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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §1.51.1-1.51.3

Caesar's Advance and the Germans' Desperate Deployment

Passage 51 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Caesar deploys the auxiliaries as a show of force and advances with his legions to the enemy camp. Left with no hope of flight, the Germans draw up their forces by tribes, surrounded by their wagons containing their pleading women.

§1.51.1Postridie eius diei Caesar praesidio utrisque castris quod satis esse visum est reliquit, alarios omnes in conspectu hostium pro castris minoribus constituit, quod minus multitudine militum legionariorum pro hostium numero valebat, ut ad speciem alariis uteretur; ipse triplici instructa acie usque ad castra hostium accessit.
On the following day, Caesar left what seemed to be a sufficient guard for both camps, and stationed all the auxiliaries in the sight of the enemy in front of the smaller camp, because he was less strong in the number of legionary soldiers in proportion to the number of the enemy, so that he might use the auxiliaries for show; he himself, having drawn up his army in a triple line, advanced right up to the camp of the enemy.
§1.51.2Tum demum necessario Germani suas copias castris eduxerunt generatimque constituerunt paribus intervallis, Harudes, Marcomanos, Tribocos, Vangiones, Nemetes, Sedusios, Suebos, omnemque aciem suam raedis et carris circumdederunt, ne qua spes in fuga relinqueretur.
Then at last, of necessity, the Germans led their forces out of the camp and stationed them by tribes at equal intervals, the Harudes, Marcomanni, Triboci, Vangiones, Nemetes, Sedusii, and Suebi, and surrounded their entire line with their chariots and wagons, so that no hope might be left in flight.
§1.51.3Eo mulieres imposuerunt, quae ad proelium proficiscentes milites passis manibus flentes implorabant ne se in servitutem Romanis traderent.
Upon these they placed their women, who, with outstretched hands and weeping, implored the soldiers as they were advancing to battle not to surrender them into slavery to the Romans.

Notes

  1. §1.51.1praesidio utrisque castris — A construction of double dative. The dative of purpose `praesidio` ('as a guard') is combined with the dative of reference `utrisque castris` ('for both camps').
  2. §1.51.1alariis uteretur — The verb `utor` (to use) governs the ablative case, hence `alariis` is in the ablative. This clause is a purpose clause introduced by `ut` with the subjunctive `uteretur`.
  3. §1.51.3passis manibus — An ablative absolute consisting of `passis`, the perfect participle of `pando` ('to stretch out'), and `manibus` ('hands'), describing the manner ('with outstretched hands').

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §1.51.1-1.51.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.51.1-1.51.3

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