Humanitext Reader

Julius Caesar · Gallic War §7.56.1-7.56.5

Caesar's Forced March and Crossing of the Loire

Passage 314 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Caesar, learning of the Aedui's defection, decides to avoid the dishonor of retreating to the Province and instead marches rapidly to the Loire. By strategically placing his cavalry to break the river's current, he successfully crosses the flooded river and heads toward the territory of the Senones.

§7.56.1Quibus rebus cognitis Caesar maturandum sibi censuit, si esset in perficiendis pontibus periclitandum, ut prius quam essent maiores eo coactae copiae dimicaret.
Having learned these things, Caesar decided that he must make haste, even if he had to run risks in completing the bridges, so that he might fight before larger forces of the enemy were collected there.
§7.56.2Nam ut commutato consilio iter in provinciam converteret, id ne metu quidem necessario faciendum existimabat; cum infamia atque indignitas rei et oppositus mons Cevenna viarumque difficultas impediebat, tum maxime quod abiuncto Labieno atque eis legionibus quas una miserat vehementer timebat.
For as to changing his plan and turning his march toward the Province, he did not think that he ought to do this even from necessity caused by fear; not only did the disgrace and indignity of the thing, and the intervening Cevennes mountains and the difficulty of the roads prevent him, but most of all because he was exceedingly anxious about Labienus and those legions which he had sent together with him, now that they were separated.
§7.56.3Itaque admodum magnis diurnis nocturnisque itineribus confectis contra omnium opinionem ad Ligerem venit
Therefore, having completed very great marches by day and night, he came to the Loire contrary to the expectation of all.
§7.56.4vadoque per equites invento pro rei necessitate opportuno, ut brachia modo atque humeri ad sustinenda arma liberi ab aqua esse possent, disposito equitatu qui vim fluminis refringeret, atque hostibus primo aspectu perturbatis, §7.56.5incolumem exercitum traduxit frumentumque in agris et pecoris copiam nactus repleto his rebus exercitu iter in Senones facere instituit.
And having found, by means of the cavalry, a ford suitable to the necessity of the case, so that only their arms and shoulders could be free from the water to support their weapons, and having stationed the cavalry to break the force of the river, and the enemy being thrown into confusion at the first sight, he led his army across in safety; and having found corn in the fields and an abundance of cattle, after recruiting his army with these things, he resolved to march into the country of the Senones.

Notes

  1. 7.56.1maturandum sibi — An impersonal passive of the gerundive (maturandum [esse]) with the dative of agent (sibi), expressing the necessity that he (Caesar) must make haste.
  2. 7.56.2ut ... converteret — A substantive clause with the subjunctive introduced by ut, acting in apposition to the demonstrative pronoun id in the main clause.
  3. 7.56.4qui vim fluminis refringeret — A relative clause of purpose with the subjunctive (refringeret), modifying the antecedent equitatu.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §7.56.1-7.56.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:7.56.1-7.56.5

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

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.