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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §6.30.1-6.30.4

Basilus' Surprise Attack and Ambiorix's Narrow Escape

Passage 244 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Basilus locates Ambiorix's position through a surprise march, but Ambiorix narrowly escapes into the forest thanks to his men's resistance, luck, and the surrounding terrain.

§6.30.1Basilus, ut imperatum est, facit.
Basilus did as he was ordered.
Celeriter contraque omnium opinionem confecto itinere multos in agris inopinantes deprehendit: eorum indicio ad ipsum Ambiorigem contendit, quo in loco cum paucis equitibus esse dicebatur.
Having completed his march quickly and contrary to everyone's expectation, he caught many people in the fields off their guard; by their information, he hastened directly to Ambiorix himself, in the place where he was said to be with a few horsemen.
§6.30.2Multum cum in omnibus rebus tum in re militari potest fortuna.
Fortune has great power, not only in all other matters, but especially in military affairs.
Nam sicut magno accidit casu ut in ipsum incautum etiam atque imparatum incideret, priusque eius adventus ab omnibus videretur, quam fama ac nuntius adferretur: sic magnae fuit fortunae omni militari instrumento, quod circum se habebat, erepto, raedis equisque comprehensis ipsum effugere mortem.
For just as it happened by a great fluke that he came upon Ambiorix himself while off his guard and unprepared, and his approach was seen by all before any rumor or messenger brought word of it; so it was a piece of great fortune that, although all the military equipment he had around him was seized, and his carriages and horses captured, he himself escaped death.
Sed hoc quoque factum est, §6.30.3quod aedificio circumdato silva, ut sunt fere domicilia Gallorum, qui vitandi aestus causa plerumque silvarum atque fluminum petunt propinquitates, comites familiaresque eius angusto in loco paulisper equitum nostrorum vim sustinuerunt.
But this also happened, because, in a building surrounded by a forest (as are generally the dwellings of the Gauls, who, for the sake of avoiding the heat, mostly seek the neighborhoods of forests and rivers), his companions and friends sustained for a short time the attack of our cavalry in a narrow place.
§6.30.4His pugnantibus illum in equum quidam ex suis intulit: fugientem silvae texerunt.
While they were fighting, one of his men placed him on a horse; the forests covered him as he fled.
Sic et ad subeundum periculum et ad vitandum multum fortuna valuit.
Thus, fortune was of great power both in incurring danger and in avoiding it.

Notes

  1. §6.30.2priusque eius adventus ab omnibus videretur, quam fama ac nuntius adferretur — The conjunction `priusquam` (before) is separated into `prius` and `quam`. The subjunctive mood in `videretur` and `adferretur` is used to express anticipation or prevention (his approach being seen before any rumor could arrive).
  2. §6.30.2magnae fuit fortunae — The genitive `magnae fortunae` is a predicate genitive (genitive of characteristic) qualifying the infinitive phrase `ipsum effugere mortem` (that he himself escaped death) as the subject. It is translated as 'it was a matter of great fortune.'
  3. §6.30.3quod ... sustinuerunt — The `quod` clause (with the indicative `sustinuerunt`) is a noun clause in apposition with the preceding `hoc` (nominative), explaining the concrete fact or cause (that his companions sustained the attack) by which he escaped.
  4. §6.30.4His pugnantibus — An ablative absolute construction with the present participle `pugnantibus` ('while they were fighting'), expressing an action occurring simultaneously with the main clause ('placed him on a horse').

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §6.30.1-6.30.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:6.30.1-6.30.4

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

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