Humanitext Reader

Julius Caesar · Gallic War §7.81.1-7.81.6

Night Attack by the Relief Army and Roman Defense

Passage 339 of 404 · Latin

Summary

After a day's preparation, the Gauls launch a midnight assault on the plain's fortifications, and Vercingetorix leads his forces out of the town. The Romans defend vigorously in the dark, with Antonius and Trebonius sending reinforcements to hard-pressed areas.

§7.81.1Vno die intermisso Galli atque hoc spatio magno cratium, scalarum, harpagonum numero effecto media nocte silentio ex castris egressi ad campestres munitiones accedunt.
Having allowed one day to intervene, and having during this interval manufactured a large number of fascines, ladders, and grappling-hooks, the Gauls, marching out of their camp in silence at midnight, approached the fortifications on the plain.
§7.81.2Subito clamore sublato, qua significatione qui in oppido obsidebantur de suo adventu cognoscere possent, crates proicere, fundis, sagittis, lapidibus nostros de vallo proturbare reliquaque quae ad oppugnationem pertinent parant administrare.
Suddenly raising a shout, so that by this signal those who were besieged in the town might be able to know of their arrival, they began to throw down the fascines, to drive our men from the rampart with slings, arrows, and stones, and to prepare to execute the remaining measures which belong to an assault.
§7.81.3Eodem tempore clamore exaudito dat tuba signum suis Vercingetorix atque ex oppido educit.
At the same time, the shout being heard, Vercingetorix gave the signal to his men with the trumpet and led them out of the town.
§7.81.4Nostri, ut superioribus diebus, ut cuique erat locus attributus, ad munitiones accedunt; fundis librilibus sudibusque quas in opere disposuerant ac glandibus Gallos proterrent.
Our men, as on former days, according as his own post had been assigned to each, went to the fortifications; they kept off the Gauls with slings throwing one-pound stones, and stakes which they had disposed along the works, and leaden bullets.
§7.81.5Prospectu tenebris adempto multa utrimque vulnera accipiuntur.
Sight being taken away by the darkness, many wounds were received on both sides.
Complura tormentis tela coniciuntur.
Many missiles were discharged by the engines.
§7.81.6At Marcus Antonius et Gaius Trebonius legati, quibus hae partes ad defendendum obvenerant, qua ex parte nostros premi intellexerant, his auxilio ex ulterioribus castellis deductos summittebant.
But Marcus Antonius and Gaius Trebonius, the lieutenants to whom these parts had fallen for defense, whenever they understood that our men were hard pressed in any quarter, withdrew men from the more distant forts and sent them to their assistance.

Notes

  1. 7.81.1hoc spatio ... effecto — Ablative absolute construction meaning "this space of time having been used to make...". It is connected by atque to the preceding uno die intermisso, with spatio referring to the time interval of that single day.
  2. 7.81.2qua significatione — Ablative of a relative adjective, referring back to the preceding noun phrase subito clamore sublato ("suddenly raising a shout"), meaning "by which signal". The following verb possent is in the subjunctive (of purpose or result), meaning "so that by this signal... they might be able to know".
  3. 7.81.4fundis librilibus — Interpreted either as "slings throwing one-pound stones" or "one-pound stones (thrown by hand or sling)". The adjective librilis (weighing a pound) modifies fundis, emphasizing the heavy and destructive nature of the missiles used.
  4. 7.81.6deductos — Accusative plural masculine of the perfect passive participle, used substantively as the direct object of summittebant ("sent"). In this context, it refers to the soldiers who had been "withdrawn" (deductos) from the more distant forts.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §7.81.1-7.81.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:7.81.1-7.81.6

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