Chapter 4.32

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.

    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)

    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

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    Christopher Francese, Caesar: Selections from the Gallic War. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2011, revised and enlarged 2018. ISBN: 978-1-947822-02-3. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/caesar/book-4/chapter-4-32