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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §1.49.1-1.49.4

Fortification of a Second Camp Despite Ariovistus's Attacks

Passage 49 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Caesar decides to establish a new camp about six hundred paces from Ariovistus, completes the construction while repelling the enemy's harassment, and returns to the larger camp after leaving some troops.

§1.49.1Ubi eum castris se tenere Caesar intellexit, ne diutius commeatu prohiberetur, ultra eum locum, quo in loco Germani consederant, circiter passus DC ab his, castris idoneum locum delegit acieque triplici instructa ad eum locum venit.
When Caesar perceived that he kept himself in camp, in order that he might not be longer cut off from provisions, he chose a place suitable for a camp beyond that place where the Germans had encamped, about six hundred paces from them, and came to that place with a triple battle line drawn up.
§1.49.2Primam et secundam aciem in armis esse, tertiam castra munire iussit.
He ordered the first and second lines to remain under arms, and the third to fortify the camp.
§1.49.3[Hic locus ab hoste circiter passus DC, uti dictum est, aberat. ] Eo circiter hominum XVI milia expedita cum omni equitatu Ariovistus misit, quae copiae nostros terrerent et munitione prohiberent.
[This place was about six hundred paces from the enemy, as has been said.] Ariovistus sent thither about sixteen thousand light-armed men with all his cavalry, which forces were to terrify our men and prevent them from fortifying.
§1.49.4Nihilo setius Caesar, ut ante constituerat, duas acies hostem propulsare, tertiam opus perficere iussit.
Nevertheless, Caesar, as he had previously determined, ordered the two lines to drive back the enemy, and the third to complete the work.
Munitis castris duas ibi legiones reliquit et partem auxiliorum, quattuor reliquas legiones in castra maiora reduxit.
When the camp was fortified, he left two legions there and a part of the auxiliaries, and led the remaining four legions back to the larger camp.

Notes

  1. §1.49.1se tenere — The subject accusative of the infinitive tenere is eum (referring to Ariovistus), and the reflexive pronoun se refers back to him as well, not to the main subject Caesar.
  2. §1.49.3quae copiae — An attraction of the antecedent copiae into the relative clause. It introduces a relative clause of purpose with the subjunctive verbs terrerent and prohiberent.
  3. §1.49.4Munitis castris — Ablative absolute construction using the perfect passive participle. It expresses a temporal or conditional circumstance ('when the camp had been fortified') prior to the action of the main verb reliquit.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §1.49.1-1.49.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.49.1-1.49.4

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