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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §2.9.1-2.9.5

Stalemate at the Marsh and Belgic Move on the Axona

Passage 63 of 404 · Latin

Summary

While both armies face each other across a marsh, the enemy, after a cavalry skirmish, move to the river Axona in an attempt to capture the Roman redoubt, cut the bridge, and devastate the lands of the Remi.

§2.9.1Palus erat non magna inter nostrum atque hostium exercitum.
There was a marsh, not large, between our army and that of the enemy.
Hanc si nostri transirent hostes expectabant; nostri autem, si ab illis initium transeundi fieret, ut impeditos adgrederentur parati in armis erant.
The enemy were waiting to see if our men would cross this; our men, on the other hand, were standing ready in arms so that, if the beginning of crossing should be made by them, they might attack them while impeded.
§2.9.2Interim proelio equestri inter duas acies contendebatur.
Meanwhile, a cavalry battle was being fought between the two battle lines.
Ubi neutri transeundi initium faciunt, secundiore equitum proelio nostris Caesar suos in castra reduxit.
When neither side made a beginning of crossing, Caesar led his men back into the camp, the cavalry battle being more favorable to our men.
§2.9.3Hostes protinus ex eo loco ad flumen Axonam contenderunt, quod esse post nostra castra demonstratum est.
The enemy immediately hastened from that place to the river Axona, which has been shown to be behind our camp.
§2.9.4Ibi vadis repertis partem suarum copiarum traducere conati sunt eo consilio ut, si possent, castellum, cui praeerat Q. Titurius legatus, expugnarent pontemque interscinderent, §2.9.5si minus potuissent, agros Remorum popularentur, qui magno nobis usui ad bellum gerendum erant, commeatuque nostros prohiberent.
Having found fords there, they attempted to lead a part of their forces across with the design that, if they could, they might storm the redoubt which the lieutenant Quintus Titurius commanded and cut down the bridge, or, if they could not do so, they might devastate the lands of the Remi, which were of great use to us for carrying on the war, and cut off our men from supplies.

Notes

  1. §2.9.1si nostri transirent — Introduces an indirect question dependent on expectabant ("were waiting to see whether our men would cross"). The subjunctive imperfect transirent is used.
  2. §2.9.2secundiore equitum proelio nostris — secundiore... proelio is an ablative absolute. nostris is a dative of reference or relation ("favorable to our men").
  3. §2.9.4eo consilio ut... expugnarent — An appositive ut clause (noun clause) in apposition with the noun consilio, governing the imperfect subjunctives expugnarent and interscinderent in §2.9.4, as well as popularentur and prohiberent in §2.9.5.
  4. §2.9.5magno nobis usui — Double dative construction: nobis is the dative of reference ("to us"), and usui is the dative of purpose or service ("for use/service").

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §2.9.1-2.9.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:2.9.1-2.9.5

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