Chapter 5.44

Erant in eā legiōne fortissimī virī, centuriōnēs, quī prīmīs ōrdinibus appropīnquārent, T. Pullō et L. Vorēnus. Hī perpetuās inter sē contrōversiās habēbant, quīnam anteferrētur, omnibusque annīs dē locīs summīs simultātibus contendēbant. Ex hīs Pullō, cum ācerrimē ad mūnītiōnēs pūgnārētur, 'Quid dubitās,' inquit, 'Vorēne? aut quem locum tuae probandae virtūtis spectās? hīc diēs dē nostrīs contrōversiīs iūdicābit.' Haec cum dīxisset, prōcēdit extrā mūnītiōnēs, quāque pars hostium cōnfertissima est vīsa irrumpit. Nē Vorēnus quidem tum sēsē vāllō continet sed omnium veritus exīstimātiōnem subsequitur. Tum mediocrī spatiō relīctō Pullō pīlum in hostēs immittit, atque ūnum ex multitūdine prōcurrentem trāicit; quō percussō et exanimātō, hunc scūtīs prōtegunt, in hostem tēla ūniversī cōniciunt neque dant regrediendī facultātem. Trānsfīgitur scūtum Pullōnī et verūtum in balteō dēfīgitur. Āvertit hic cāsus vāgīnam et gladium ēdūcere cōnantī dextram morātur manum, impedītumque hostēs circumsistunt. Succurrit inimīcus illī Vorēnus et labōrantī subvenit. Ad hunc sē cōnfestim ā Pullōne omnis multitūdō convertit; illum verūtō arbitrantur occīsum. Gladiō comminus rem gerit Vorēnus, atque ūnō interfectō reliquōs paulum prōpellit: dum cupidius īnstat, in locum dēiectus īnferiōrem concidit. Huic rūrsus circumventō fert subsidium Pullō, atque ambō incolumēs complūribus interfectīs summā cum laude sēsē intrā mūnītiōnēs recipiunt. Sīc fōrtūna in contentiōne et certāmine utrumque versāvit, ut alter alterī inimīcus auxiliō salūtīque esset, neque dīiūdicārī posset, uter utrī virtūte anteferendus vidērētur.

    The rivalry of Pullo and Vorenus.

    primis ordinibus appropinquarent: i.e., The two centurions each hoped to become centurions of the first cohort, and hence the senior centurions of the legion (Gaisser).

    appropinquarent: To bring out the consecutive force of the subjunctive in English is not easy. Here is my attempt:—'In this legion there were two centurions. . . who, by dint of extraordinary courage, were getting close,' &c. (Rice Holmes) (A&G 537)

    quinam anteferretur: 'as to which should be preferred to the other'; indirect question.

    de locis: 'for promotion or rank'. (Allen & Greenough)(A&G 221.10)

    pugnaretur: impersonal passive (Gaisser) (A&G 208.d).

    quem locum: 'what opportunity'

    pars: logically the antecedent of quae. We would expect it to be in a prepositional phrase (in partem) after irrumpit, 'breaks into,' but it has been 'attracted' into the case of the relative (Gaisser) (A&G 307.b).

    Ne Vorenus quidem: Ne..quidem evidently does not mean 'Not even', but 'of course ... not'. One might translate by 'Vorenus of course did not keep inside the rampart' (Rice Holmes).

    sese vallo continet: 'remain within the wall' (Allen & Greenough)

    quo percusso et exanimato: ablative absolute (A&G 419). quo is connecting relative: '(and) when he' (Gaisser) (A&G 308.f).

    scutum: drawing of a scutum (Towle & Jenks)

    Pulloni: dative of disadvantage. But translate: 'Pullo’s shield' (Gaisser).

    hic casus: etc., i.e. the javelin, piercing his sword belt, twisted the scabbard of his sword out of reach. (Allen & Greenough)

    conanti: 'for him as he was trying;' dative of disadvantage (Gaisser) (A&G 376).

    inimicus: an excellent illustration of the difference between hostis and inimicus. Vorenus and Pullo are old inimici, both fighting a common hostis (Gaisser).

    hunc: Vorenus (Gaisser).

    cupidius: 'too eagerly' (Gaisser) (A&G 291.a).

