Humanitext Reader

Julius Caesar · Gallic War §5.24.1-5.24.8

Distribution of Legions into Winter Quarters

Passage 180 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Due to a grain shortage caused by droughts in Gaul, Caesar decides to distribute his legions across multiple states for winter quarters. After ensuring that almost all quarters are located within a reasonable distance from each other, he decides to remain in Gaul until the deployment and fortifications are fully completed.

§5.24.1Subductis navibus concilioque Gallorum Samarobrivae peracto, quod eo anno frumentum in Gallia propter siccitates angustius provenerat, coactus est aliter ac superioribus annis exercitum in hibernis collocare legionesque in plures civitates distribuere; §5.24.2ex quibus unam in Morinos ducendam Gaio Fabio legato dedit, alteram in Nervios Quinto Ciceroni, tertiam in Esubios Lucio Roscio; quartam in Remis cum Tito Labieno in confinio Treverorum hiemare iussit.
When the ships were hauled up and the council of the Gauls at Samarobriva was completed, because in that year the grain in Gaul had grown more scantily on account of droughts, he was compelled to station his army in winter quarters otherwise than in former years, and to distribute the legions among several states; of these he gave one to the lieutenant Gaius Fabius to be led into the Morini, another to Quintus Cicero into the Nervii, a third to Lucius Roscius into the Esubii; he ordered a fourth to winter among the Remi with Titus Labienus in the borderland of the Treveri.
Tres in Belgis collocavit: §5.24.3eis Marcum Crassum quaestorem et Lucium Munatium Plancum et Gaium Trebonium legatos praefecit. §5.24.4Vnam legionem, quam proxime trans Padum conscripserat, et cohortes V in Eburones, quorum pars maxima est inter Mosam ac Rhenum, qui sub imperio Ambiorigis et Catuvolci erant, misit. §5.24.5Eis militibus Quintum Titurium Sabinum et Lucium Aurunculeium Cottam legatos praeesse iussit. §5.24.6Ad hunc modum distributis legionibus facillime inopiae frumentariae sese mederi posse existimavit. §5.24.7Atque harum tamen omnium legionum hiberna praeter eam, quam Lucio Roscio in pacatissimam et quietissimam partem ducendam dederat, milibus passuum centum continebantur. §5.24.8Ipse interea, quoad legiones collocatas munitaque hiberna cognovisset, in Gallia morari constituit.
He stationed three among the Belgae: over these he placed the quaestor Marcus Crassus, and the lieutenants Lucius Munatius Plancus and Gaius Trebonius. One legion, which he had recently enlisted beyond the Po, and five cohorts, he sent into the Eburones, the greatest part of whom is between the Meuse and the Rhine, who were under the government of Ambiorix and Catuvolcus. He ordered the lieutenants Quintus Titurius Sabinus and Lucius Aurunculeium Cotta to command these soldiers. By the legions being distributed in this manner, he thought he could most easily remedy the scarcity of grain. And yet the winter quarters of all these legions, except that one which he had given to Lucius Roscius to be led into the most peaceful and quiet part, were contained within a distance of one hundred miles. He himself meanwhile, until he should have known that the legions were stationed and the winter quarters fortified, decided to delay in Gaul.

Notes

  1. 5.24.1aliter ac — The adverb aliter ('otherwise') combined with the conjunction ac ('than') expresses a comparison ('otherwise than'). superioribus annis is an ablative of time/comparison.
  2. 5.24.2ducendam — A gerundive (future passive participle) modifying the object unam ('one legion'), expressing purpose or intention ('to be led').
  3. 5.24.6sese mederi posse — An accusative and infinitive construction (indirect discourse) depending on existimavit. sese ('he himself') is the subject accusative, posse is the main infinitive, and mederi ('to remedy') is a complementary infinitive depending on posse, taking the dative object inopiae frumentariae.
  4. 5.24.7milibus passuum centum continebantur — Meaning 'were contained within a distance of one hundred miles.' milibus is an ablative of measure/instrument. This indicates that the winter quarters were located within a 100-mile radius or distance of each other, rather than being too isolated.
  5. 5.24.8quoad legiones collocatas munitaque hiberna cognovisset — quoad is a conjunction meaning 'until,' taking the pluperfect subjunctive cognovisset to express Caesar's anticipation or purpose. collocatas and munita are perfect passive participles in an indirect statement with the infinitive esse omitted, serving as the object of cognovisset.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §5.24.1-5.24.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:5.24.1-5.24.8

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.