Humanitext Reader

Julius Caesar · Gallic War §6.31.1-6.31.5

Dispersal of the Eburones and Suicide of Catuvolcus

Passage 245 of 404 · Latin

Summary

The author speculates why Ambiorix failed to gather his forces, notes his order for his men to disperse for safety, and records the suicide of Catuvolcus, king of the Eburones.

§6.31.1Ambiorix copias suas iudicione non conduxerit, quod proelio dimicandum non existimarit, an tempore exclusus et repentino equitum adventu prohibitus, cum reliquum exercitum subsequi crederet, dubium est.
Whether Ambiorix did not assemble his forces from deliberate judgment, because he thought they ought not to fight in a battle, or whether, excluded by time and prevented by the sudden arrival of the cavalry, because he believed the rest of the army was closely following, is uncertain.
§6.31.2Sed certe dimissis per agros nuntiis sibi quemque consulere iussit.
But at all events, having dispatched messengers through the fields, he ordered everyone to look out for themselves.
Quorum pars in Arduennam silvam, pars in continentes paludes profugit; §6.31.3qui proximi Oceano fuerunt, his insulis sese occultaverunt, quas aestus efficere consuerunt; §6.31.4multi ex suis finibus egressi se suaque omnia alienissimis crediderunt.
Part of them fled into the Arduenna forest, part into the continuous marshes; those who were nearest to the Ocean hid themselves in those islands which the tides are accustomed to form; many, leaving their own territories, committed themselves and all their possessions to complete strangers.
§6.31.5Catuvolcus, rex dimidiae partis Eburonum, qui una cum Ambiorige consilium inierat, aetate iam confectus, cum laborem aut belli aut fugae ferre non posset, omnibus precibus detestatus Ambiorigem, qui eius consilii auctor fuisset, taxo, cuius magna in Gallia Germaniaque copia est, se exanimavit.
Catuvolcus, king of half of the Eburones, who had entered into the design together with Ambiorix, being now worn out by age, since he could not endure the fatigue of either war or flight, having execrated Ambiorix with every curse for having been the instigator of that measure, destroyed himself by yew, of which there is a great abundance in Gaul and Germany.

Notes

  1. 6.31.1iudicione ... an — A double indirect question introduced by the correlatives -ne ... an, forming the subject clause of dubium est. iudicio is an ablative of manner acting adverbially, meaning "deliberately" or "by design."
  2. 6.31.1cum reliquum exercitum subsequi crederet — A cum clause expressing cause with the imperfect subjunctive crederet. The accusative and infinitive construction reliquum exercitum subsequi is its object. In this context, reliquum exercitum refers to the main Roman army following behind Basilus.
  3. 6.31.2sibi quemque consulere — The verb consulo with a dative (sibi) means "to look out for" or "to consult the interest of" someone, in contrast to taking an accusative which means "to consult" or "to ask advice of." Here, it orders each individual to look out for their own safety.
  4. 6.31.5taxo — Ablative of instrument referring to the yew tree (taxus). It indicates that Catuvolcus committed suicide by consuming the poison extracted from the yew, which grew abundantly in Gaul and Germany.
  5. 6.31.5qui eius consilii auctor fuisset — The pluperfect subjunctive fuisset in a relative clause, expressing the subjective reason for Catuvolcus's cursing of Ambiorix (i.e., because Ambiorix had been the instigator of that enterprise).

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §6.31.1-6.31.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:6.31.1-6.31.5

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