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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §7.41.1-7.41.5

Defense of the Camp and Caesar's Return to Gergovia

Passage 299 of 404 · Latin

Summary

After informing the Aeduans of his clemency through messengers, Caesar gives his army a brief rest and marches toward Gergovia. On the way, messengers from Fabius report that the camp was heavily assaulted by the enemy but held out; Caesar then arrives at the camp before sunrise with the eager support of his soldiers.

§7.41.1Caesar nuntiis ad civitatem Aeduorum missis, qui suo beneficio conservatos docerent quos iure belli interficere potuisset, tribusque horis noctis exercitui ad quietem datis castra ad Gergoviam movit.
Caesar, having sent messengers to the state of the Aedui to inform them that those whom he might have rightfully put to death by the laws of war had been saved by his own clemency, and having allowed three hours of the night for the army to rest, moved his camp toward Gergovia.
§7.41.2Medio fere itinere equites a Fabio missi, quanto res in periculo fuerit, exponunt.
About half-way on his march, the cavalry sent by Fabius met him and explained how great a danger the affair had been in.
Summis copiis castra oppugnata demonstrant, cum crebro integri defessis succederent nostrosque assiduo labore defatigarent, quibus propter magnitudinem castrorum perpetuo esset isdem in vallo permanendum; §7.41.3multitudine sagittarum atque omnis generis telorum multos vulneratos; ad haec sustinenda magno usui fuisse tormenta.
They showed that the camp had been attacked with the enemy's utmost forces, while fresh troops frequently succeeded those who were fatigued, and exhausted our men by continuous labor, who, on account of the great size of the camp, had to remain constantly on the rampart, the same men without relief; that many were wounded by the multitude of arrows and of every kind of missile; and that the engines of war had been of great use in withstanding these attacks.
§7.41.4Fabium discessu eorum duabus relictis portis obstruere ceteras pluteosque vallo addere et se in posterum diem similemque casum apparare.
They reported that Fabius, upon their departure, had blocked up all the gates except two, and added breastworks to the rampart, and was preparing himself for the following day and a similar emergency.
§7.41.5His rebus cognitis Caesar summo studio militum ante ortum solis in castra pervenit.
On learning these things, Caesar, through the utmost zeal of his soldiers, arrived at the camp before sunrise.

Notes

  1. §7.41.1qui suo beneficio conservatos docerent quos — The relative clause `qui...` with the subjunctive `docerent` expresses purpose. `conservatos` is the predicate adjective of an indirect statement with an omitted accusative subject (`eos`), which acts as the antecedent of the following relative clause `quos iure belli...`. It translates to 'that those whom he might have rightfully put to death... had been saved.'
  2. §7.41.2quibus propter magnitudinem castrorum perpetuo esset isdem in vallo permanendum — `permanendum esset` is a passive periphrastic construction denoting obligation. `quibus` is a dative of agent, referring back to `nostros` (our men) in the preceding clause. `isdem` is a nominative plural agreeing with the implied agent of `permanendum`, emphasizing that 'the same men' had to remain on duty without relief.
  3. §7.41.4discessu eorum — `eorum` (their) is a genitive of possession modifying the ablative noun `discessu`, and in this context refers to the 'cavalry (equites)' sent by Fabius to Caesar.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §7.41.1-7.41.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:7.41.1-7.41.5

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