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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §4.36.1-4.36.4

Surrender of the Britons and Return to the Continent

Passage 154 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Envoys from the enemy arrive to seek peace, and Caesar doubles the number of hostages required. As the equinox approaches, Caesar sets sail after midnight; all ships safely reach the continent except for two transport vessels that are carried down the coast.

§4.36.1Eodem die legati ab hostibus missi ad Caesarem de pace venerunt.
On the same day, envoys sent by the enemy came to Caesar to treat for peace.
§4.36.2His Caesar numerum obsidum quem ante imperaverat duplicavit eosque in continentem adduci iussit, quod propinqua die aequinoctii infirmis navibus hiemi navigationem subiciendam non existimabat.
To these Caesar doubled the number of hostages which he had previously demanded, and ordered them to be brought to the continent, because, as the day of the equinox was near, he did not think that, with damaged ships, his voyage should be exposed to the winter storms.
§4.36.3Ipse idoneam tempestatem nactus paulo post mediam noctem naves solvit, §4.36.4quae omnes incolumes ad continentem pervenerunt; sed ex iis onerariae duae eosdem portus quos reliquae capere non potuerunt et paulo infra delatae sunt.
He himself, having met with favorable weather, set sail a little after midnight, and all of them arrived safe at the continent; but of these, two transport ships were unable to reach the same harbors as the rest, and were carried a little lower down.

Notes

  1. §4.36.2His — The dative masculine plural of the demonstrative pronoun `hic`, referring back to the `legati` (or the `hostes` they represent) in the previous sentence. It functions as the indirect object of the transitive verb `duplicavit` ('he doubled [the number of hostages] for them').
  2. §4.36.2propinqua die aequinoctii — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the adjective `propinqua` and the noun `die` (here treated as feminine), with the genitive `aequinoctii` modifying `die`. It expresses a causal or temporal circumstance relative to the main clause ('since the day of the equinox was near').
  3. §4.36.2infirmis navibus — An ablative phrase consisting of the noun `navibus` and the adjective `infirmis`. It functions either as an ablative of attendant circumstance ('with damaged ships') or as an ablative absolute, explaining the unfavorable physical condition under which the voyage had to be undertaken.
  4. §4.36.2hiemi navigationem subiciendam — A passive periphrastic construction (gerundive) in the accusative with the infinitive `esse` omitted, serving as the object clause of `existimabat`. `navigationem` is the subject accusative. `hiemi` is the dative governed by the verb `subicere` ('to expose [acc.] to [dat.]'). Combined with `non`, it means 'he did not think that his voyage should be exposed to the winter.'

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §4.36.1-4.36.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:4.36.1-4.36.4

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