Humanitext Reader

Julius Caesar · Gallic War §6.25.1-6.25.5

Extent of the Hercynian Forest and Its Strange Beasts

Passage 239 of 404 · Latin

Summary

The vast scale and geographical trajectory of the Hercynian forest are described, along with the mention of rare wild beasts inhabiting it.

§6.25.1Huius Hercyniae silvae, quae supra demonstrata est, latitudo novem dierum iter expedito patet: non enim aliter finiri potest, neque mensuras itinerum noverunt.
The width of this Hercynian forest, which has been described above, extends to a nine days' journey for a traveler unencumbered; for it cannot be defined in any other way, nor do they know the measurements of journeys.
§6.25.2Oritur ab Helvetiorum et Nemetum et Rauracorum finibus rectaque fluminis Danubi regione pertinet ad fines Dacorum et Anartium; §6.25.3hinc se flectit sinistrorsus diversis ab flumine regionibus multarumque gentium fines propter magnitudinem adtingit; §6.25.4neque quisquam est huius Germaniae, qui se aut adisse ad initium eius silvae dicat, cum dierum iter LX processerit, aut, quo ex loco oriatur, acceperit.
It begins from the borders of the Helvetii, Nemetes, and Rauraci, and extends in a direction parallel to the Danube river straight to the borders of the Daci and Anartes; from here it bends to the left, in directions away from the river, and on account of its vast size touches the borders of many nations; nor is there any one of this Germany who can say either that he has reached the beginning of that forest, although he has traveled a journey of sixty days, or has heard from what place it rises.
§6.25.5Multaque in ea genera ferarum nasci constat, quae reliquis in locis visa non sint; ex quibus quae maxime differant ab ceteris et memoriae prodenda videantur haec sunt.
And it is well known that many kinds of wild beasts, which are not seen in other places, breed in it; of which those which differ most from the rest and seem worthy of being recorded are the following.

Notes

  1. §6.25.1expedito — Dative singular masculine of expeditus (unencumbered, light-armed), used substantively to mean 'for an unencumbered traveler' (dative of reference or judgment).
  2. §6.25.2recta fluminis Danubi regione — recta regione is an ablative phrase meaning 'in a straight direction' (ablative of direction). Here, modified by the genitive fluminis Danubi, it means 'in a direction parallel to the course of the Danube.'
  3. §6.25.4huius Germaniae — Partitive genitive depending on quisquam. It means 'any one of (the inhabitants of) this Germany,' where the country name Germania is used metonymically for its people.
  4. §6.25.4cum dierum iter LX processerit — The conjunction cum is used here with the subjunctive perfect processerit to express concession ('although he has advanced...').
  5. §6.25.5memoriae prodenda — The gerundive prodenda with the dative memoriae ('to memory, to posterity') expresses necessity or worthiness: 'things that ought to be handed down to memory.'

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §6.25.1-6.25.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:6.25.1-6.25.5

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