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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §8.35.1-8.35.5

Caninius Attacks Lucterius's Supply Train

Passage 384 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Drappes and Lucterius, having procured grain, encamp ten miles from the town; Lucterius attempts to bring grain into the town by night, but is routed by Caninius's sudden attack.

§8.35.1Magna copia frumenti comparata considunt Drappes et Lucterius non longius ab oppido X milibus, unde paulatim frumentum in oppidum supportarent.
Having procured a large quantity of grain, Drappes and Lucterius encamp not further than ten miles from the town, from where they might gradually bring the grain into the town.
§8.35.2Ipsi inter se provincias partiuntur: Drappes castris praesidio cum parte copiarum restitit; Lucterius agmen iumentorum ad oppidum ducit.
They divide the duties between themselves: Drappes remained with a part of the forces to guard the camp; Lucterius leads the train of beasts of burden to the town.
§8.35.3Dispositis ibi praesidiis hora noctis circiter decima silvestribus angustisque itineribus frumentum importare in oppidum instituit.
Having posted guards there, at about the tenth hour of the night, he began to import the grain into the town by narrow and wooded paths.
§8.35.4Quorum strepitum vigiles castrorum cum sensissent, exploratoresque missi quae gererentur renuntiassent, Caninius celeriter cum cohortibus armatis ex proximis castellis in frumentarios sub ipsam lucem impetum fecit.
When the sentries of the camp had perceived their noise, and the scouts who were sent out had reported what was going on, Caninius quickly, with armed cohorts from the nearest redoubts, made an attack on the grain-carriers just before daybreak.
§8.35.5Ei repentino malo perterriti diffugiunt ad sua praesidia; quae nostri ut viderunt, acrius contra armatos incitati neminem ex eo numero vivum capi patiuntur.
They, terrified by this sudden disaster, flee in all directions to their outposts; when our men saw this, being incited more fiercely against the armed men, they do not allow anyone from that number to be taken alive.
Profugit inde cum paucis Lucterius nec se recipit in castra.
Lucterius escapes from there with a few men, and does not return to the camp.

Notes

  1. §8.35.1supportarent — Subjunctive imperfect in a relative clause introduced by `unde` (= *ex quo loco*), expressing purpose ("in order to...").
  2. §8.35.2castris praesidio — Double dative construction: `castris` is the dative of reference/interest ("for the camp"), and `praesidio` is the dative of purpose/effect ("as a guard").
  3. §8.35.3itineribus — Ablative of route or way taken (ablative without a preposition).
  4. §8.35.5quae — Coordinating relative pronoun (relative connection) in the neuter plural accusative. It refers either to the whole situation of the flight of the grain-carriers or to their outposts (`praesidia`). It is governed by `ut` ("when").

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §8.35.1-8.35.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:8.35.1-8.35.5

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