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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §1.54.1-1.54.3

Retreat of the Suebi and Caesar's Winter Quarters

Passage 54 of 404 · Latin

Summary

The Suebi retreat upon hearing of the defeat but are pursued and heavily defeated by neighboring tribes. Having concluded two major wars in a single summer, Caesar places his army in winter quarters and departs for Nearer Gaul to hold court.

§1.54.1Hoc proelio trans Rhenum nuntiato, Suebi, qui ad ripas Rheni venerant, domum reverti coeperunt; quos ubi qui proximi Rhenum incolunt perterritos senserunt, insecuti magnum ex iis numerum occiderunt.
This battle having been reported across the Rhine, the Suebi, who had come to the banks of the Rhine, began to return home; when those who dwell closest to the Rhine perceived that they were terrified, they pursued them and killed a great number of them.
§1.54.2Caesar una aestate duobus maximis bellis confectis maturius paulo quam tempus anni postulabat in hiberna in Sequanos exercitum deduxit; hibernis Labienum praeposuit; §1.54.3ipse in citeriorem Galliam ad conventus agendos profectus est.
Caesar, having finished two very great wars in a single summer, led his army into winter quarters among the Sequani a little earlier than the season of the year required; he placed Labienus in charge of the winter quarters; he himself set out for Nearer Gaul to hold the assizes.

Notes

  1. 1.54.1quos ubi qui proximi Rhenum incolunt perterritos senserunt — The relative pronoun 'quos' at the beginning of the clause (relative connection) serves as the direct object of the verb of perception 'senserunt' and the subject of the predicate adjective 'perterritos'. 'qui' is a relative pronoun with an implied antecedent ('ei'), acting as the subject of the 'ubi' clause. 'proximi', although an adjective, directly governs the accusative 'Rhenum' without a preposition.
  2. 1.54.2maturius paulo quam tempus anni postulabat — 'maturius' is the comparative adverb of 'mature'. 'paulo' is an ablative of degree of difference, modifying the comparative to mean 'a little earlier'. 'tempus anni' literally means 'the time of year', referring to the season or weather conditions.
  3. 1.54.3ad conventus agendos — A gerundive construction expressing purpose, consisting of the preposition 'ad' with the accusative noun 'conventus' and the agreeing gerundive 'agendos'. The phrase 'conventus agere' is a technical term referring to the provincial governor's duty of holding court sessions or assizes.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §1.54.1-1.54.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:1.54.1-1.54.3

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