    locum: opportunity. (Allen & Judson)

    in locum deiectus etc.: 'slipping into a hollow, he fell' (Allen & Greenough). ‘He slipped down a place where there was a slight drop.’ In this whole story we may suspect that Caesar is using a little rhetorical artifice to contrast the vigour of the privates with the slackness of Cotta and Sabinus; and, in particular, to show how personal rivalry spurred the former to deeds of valour, and disabled the latter. (Moberly)

    in contentione: 'in their rivalry' (Allen & Greenough)

    versavit: How is one to express the meaning—'moved [them] about'—in English? I should say '(Thus Fortune) made them her puppets', &c. (Rice Holmes)

    utrumque: 'each' (Hodges)

    alter alteri: 'one to the other'; alteri is dative of reference (Gaisser).

    auxilio salutique: dative of purpose or predicate dative: '(for) assistance and safety' (Gaisser) (A&G 382).

    uter utri: 'which (of the two) ... to the other' (Gaisser).

    anteferendus videretur: 'seemed superior (to be preferred)'. (Hodges)

    apprǒpinquō, -āre: to come near, approach

    contrōversīa, -ae f.: controversy, quarrel, dispute

    quisnam, quaenam, quidnam: who, which, what pray

    sĭmultas, -ātis f.: feud, quarrel

    contendo, -děre, -di, -tum: to stretch, to draw tight, to strain

    irrumpo, -ĕre, -rūpi, -ruptum: burst into, dart upon

    vĕrūtum, -i n.: javelin

    baltĕus, -i m.: belt

    āverto, -ĕre, -ti, -sum: to turn away, aside

    dīiūdicō, -āre: decide

    antĕfĕro, -ferre: prefer

    mūnītĭo, -ōnis f.: construction, fortitying

    iūdǐco, -āre: to examine judicially, to judge, be a judge

    extrā: on the outside, without

    confertus, -a, -um: closely pressed, condensed

    existĭmātĭo, -ōnis f.: opinion

    subsĕquor, -i, -secūtus: follow closely, on the heels

    mĕdĭōcris, -e: moderately large, not large, ordinary

    pīlum, -i n.: Roman spear

    immitto, -mittěre, -mīsi, -missum: to send in, to cause or allow to go in

    prōcurro, -currěre, -cǔcurri, -cursum: to run forth, rush forwards

    trāǐcǐo, -ire, -iēci, -iectum: to throw across, over, or through; to pierce

    percǔtǐo, -ire, -cussi, -cussum: to strike, thrust, or pierce through

    exǎnǐmō, -āre: to deprive of breath; to kill

    scūtum, -i n.: an oblong shield 

    prōtĕgo, -ĕre, -xi, -ctum: cover

    cōnǐcǐo, -ire, -iēci, -iectum: to bring together, unite; to hurl

    rěgrědǐor, -i, -gressus: to come or go back; retreat

    fǎcultas, -ātis f.: capability, means, opportunity

    transfīgo, -ĕre, -xi, -xum: pierce

    dēfīgo, -ĕre, -xi, -xum: set down firmly, plant firmly, fix

    impědǐo, -ire, -īvi, -ītum: to entangle, hamper, hinder

    circumsisto, -sistere, -stěti: to place oneself around; to surround

    succurro, -ĕre, -curri, -cursum: run to aid, hasten to aid

    subvěnǐo, -ire, -vēni, -ventum: to come to one's assistance, to aid, resist

    cōnfestim: promptly, with all haste

    commĭnus adv.: at close quarters, in hand to hand conflict

    prōpello, prōpellěre, -pǔli, -pulsum: to drive, push, urge forward

    cǔpǐdus, -a, -um: longing, desiring, eager

    instō, instāre, -stǐti, -stǎtum: to stand in or upon a thing; press, press upon, pursue

    dēĭcĭo, -ĕre, -iēci, -iectum: throw down from; drive

    circumvěnǐo, -ire, -vēni, -ventum: to come around; encircle; surround

    subsǐdǐum, -ii n.: help, aid; troops stationed in reserve

    ambo: both

    incǒlǔmis, -e: unimpaired, in good condition; unharmed, uninjured, safe

    complūres, -ia, -ium: quite a number

    contentĭo, -ōnis f.: struggle, contest

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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-5/chapter-5-44