Humanitext Reader

Julius Caesar · Gallic War §8.27.1-8.27.5

Fabius' Pursuit and Defeat of Dumnacus' Army

Passage 376 of 404 · Latin

Summary

The lieutenant Fabius goes to assist Duratius based on information from Caninius and pursues the retreating Dumnacus. Anticipating that the enemy will head for a bridge, Fabius hastens there and sends his cavalry ahead, who successfully ambush the retreating, baggage-laden enemy column.

§8.27.1Eodem tempore C. Fabius legatus complures civitates in fidem recipit, obsidibus firmat litterisque Gai Canini Rebili fit certior quae in Pictonibus gerantur.
At the same time, the lieutenant Gaius Fabius received several states into allegiance, secured them with hostages, and was informed by the letters of Gaius Caninius Rebilus of what was going on among the Pictones.
§8.27.2Quibus rebus cognitis proficiscitur ad auxilium Duratio ferendum.
Having learned these things, he set out to bring assistance to Duratius.
At Dumnacus adventu Fabi cognito desperata salute, si tempore eodem coactus esset et Romanum externum sustinere hostem et respicere ac timere oppidanos, repente ex eo loco cum copiis recedit nec se satis tutum fore arbitratur, nisi flumine Ligeri, quod erat ponte propter magnitudinem transeundum, copias traduxisset.
But Dumnacus, having learned of the arrival of Fabius, despairing of safety if at the same time he should be compelled both to withstand the Roman enemy from without and to look back at and fear the townspeople, suddenly retreated from that place with his forces, and did not think he would be safe enough unless he had led his forces across the river Liger, which, because of its size, had to be crossed by a bridge.
§8.27.3Fabius, etsi nondum in conspectum venerat hostibus neque se Caninio coniunxerat, tamen doctus ab eis qui locorum noverant naturam potissimum credidit hostes perterritos eum locum, quem petebant, petituros.
Fabius, although he had not yet come into the sight of the enemy nor had joined Caninius, nevertheless, informed by those who knew the nature of the places, believed above all that the terrified enemy would make for that very place which they were seeking.
§8.27.4Itaque cum copiis ad eundem pontem contendit equitatumque tantum procedere ante agmen imperat legionum, quantum cum processisset, sine defatigatione equorum in eadem se reciperet castra.
And so he hastened with his forces to the same bridge, and ordered the cavalry to advance before the column of the legions only so far as, when they had advanced, they could return to the same camp without exhausting their horses.
§8.27.5Consequuntur equites nostri, ut erat praeceptum, invaduntque Dumnaci agmen et fugientes perterritosque sub sarcinis in itinere adgressi magna praeda multis interfectis potiuntur.
Our cavalry followed, as had been ordered, and attacked Dumnacus's column; having fallen upon them on the march, fleeing and terrified under their baggage, they obtained great booty after killing many.
Ita re bene gesta se recipiunt in castra.
Thus, having successfully managed the affair, they returned to the camp.

Notes

  1. 8.27.2desperata salute, si tempore eodem coactus esset — desperata salute is an ablative absolute ('safety having been despaired of'). The clause si... coactus esset (subjunctive pluperfect) represents a future condition viewed from the past ('if he should be compelled at the same time').
  2. 8.27.4quantum cum processisset, sine defatigatione equorum in eadem se reciperet castra — A correlative construction with tantum... quantum... ('only so far... as...'). The subjunctive reciperet (imperfect) in the relative clause denotes result or characteristic limiting the distance. cum processisset is a subjunctive pluperfect representing a temporal action prior to the return ('when they had advanced').
  3. 8.27.5fugientes perterritosque sub sarcinis in itinere adgressi — fugientes perterritosque are masculine accusative plurals, referring to the enemy soldiers implied in the collective noun agmen (neuter singular). They serve as the object of the participle adgressi (nominative plural, agreeing with the subject equites).

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §8.27.1-8.27.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:8.27.1-8.27.5

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.