Humanitext Reader

Julius Caesar · Gallic War §4.10.1-4.10.5

Course of the Meuse and Rhine and Inhabitants of the Delta

Passage 128 of 404 · Latin

Summary

This section describes the geographical sources and courses of the Meuse and Rhine rivers, the islands they form near the Ocean, and the unusual lifestyles of the savage tribes inhabiting them.

§4.10.1[Mosa profluit ex monte Vosego, qui est in finibus Lingonum, et parte quadam ex Rheno recepta, quae appellatur Vacalus insulam efficit Batavorum, in Oceanum influit
[The Meuse flows from Mount Vosegus, which is in the territory of the Lingones, and having received a certain part from the Rhine, which is called the Waal, forms the island of the Batavi, and flows into the Ocean.
§4.10.2neque longius ab Oceano milibus passuum LXXX in Rhenum influit.
Nor does it flow into the Rhine further than eighty miles from the Ocean.
§4.10.3Rhenus autem oritur ex Lepontiis, qui Alpes incolunt, et longo spatio per fines Nantuatium, Helvetiorum, Sequanorum, Mediomatricorum, Tribocorum, Treverorum citatus fertur et, §4.10.4ubi Oceano adpropinquavit, in plures diffluit partes multis ingentibus insulis effectis, quarum pars magna a feris barbaris nationibus incolitur, §4.10.5ex quibus sunt qui piscibus atque ovis avium vivere existimantur, multis capitibus in Oceanum influit. ]
The Rhine, however, rises from the Lepontii, who inhabit the Alps, and is carried swiftly for a long distance through the territories of the Nantuates, Helvetii, Sequani, Mediomatrici, Triboci, and Treveri, and, when it has approached the Ocean, flows into several branches, having formed many huge islands, a large part of which is inhabited by fierce and savage nations, among whom there are some who are believed to live on fish and birds' eggs, and flows into the Ocean by many mouths.]

Notes

  1. 4.10.1parte quadam ex Rheno recepta — Ablative absolute phrase, meaning "a certain part having been received from the Rhine." The relative clause `quae appellatur Vacalus` refers back to `parte` as its antecedent.
  2. 4.10.2milibus passuum LXXX — Ablative of comparison with the comparative adverb `longius`, meaning "than eighty miles" (eighty thousand paces).
  3. 4.10.3citatus fertur — `citatus` is the perfect passive participle of `citare` (to urge on), functioning here adverbially to mean "swiftly" or "rapidly." `fertur` is the passive of `ferre` used intransitively or reflexively to mean "is carried" or "flows."
  4. 4.10.5multis capitibus — Ablative of means or manner, meaning "by many mouths" or "through many channels."

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §4.10.1-4.10.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:4.10.1-4.10.5

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