Septimō oppūgnātiōnis diē māximō coortō ventō ferventēs fūsilī ex argillā glandēs fundīs et fervefacta iacula in casās, quae mōre Gallicō strāmentīs erant tectae, iacere coepērunt. Hae celeriter īgnem comprehendērunt et ventī māgnitūdine in omnem locum castrōrum distulērunt. Hostēs māximō clāmōre, sīcutī partā iam atque explōrātā vīctōriā, turrēs testūdinēsque agere et scālīs vāllum ascendere coepērunt. At tanta mīlitum virtūs atque ea praesentia animī fuit ut, cum undique flammā torrērentur māximāque tēlōrum multitūdine premerentur suaque omnia impedīmenta atque omnēs fōrtūnās cōnflagrāre intellegerent, nōn modō dēmigrandī causā dē vāllō dēcēderet nēmō sed paene nē respiceret quidem quisquam, āc tum omnēs ācerrimē fortissimēque pūgnārent. Hic diēs nostrīs longē gravissimus fuit, sed tamen hunc habuit ēventum ut eō diē māximus numerus hostium vulnerārētur atque interficerētur, ut sē sub ipsō vāllō cōnstīpāverant recessumque prīmīs ūltimī nōn dabant. Paulum quidem intermīssā flammā et quōdam locō turrī adāctā et contingente vāllum, tertiae cohortis centuriōnēs ex eō quō stābant locō recessērunt suōsque omnēs remōvērunt; nūtū vōcibusque hostēs, sī introīre vellent, vocāre coepērunt: quōrum prōgredī ausus est nēmō. Tum ex omnī parte lapidibus coniectīs dēturbātī, turrisque succēnsa est.

    A desperate assault resolutely repelled.

    ferventes...glandes: 'red-hot balls of clay' (Allen & Greenough). The ordinary meaning of fusilis is 'molten'; but clay cannot be melted. Fusili ex argilla must therefore mean 'of softened (or plastic) clay'. (Rice Holmes)

    fervefacta iacula: 'heated javelins' (Gaisser).

    casas: the huts of the encampment, thatched with straw (Allen & Greenough).

    more Gallico: in the Gaulish fashion (Gaisser) (A&G 418.a).

    stramentis: The huts had thatched roofs (Gaisser).

    distulerunt: sc. ignem (Allen & Greenough)

    parta atque explorata: 'gained and decided' (Hodges); ablative absolute (A&G 419). parta < pario, here 'win' (Gaisser).

    ne...quidem: 'not even' (Gaisser).

    ut se...constipaverant: 'in as much as they had concentrated themselves'; here, ut means 'since' with the indicative (Gaisser) (A&G 543).

    intermissa flamma…contingente vallum: a long ablative absolute (Gaisser) (A&G 419).

    turri: this advance of a tower was quite in the manner of Roman attack. (Allen & Greenough)

    vellent: implied indirect discourse; in their words, si...vultis (A&G 592).

    septǐmus, -a, -um: the seventh

    oppugnātǐo, -ōnis f.: attack, assault, storming

    cŏŏrĭor, -īri, -ortus: to rise, start up, break forth

    fervĕo, -ēre, -bŭi: be glowing, red hot

    fūsĭlis, -e: baked

    argilla, -ae f.: clay

    glans, -ndis f.: acorn, leaden bullet

    funda, ae f.: a sling

    fervĕfăcĭo, -ĕre, fēci, factum: heat, melt; make red hot, glowing

    iaculum, -ī n.: javelin

    cǎsa, -ae f.: a cottage, hut, shed

    strāmentum, -i n.: straw; pack saddle

    comprěhendo, -dere, -di, -sum: to take a hold of, grasp, apprehend

    diffěro, differre, distǔli, dīlātum: to spread out, scatter

    sīcǔti: = sicut, "just as"

    turris, -is: a tower; siege tower

    testūdo, -dǐnis f.: a tortoise; tortoise shell; sapper's hut

    explōrātus, -a, -um: assured

    scālae, -ārum f.: ladder

    vallum, -i n.: earthworks, ramparts; palisade 

    praesentǐa, ae f.: a being before, at hand; resolution; presence (of mind)

    torreo, -ēre, -ui, tostum: roast, parch, singe

    impědīmentum, -i n.: a hinderance, impediment

    conflāgro, -āre: be in flames

    dēmīgro, -āre: move away; abandon a position

    dēcēdo, -ěre, -cessi, -cessum: to go away, depart, withdraw

    vulněro, -āre: to wound, injure, hurt

    constīpo, -āre: crowd together

    rĕcessus, -ūs m.: retreat, opportunity of falling back

    intermitto, mittěre, -mīsi, missum: to leave off, intermit, omit, neglect

    ǎdǐgo, -ěre, -ēgi, -actum: to bring, drive, or compel

    rěmǒvěo, -ere, -mōvi, -mōtum: to take away, set aside, withdraw

    nutus, -us m.: nod, beck; gestures, gesticulations

    introěo, -ire, -īvi, -ītum: to go into; enter

    prōgrědǐor, -i, -gessus: to come or go forth;advance, proceed

    cōnǐcǐo, -ere, -iēci, -iectum: to throw or bring together; to hurl; to unite

    dēturbo, -āre: drive off

    succendo, -ěre, -di, -sum: to kindle, set on fire from below

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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-5-43