Chapter 4.32 | Dickinson College Commentaries

Dum ea geruntur, legiōne ex cōnsuētūdine ūnā frūmentātum mīssā quae appellābātur septima, neque ūllā ad id tempus bellī suspīciōne interpositā, cum pars hominum in agrīs remanēret, pars etiam in castra ventitāret, eī quī prō portīs castrōrum in statiōne erant Caesarī nūntiāvērunt pulverem māiōrem quam cōnsuētūdō ferret in eā parte vidērī quam in partem legiō iter fēcisset. Caesar id quod erat suspicātus, aliquid novī ā barbarīs initum cōnsilī, cohortēs quae in statiōnibus erant sēcum in eam partem proficīscī, ex reliquīs duās in statiōnem succēdere, reliquās armārī et cōnfestim sēsē subsequī iussit. Cum paulō longius ā castrīs prōcessisset, suōs ab hostibus premī atque aegrē sustinēre et cōnfertā legiōne ex omnibus partibus tēla cōicī animadvertit. Nam quod omnī ex reliquīs partibus dēmessō frūmentō pars ūna erat reliqua, suspicātī hostēs hūc nostrōs esse ventūrōs noctū in silvīs dēlituerant; tum dispersōs, dēpositīs armīs in metendō occupātōs subitō adortī, paucīs interfectīs reliquōs incertīs ōrdinibus perturbāverant, simul equitātū atque essedīs circumdederant.

notes

The Britons attack one legion while it is engaged in foraging.

frumentatum: 'to get corn [i.e. grain]', supine ( A&G 509).

pars hominum: 'some of the people' (Allen & Greenough).

ventitaret: 'returned from time to time', frequentative ( A&G 263.2).

pro: 'in front of' (Allen & Greenough).

quam…ferret: = 'than usual' (Allen & Judson).

aliquid…consili: ‘some new scheme had been worked up’ (Kelsey); ‘that some new design was on foot’ (Allen & Greenough); partitive genitive ( A&G 346.a).

in stationibus: ‘on guard’; plural because each gate was thought of as a separate post. (Kelsey)

premi…sustinere: 'were getting pushed, and hardly held their ground' (Allen & Judson).

pars una: 'only one part', i.e. only one place from which grain could be obtained. (Harkness)

suspicati: 'supposing' (Allen & Greenough).

delitesco, -ere, -litui: hide one’s self, lurk (Walker)

dispersos, occupatos: 'while scattered' etc., agreeing with milites, governed by adorti.

tum dispersos...circumdederant: The officer who commanded the 7th legion had apparently forgotten to send out scouts; and it would seem that even the precaution of keeping some of the cohorts under arms was neglected (Rice Holmes).

essedum, -i n.: two-wheeled war chariot of the Britons (Walker). These chariots are often represented with scythes at the axle, of which Caesar makes no mention. They held six men each , and were drawn by two horses (Allen & Greenough).

incertis ordinibus: 'because their ranks were unsteady' abl. absol. (Allen & Greenough)( A&G 420.2); 'they had bewildered the ranks and', etc. (Towle & Jenks)

vocabulary

frūmentor, -āri: gather a grain supply, cut grain

suspīcĭo, -ōnis f.: suspicion

interpōno, -poere, -pŏsŭi, -pŏsĭtum: put, place, lay, or set between, interpose, put in the way

rĕmănĕo, -ēre, -si, -sum: stay or remain behind

ventĭto, -āre: come often

stătĭo, -ōnis f.: guard, service

nuntĭo, -āre: announce, declare, report, retell

pulvis, -ĕris m.: dust

suspĭcor, -āri: suspect

ĭnĕo, -īre, -īvi, -ĭtum: go into, enter a place

succēdo, -ĕre, -cessi, -cessum: to be the successor; be contiguous, be next; take the place of, relieve

armo, -āre: arm, equip

confestim adv.: promptly, with all haste

subsequor, -ui, -cutum: follow close after or immediately, succeed

confertus, -a, -um: compact, in close array, crowded

cōicio, -ere, -iēci, -iectum: hurl; drive; put, place; direct, construct

animadverto, -ere, -ti, -sum: direct the mind or attention to, take heed, consider, remark, perceive, notice

dēmĕto, -ĕre, -messŭi, -messum: cut, harvest

dēlĭtesco, -ĕre, -tŭi: conceal oneself

dispergo, -ĕre, -si, -sum: scatter

dēpōno, -ere, -sui, -situm: lay away, put or place aside

mĕto, -ĕre, messŭi, messum: mow, harvest

ădŏrĭor, -ortus: approach a person, address a person, accost

incertus, -a, -um: uncertain, unsettled, doubtful, untrustworthy

perturbo, -āre: throw into confusion or disorder, confuse, disturb

ĕquĭtātus, -ūs m.: cavalry

circumdo, -dăre, -dĕdi, -dătus: put, place or set around

media

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