas Caesar in proximum collem subduxit equitatumque, qui sustineret hostium impetum, misit.
After he noticed this, Caesar withdrew his forces to the nearest hill and sent the cavalry to withstand the attack of the enemy.
§1.24.2Ipse interim in colle medio triplicem aciem instruxit legionum quattuor veteranarum; in summo iugo duas legiones quas in Gallia citeriore proxime conscripserat et omnia auxilia conlocavit, §1.24.3ita ut supra se totum montem hominibus compleret; impedimenta sarcinasque in unum locum conferri et eum ab iis qui in superiore acie constiterant muniri iussit.
He himself, meanwhile, drew up a triple line of battle of four veteran legions on the middle of the hill; on the top of the ridge he stationed the two legions which he had most recently levied in Hither Gaul, and all the auxiliaries, so that he filled the whole mountain above him with men; he ordered the baggage and knapsacks to be collected into one place, and that place to be fortified by those who had taken their stand in the upper line.
§1.24.4Helvetii cum omnibus suis carris secuti impedimenta in unum locum contulerunt; ipsi confertissima acie, reiecto nostro equitatu, phalange facta sub primam nostram aciem successerunt.
The Helvetii, having followed with all their wagons, collected their baggage into one place; they themselves, in a very close array, having repulsed our cavalry and formed a phalanx, advanced close up to our first line.

Notes

  1. 1.24.1animum advertit — The phrase animum advertere is equivalent to animadvertere ('to notice, turn the mind to') and takes the pronoun id as its direct object. The noun animum is combined with the verb rather than functioning as a separate direct object.
  2. 1.24.1qui sustineret — The relative clause with the subjunctive imperfect (sustineret) expresses purpose ('to withstand/in order to hold back'). The antecedent of qui is equitatum.
  3. 1.24.2in colle medio — The adjective medius agreeing with colle denotes a part of the noun ('on the middle of the hill'), rather than 'on the middle hill'. This is contrasted with in summo iugo ('on the top of the ridge').
  4. 1.24.4sub primam nostram aciem — The preposition sub with the accusative indicates direction of motion, meaning 'up to the foot of' or 'close under our first line'. This reflects the situation where the Romans were drawn up on the hill and the Helvetii advanced from below.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §1.24.1-1.24.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.24.1-1.24.4

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