Chapter 4.28

The cavalry transports are driven back by a storm.

his rebus: the giving of hostages, the demobilization of the British host, and the presence of British leaders in Caesar’s camp (Kelsey)

post diem quartum quam est in Britanniam ventum: post . . . quam = postquam, “after.” The whole expression is equivalent to die quarto postquam est in Britanniam ventum, “on the fourth day after we had come to Britain." The expression does not appear to be susceptible of strict grammatical analysis (Young) The counting is inclusive, so the best translation is “three days after.” (Allen & Judson). Thanks to Caesar’s mention of an eclipse, the day in question can be fixed as August 30, 55 BC (more).

est in Britanniam ventum: ‘we had come into Britain’, literally, ‘it was come into Britain’. The impersonal passive, not uncommon with venio, puts the emphasis on the action rather than the doer of the action ( A&G 208d). With postquam, the perfect tense is often used where we would expect the pluperfect (more).

leni vento: ‘with a light breeze’ (Kelsey)

solvērunt: "set sail," supply naves, see LS solvo A.I.d.ε.

occasum: west. (Allen & Judson)

sui: (Obj. gen. with periculo), to themselves. (Allen & Judson) ( A&G 348)

ancoris iactis: 'yet casting anchor', i.e., notwithstanding the violence of the storm. (Harkness)

adversa nocte: ‘in face of the night’ (Kelsey)

in altum provectae: (being borne into the deep), put to sea and (Towle & Jenks)

proveho, -vehere, -vexi, -vectum: carry forward; pass., be carried forward, sail. (Walker)