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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §2.2.1-2.2.4

Levy of New Legions and the March against the Belgae

Passage 56 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Caesar raised new legions in Nearer Gaul, dispatched them under Pedius, and, upon securing forage and grain, began his march toward the Belgae after learning of their troop concentrations.

§2.2.1His nuntiis litterisque commotus Caesar duas legiones in citeriore Gallia novas conscripsit et inita aestate in ulteriorem Galliam qui deduceret Q. Pedium legatum misit.
Alarmed by these reports and letters, Caesar enrolled two new legions in Nearer Gaul, and at the beginning of summer sent Quintus Pedius, his lieutenant, to lead them into Further Gaul.
§2.2.2Ipse, cum primum pabuli copia esse inciperet, ad exercitum venit.
He himself, as soon as there began to be a plenty of forage, came to the army.
§2.2.3Dat negotium Senonibus reliquisque Gallis qui finitimi Belgis erant uti ea quae apud eos gerantur cognoscant seque de his rebus certiorem faciant.
He gave it in charge to the Senones and the other Gauls who were neighbors to the Belgae, to find out what was being done among them, and to keep him informed of these matters.
§2.2.4Hi constanter omnes nuntiaverunt manus cogi, exercitum in unum locum conduci.
These all uniformly reported that bands of men were being collected, and an army was being brought together into one place.
Tum vero dubitandum non existimavit quin ad eos proficisceretur.
Then indeed he thought he ought not to hesitate to set out against them.
Re frumentaria provisa castra movet diebusque circiter XV ad fines Belgarum pervenit.
Having provided a supply of grain, he broke camp and in about fifteen days arrived at the borders of the Belgae.

Notes

  1. 2.2.1qui deduceret — A relative clause of purpose with the subjunctive imperfect `deduceret`. The antecedent is `Q. Pedium legatum`, meaning 'to lead them (the legions)'.
  2. 2.2.2cum primum... inciperet — A temporal clause introduced by `cum primum` ('as soon as'). The verb `inciperet` is in the subjunctive imperfect, showing either tense sequence with the historical present `venit` or a circumstantial nuance.
  3. 2.2.4dubitandum non existimavit — An infinitive construction with the gerundive `dubitandum` (impersonal passive periphrastic, with `esse` and the dative of agent `sibi` omitted). The negative `dubitare` is followed by a `quin` clause (with subjunctive `proficisceretur`) meaning 'to hesitate to'.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §2.2.1-2.2.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:2.2.1-2.2.4

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