Chapter 4.24

At barbarī, cōnsiliō Rōmānōrum cōgnitō praemīssō equitātū et essedāriīs, quō plērumque genere in proeliīs ūtī cōnsuērunt, reliquīs cōpiīs subsecūtī nostrōs nāvibus ēgredī prohibēbant. Erat ob hās causās summa difficultās, quod nāvēs propter māgnitūdinem nisi in altō cōnstituī nōn poterant, mīlitibus autem, īgnōtīs locīs, impedītīs manibus, māgnō et gravī onere armōrum oppressīs, simul et dē nāvibus dēsiliendum et in fluctibus cōnsistendum et cum hostibus erat pūgnandum, cum illī aut ex āridō aut paulum in aquam prōgressī, omnibus membrīs expedītīs, nōtissimīs locīs, audācter tēla cōicerent et equōs īnsuēfactōs incitārent. Quibus rēbus nostrī perterritī atque hūius omnīnō generis pūgnae imperītī, nōn eādem alacritāte āc studiō quō in pedestribus ūtī proeliīs cōnsuērant utēbantur.

notes

The Britons try to prevent the landing.

quo genere: ‘a type of warrior which’ (Kelsey); ‘the kind of soldiers which’ (Towle and Jenks) (A&G 535)

essedarius, -ri m.: A soldier fighting from a war chariot, charioteer.

subsecuti: seeing the fleet stand out to sea, they guessed Caesar’s purpose and marched at once to oppose his landing. (Towle & Jenks)

aridus, -a, -um: dry; neut. as noun, 'dry land'. (Walker)(A&G 289)

impeditis manibus: ‘having their hands full’ (Towle & Jenks)

autem: ‘while’ (Towle & Jenks)

insuefactos: 'trained to it', i.e. to charge to the water’s edge (Allen & Judson); 'accustomed, trained' (Walker); 'accustomed to this work', i.e. to this mode of warfare (Harkness).

pedestribus: ‘on land’ (Kelsey)

utebantur: ‘were displaying’ (Kelsey)

non…utebantur: ‘did not display’ (Walker)

alacritas, -tatis f.: liveliness, ardor.

vocabulary

ĕquĭtātus, -ūs m.: cavalry

essĕdārĭus, -i m.: fighter in British or Gallic war chariot; charioteer

consŭĕo, -ēre: be accustomed, be wont

subsĕquor, -sequi, -secūtus sum: follow, follow after

difficultas, -ātis f.: difficulty, trouble, distress

īgnōtus, -a, -um: unknown

impĕdĭo, -īre, -īvi, -ītum: entangle, ensnare, hinder