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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §2.24.1-2.24.5

Panic in the Camp and Desertion of the Treveri Cavalry

Passage 78 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Describes the panic and flight of the Roman cavalry, light infantry, and camp-followers under the enemy's fierce attack, and how the allied Treveri cavalry, seeing this, despaired of the situation and retreated home to report the defeat of the Romans.

§2.24.1Eodem tempore equites nostri levisque armaturae pedites, qui cum iis una fuerant, quos primo hostium impetu pulsos dixeram, cum se in castra reciperent, adversis hostibus occurrebant ac rursus aliam in partem fugam petebant; §2.24.2et calones, qui ab decumana porta ac summo iugo collis nostros victores flumen transire conspexerant, praedandi causa egressi, cum respexissent et hostes in nostris castris versari vidissent, praecipites fugae sese mandabant.
At the same time, our cavalry and the light-armed infantry who had been together with those whom I had said had been routed by the first onset of the enemy, when they were retreating into the camp, met the enemy face to face and again sought flight in another direction; and the camp-followers, who from the decuman gate and the highest ridge of the hill had seen our victorious soldiers cross the river, having gone out for the sake of plundering, when they looked back and saw the enemy moving about in our camp, betook themselves headlong to flight.
§2.24.3Simul eorum qui cum impedimentis veniebant clamor fremitusque oriebatur, aliique aliam in partem perterriti ferebantur.
At the same time, the shouting and clamor of those who were coming with the baggage arose, and some in one direction, some in another, were carried away thoroughly terrified.
§2.24.4Quibus omnibus rebus permoti equites Treveri, quorum inter Gallos virtutis opinio est singularis, qui auxilii causa a civitate missi ad Caesarem venerant, cum multitudine hostium castra [nostra] compleri, legiones premi et paene circumventas teneri, calones, equites, funditores, Numidas diversos dissipatosque in omnes partes fugere vidissent, desperatis nostris rebus domum contenderunt: §2.24.5Romanos pulsos superatosque, castris impedimentisque eorum hostes potitos civitati renuntiaverunt.
The cavalry of the Treveri, whose reputation for valor is singular among the Gauls, and who had come to Caesar, having been sent by their state for the sake of auxiliary aid, when they saw our camp being filled with a multitude of enemies, the legions hard pressed and held almost surrounded, and the camp-followers, cavalry, slingers, and Numidians scattered and dispersed fleeing in all directions, despairing of our affairs, hastened home; they reported to their state that the Romans were routed and conquered, and that the enemy had gained possession of their camp and baggage.

Notes

  1. §2.24.1quos primo hostium impetu pulsos dixeram — quos is a relative pronoun referring to the antecedent iis. pulsos stands for pulsos esse (perfect passive infinitive with esse omitted), forming an accusative-with-infinitive construction (A.C.I.) governed by dixeram. The antecedent iis refers to the Roman cavalry and light infantry who had been routed by the enemy's cavalry in Chapter 19.
  2. §2.24.2praedandi causa egressi — praedandi is the genitive of the gerund of the deponent verb praedor (to plunder), which, when combined with the following ablative causa, expresses purpose ('for the purpose of plundering'). egressi is a perfect participle agreeing with the subject calones.
  3. §2.24.3aliique aliam in partem — alii aliam in partem is a characteristic Latin double-pronominal idiom. Literally translated as 'others into another part,' it idiomatically means 'some in one direction, some in another' or 'in different directions.'
  4. §2.24.4desperatis nostris rebus — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the noun rebus and the perfect participle desperatis. It expresses cause or circumstance: 'our affairs having been despaired of' or 'despairing of our situation.'
  5. §2.24.5castris impedimentisque eorum hostes potitos — potitos [esse] is an accusative-with-infinitive (A.C.I.) with hostes as its subject, depending on renuntiaverunt. The deponent verb potior (to gain possession of) regularly takes its object in the ablative case (castris impedimentisque).

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §2.24.1-2.24.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:2.24.1-2.24.5

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