Chapter 1.5 | Dickinson College Commentaries

Post ēius mortem nihilō minus Helvētiī id quod cōnstituerant facere cōnantur, ut ē fīnibus suīs exeant. Ubi iam sē ad eam rem parātōs esse arbitrātī sunt, oppida sua omnia, numerō ad duodecim, vīcōs ad quadringentōs, reliqua prīvāta aedificia incendunt; frūmentum omne, praeterquam quod sēcum portātūrī erant, combūrunt, ut domum reditiōnis spē sublātā parātiōrēs ad omnia perīcula subeunda essent; trium mēnsum molita cibāria sibi quemque domō efferre iubent. Persuādent Rauracīs et Tulingīs et Latobrīgīs fīnitimīs suīs utī eōdem ūsī cōnsiliō, oppidīs suīs vīcīsque exūstīs, ūnā cum eīs proficīscantur, Boiōsque, quī trāns Rhēnum incoluerant et in agrum Nōricum trānsierant Nōrēiamque oppūgnārant, receptōs ad sē sociōs sibi ascīscunt.

notes

The Helvetii burn their dwellings and secure allies.

nihilo minus: ‘nevertheless’ ; lit. ‘by nothing less.’ (Kelsey)

oppida sua omnia: The oppida are strongholds, while the vici are groups of houses. Vicus is the word for the street of a city, referring to the rows of houses on either side. (Harper & Tolman)

praeterquam quod: i.e. praeter id (frumentum) quod (Kelsey)

domum reditionis spē: ‘hope of return home.’ Domum is the accusative of limit of motion after the verbal noun reditionis. (Harper & Tolman) ( AG 427.2)

usi: ‘adopting,’ or ‘to adopt’; ‘having used’ (Kelsey).

consilio: ‘plan’ (Kelsey).

oppidis suis vicisque exustis: ‘having burned their towns and villages,’ lit. ‘their towns and villages having been burned.’ (Kelsey)

unā: adv., together

agrum Noricum: ‘the territory of the Norici,’ corresponding, in general, with the western part of Austria south of the Danube, between Bavaria and Hungary; …now eastern Bavaria and upper Austria (Allen & Judson)

receptos ad se socios sibi asciscunt: ‘they received and associated with themselves’ (lit. ‘to themselves’) ‘as allies’ (Kelsey)

vocabulary

nĭhĭlō minus: nonetheless, no less

Helvetii, -orum m.: the Helvetii or Helvetians. historical map

ad: (with an estimated number) near to, almost, about

dŭŏdĕcem: twelve

vīcus, -i m.: village

quādringenti, -ae, -a: four hundred

aedĭfĭcĭum, -i n.: a building

incendo, -ĕre, -cendi, -censum: kindle, set fire, burn

praeterquam: adv., besides, except

combūro, -urĕre, -ussi, -ustum: to burn up, consume entirely

rĕdĭtĭo , -ōnis f.: a going back, a return

tollō tollere sustulī sublātum: remove; raise up; destroy

mŏlo, -ĕre, -ŭi, -ĭtum: grind in a mill

cĭbārĭa, -ōrum n.: food, rations

effĕro, efferre, extŭli, ēlatum: bring or carry out, bring forth

persuādĕo, -ere, -si, -sum: persuade + dat.

Rauraci, -orum m.: Gallic tribe

Tulingi, -orum m.: Gallic tribe

Latobrigi, -orum m.: Gallic tribe

fīnitimi, -orum m.: neighbors (substantive of finitimus -a -um, neighboring)

exūro, -ere, -ussi, -ustum: burn out, burn up, consume

ūnā: (adv.), in one place or at one time, ūnā cum together with

Boii, -orum m.: Gallic tribe

trāns: across, go over, beyond (+acc.)

Rhenus, -i m.: the river Rhenus, the Rhine.

in-cŏlo, -ĕre, -lŭi: dwell, live, reside

Nōrĭcum, -I n.: Country laying between the Danube and the Alps

Nōrĕia, -ae f.: town in Noricum

oppugno, -āre: fight against, attack

ascisco, -ĕre, ascīvi, ascītum: receive, admit; adopt, take to oneself

media

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