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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §7.82.1-7.82.3

Defeat of the Night Attack by Traps and Gallic Retreat

Passage 340 of 404 · Latin

Summary

The external Gallic army suffered heavy losses from Roman defensive traps and retreated, while the besieged Gauls in the town, delayed by their preparations, learned of this retreat and returned inside without fighting.

§7.82.1Dum longius ab munitione aberant Galli, plus multitudine telorum proficiebant; posteaquam propius successerunt, aut se stimulis inopinantes induebant aut in scrobes delati transfodiebantur aut ex vallo ac turribus traiecti pilis muralibus interibant.
As long as the Gauls were at a considerable distance from the fortification, they had the advantage because of the multitude of their missiles; but after they came nearer, they either unexpectedly impaled themselves on the spurs, or, falling into the pits, were transfixed, or died, pierced by the wall-piles from the rampart and the towers.
§7.82.2Multis undique vulneribus acceptis nulla munitione perrupta, cum lux appeteret, veriti ne ab latere aperto ex superioribus castris eruptione circumvenirentur, se ad suos receperunt.
Having received many wounds on all sides and having broken through no part of the fortification, when day was approaching, fearing lest they should be surrounded on their exposed flank by a sally from the higher camp, they retreated to their own men.
§7.82.3At interiores, dum ea quae a Vercingetorige ad eruptionem praeparata erant proferunt, priores fossas explent, diutius in his rebus administrandis morati prius suos discessisse cognoverunt, quam munitionibus appropinquarent.
But the besieged, while they were bringing out those things which had been prepared by Vercingetorix for a sally, and were filling up the foremost trenches, having delayed too long in executing these measures, learned that their comrades had already departed before they themselves could approach the fortifications.
Ita re infecta in oppidum reverterunt.
Thus, without accomplishing their object, they returned into the town.

Notes

  1. §7.82.1se stimulis inopinantes induebant — The verb induebant (se induere) means 'to impale oneself.' stimulis is an ablative of instrument, referring to the defensive devices ('spurs') devised by Caesar. The adjective inopinantes (unexpected) agrees with the subject Galli and functions adverbially.
  2. §7.82.2veriti ne ab latere aperto ex superioribus castris eruptione circumvenirentur — veriti is the perfect participle of the deponent verb vereor (to fear), modifying the subject and expressing cause ('fearing lest...'). The clause with ne followed by the imperfect subjunctive (circumvenirentur) expresses apprehension. ab latere aperto means 'on their exposed flank' (typically the right side).
  3. §7.82.3prius suos discessisse cognoverunt, quam munitionibus appropinquarent — An instance of tmesis where the conjunction priusquam (before) is split. prius is placed in the main clause containing the accusative with infinitive (suos discessisse cognoverunt, 'learned that their comrades had departed'), while quam introduces the subordinate clause with the imperfect subjunctive appropinquarent.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §7.82.1-7.82.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:7.82.1-7.82.3

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