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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §5.57.1-5.57.4

Labienus Gathers Cavalry and Feigns Fear

Passage 213 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Labienus fortifies his camp, gathers cavalry from neighboring states after learning of Indutiomarus's speech, and feigns fear while the enemy patrols and intimidates daily.

§5.57.1Labienus, cum et loci natura et manu munitissumis castris sese teneret, de suo ac legionis periculo nihil timebat; ne quam occasionem rei bene gerendae dimitteret, cogitabat.
Labienus, since he kept himself in a camp very strongly fortified both by the nature of the ground and by handiwork, was not at all afraid for his own safety or that of his legion; he was considering how not to let slip any opportunity of successfully conducting operations.
§5.57.2Itaque a Cingetorige atque eius propinquis oratione Indutiomari cognita, quam in concilio habuerat, nuntios mittit ad finitimas civitates equitesque undique evocat: his certum diem conveniendi dicit.
Therefore, having learned of the speech of Indutiomarus, which he had delivered in the council, from Cingetorix and his relatives, he sends messengers to the neighboring states and summons cavalry from all sides; he names a fixed day for them to assemble.
§5.57.3Interim prope cotidie cum omni equitatu Indutiomarus sub castris eius vagabatur, alias ut situm castrorum cognosceret, alias colloquendi aut territandi causa: equites plerumque omnes tela intra vallum coniciebant.
Meanwhile, almost daily, Indutiomarus with all his cavalry would wander close under his camp, sometimes to learn the layout of the camp, at other times for the purpose of parleying or of intimidating; almost all the horsemen kept throwing their weapons inside the rampart.
§5.57.4Labienus suos intra munitionem continebat timorisque opinionem, quibuscumque poterat rebus, augebat.
Labienus kept his men within the fortifications and, by whatever means he could, increased the impression of his fear.

Notes

  1. §5.57.1ne quam — The word quam after ne is the indefinite pronoun aliquam (feminine accusative singular, agreeing with occasionem) with its prefix ali- dropped according to the rule following si, nisi, ne, and num. It introduces a clause of purpose or intention dependent on cogitabat.
  2. §5.57.2oratione Indutiomari cognita — An ablative absolute construction formed by the noun oratione and the perfect participle cognita ("the speech having been learned"). The phrase a Cingetorige atque eius propinquis ("from Cingetorix and his relatives") indicates the source of this information.
  3. §5.57.4quibuscumque poterat rebus — A construction where the antecedent noun rebus is attracted into the relative clause introduced by quibuscumque. It is equivalent to rebus omnibus, quibuscumque poterat, ("by all means, whatever he could"), functioning as an ablative of means.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §5.57.1-5.57.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:5.57.1-5.57.4

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