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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §8.29.1-8.29.4

Arrival of the Roman Legions and Defeat of Dumnacus

Passage 378 of 404 · Latin

Summary

As the battle continues, the sudden appearance of the Roman legions panics and scatters the enemy forces, allowing the Roman cavalry to relentlessly pursue them, inflicting massive casualties and capturing their entire baggage train.

§8.29.1Cum aliquamdiu summa contentione dimicaretur, Dumnacus instruit aciem quae suis esset equitibus in vicem praesidio, cum repente confertae legiones in conspectum hostium veniunt.
When the battle had been going on for some time with the utmost effort, Dumnacus drew up his line of battle to serve in turn as a protection for his own cavalry, when suddenly the legions in close array came into the sight of the enemy.
§8.29.2Quibus visis perculsae barbarorum turmae ac perterritae acies hostium, perturbato impedimentorum agmine, magno clamore discursuque passim fugae se mandant.
At the sight of these, the shattered squadrons of the barbarians and the terrified lines of the enemy, their baggage train being thrown into confusion, betook themselves to flight in all directions with a great shout and running to and fro.
§8.29.3At nostri equites, qui paulo ante cum resistentibus fortissime conflixerant, laetitia victoriae elati magno undique clamore sublato cedentibus circumfusi, quantum equorum vires ad persequendum dextraeque ad caedendum valent, tantum eo proelio interficiunt.
But our cavalry, who a little before had fought most bravely against those resisting, elated by the joy of victory, raising a great shout on all sides and surrounding the retreating enemy, slew in that battle as many as the strength of their horses for pursuit and their own right hands for slaying could manage.
§8.29.4Itaque amplius milibus XII aut armatorum aut eorum qui eo timore arma proiecerant interfectis omnis multitudo capitur impedimentorum.
And so, more than twelve thousand men, either of those armed or of those who from that fear had thrown away their arms, having been slain, the entire multitude of the baggage train was captured.

Notes

  1. §8.29.1cum repente ... veniunt — The construct known as 'cum inversum' (inverted cum). After the main clause (Dumnacus instruit...) describes an ongoing action or state, the cum-clause with an indicative verb (veniunt) dramatically introduces a sudden and unexpected event ('when suddenly...').
  2. §8.29.1quae suis esset equitibus in vicem praesidio — Subjunctive of purpose (esset) in a relative clause. It employs a double dative construction with suis equitibus (dative of reference, 'for his own cavalry') and praesidio (dative of purpose, 'as a protection').
  3. §8.29.3quantum ... tantum — A correlative structure. Tantum is the direct object (neuter accusative singular used substantively) of the main verb interficiunt, while quantum functions in the relative clause. It means 'they killed as many as the strength of the horses and their right hands allowed.' Ad persequendum and ad caedendum are gerunds in the accusative with ad expressing purpose.
  4. §8.29.4amplius milibus XII ... interfectis — Ablative absolute construction dominated by interfectis. The comparative adverb amplius ('more than') is used idiomatically without the conjunction quam, directly preceding the comparative ablative milibus XII, which functions as the logical subject of interfectis.

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §8.29.1-8.29.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:8.29.1-8.29.4

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