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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §5.31.1-5.31.6

Decision to Retreat and the Dawn Departure

Passage 187 of 404 · Latin

Summary

After fierce debate, Cotta yields and Sabinus's plan to retreat is approved. The soldiers spend the night preparing and depart at dawn in a long, vulnerable column with heavy baggage, completely trusting Ambiorix.

§5.31.1Consurgitur ex consilio; comprehendunt utrumque et orant, ne sua dissensione et pertinacia rem in summum periculum deducant: §5.31.2facilem esse rem, seu maneant, seu proficiscantur, si modo unum omnes sentiant ac probent; contra in dissensione nullam se salutem perspicere.
They rise from the council; they clasp the hands of both and entreat them not to bring the matter into the greatest danger by their dissension and obstinacy: that the matter is easy, whether they remain or depart, if only they all think and approve one and the same thing; on the other hand, in dissension they see no safety.
Res disputatione ad mediam noctem perducitur.
The matter is prolonged by dispute until midnight.
§5.31.3Tandem dat Cotta permotus manus: superat sententia Sabini.
At last Cotta, deeply moved, yields: the opinion of Sabinus prevails.
Pronuntiatur prima luce ituros.
It is announced that they will march at dawn.
§5.31.4Consumitur vigiliis reliqua pars noctis, cum sua quisque miles circumspiceret, quid secum portare posset, quid ex instrumento hibernorum relinquere cogeretur.
The remaining part of the night is spent in watching, since each soldier was looking around at his belongings, what he could carry with him, and what of the equipment of the winter quarters he would be forced to leave behind.
§5.31.5Omnia excogitantur, quare nec sine periculo maneatur, et languore militum et vigiliis periculum augeatur.
All kinds of reasons are devised, why they could not remain without danger, and how the danger would be increased by the exhaustion of the soldiers and their watching.
§5.31.6Prima luce sic ex castris proficiscuntur, ut quibus esset persuasum non ab hoste, sed ab homine amicissimo Ambiorige consilium datum, longissimo agmine maximisque impedimentis.
At dawn they set out from the camp in such a manner as men who were convinced that the advice had been given not by an enemy, but by Ambiorix, a most friendly man, in a very long column and with the greatest amount of baggage.

Notes

  1. §5.31.1Consurgitur — The third-person singular passive of the intransitive verb consurgo, used impersonally. It means 'they rise from the council.'
  2. §5.31.3dat manus — Literally 'gives his hands', an idiom meaning 'yields' or 'surrenders'.
  3. §5.31.6ut quibus esset persuasum — A contraction of 'ut eis quibus persuasum esset' ('as men to whom it had been persuaded', i.e., 'as men convinced'). The subjunctive 'esset' in the relative clause characterizes the class of people or indicates the reason ('since they were convinced').
  4. §5.31.6non ab hoste... consilium datum — An accusative with infinitive clause depending on persuasum [esse], with esse omitted. consilium is the subject accusative and datum [esse] is the infinitive.
  5. §5.31.6longissimo agmine maximisque impedimentis — Ablatives of manner or attendant circumstance. 'In a very long column and with the greatest amount of baggage', emphasizing their complete lack of precaution due to their trust in Ambiorix.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §5.31.1-5.31.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:5.31.1-5.31.6

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