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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §8.11.1-8.11.2

Summoning Trebonius for Reinforcements and Guarding the Foragers

Passage 360 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Realizing that the enemy's camp was strongly fortified and required a larger army for a blockade, Caesar ordered Trebonius to summon the Thirteenth legion and join him with three legions, while he dispatched allied cavalry to guard the foragers.

§8.11.1Caesar, cum animadverteret hostem complures dies castris palude et loci natura munitis se tenere neque oppugnari castra eorum sine dimicatione perniciosa nec locum munitionibus claudi nisi a maiore exercitu posse, litteras ad Trebonium mittit, ut quam celerrime posset legionem XIII, quae cum T. Sextio legato in Biturigibus hiemabat, arcesseret atque ita cum tribus legionibus magnis itineribus ad se veniret; §8.11.2ipse equites in vicem Remorum ac Lingonum reliquarumque civitatum, quorum magnum numerum evocaverat, praesidio pabulationibus mittit, qui subitas hostium incursiones sustinerent.
Caesar, when he observed that the enemy kept themselves for several days within their camp, which was fortified by a marsh and by the natural strength of the site, and that their camp could not be assaulted without a destructive conflict, nor could the position be enclosed by fortifications except by a larger army, sent a letter to Trebonius, directing him to summon as quickly as he could the Thirteenth legion, which was wintering in the territory of the Bituriges under the lieutenant T. Sextius, and so to come to him by forced marches with three legions; he himself sent the cavalry of the Remi, the Lingones, and the remaining states, of whom he had called out a large number, in turn as a guard for the foraging parties, to withstand any sudden incursions of the enemy.

Notes

  1. §8.11.1castris palude et loci natura munitis — castris can be interpreted either as an ablative of place where (with in omitted, common when modified by an adjective or participle) or as an ablative of means/cause. It is modified by the participle phrase palude et loci natura munitis ('fortified by a marsh and by the natural strength of the site').
  2. §8.11.1cum tribus legionibus — The background for ordering Trebonius to come 'with three legions' is that Trebonius was already in command of two legions (the 11th and 12th), and by adding the 13th legion, which he was now ordered to summon, the total would become three.
  3. §8.11.2praesidio pabulationibus — This is an example of the double dative construction, combining the dative of purpose praesidio ('as a guard/protection') and the dative of reference/interest pabulationibus ('for the foraging parties').

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §8.11.1-8.11.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:8.11.1-8.11.2

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