Chapter 4.25

Caesar brings his warships into action. A Roman standard bearer sets an example of bravery.

quod: ‘Now…this’ (Kelsey)

inusitatior: 'less familiar' than that of the transports. The latter were more like the trading vessels, with which the Britons were acquainted. (Walker)

ad usum: i.e. ad navigandum : ‘the movement was more easily controlled’ (Kelsey)(A&G 506)

motus…expeditior: lit., ‘whose motion was freer for use’ = ‘which were more easily managed.’ (Walker); 'which were swifter and easier to handle' (Rice Holmes)

ad latus apertum: ‘over against the exposed flank’ (Kelsey). I.e. the right, unprotected by their shields (Allen & Greenough)

inde…summoveri: inde: connect with propelli ac submoveri (Allen & Greenough)

fundis, sagittis, tormentis: it seems a queer combination to join two instruments for throwing (fundis, tormentis) with a class of missiles (sagittis, arrows). Translate the latter, bows (Towle & Jenks). Evidently Cretan and Numidian archers and Balearic slingers (cf. 2.7.1) served on board the galleys. The tormenta, which were mounted in the turrets (3.14.4) of galleys were probably small catapults (scorpiones) which discharged bolts at point blank range (Rice Holmes).

fundis: ‘slings’ (Kelsey)

quae res: ‘and this tactic’ (Kelsey); ‘a movement which’ (Towle and Jenks); ‘this maneuver’ (Allen & Judson) (A&G 308.f)

paulum modo: ‘just a little’ (Kelsey); ‘though only for a short distance,’ ‘just for a little’ (Moberly)

permoti: 'startled' (Allen & Judson)

aquilam: The aquila was the standard of a Roman legion, carried by the aquilifer. (Towle & Jenks)

ea res: his act (Towle & Jenks)

inquit: inquam, -is, -it def. verb. tr., used only with direct quotations and following one or more words of the quotation: 'say'. (Walker)(A&G 206.b, 599.c)

milites: Meusel doubts whether a centurion would have addressed his men as milites, though the general would have done so; and accordingly he prefers commilitones, the reading of manuscript beta. But in our army non-commissioned officers address privates as 'men'; so why not centurions, who enforced strict discipline? Cf. B.C. 3.91.1--sequimini me manipulares mei qui fuistis. (Rice Holmes)

praestitero: note the force of the tense: '(whatever the the result shall be) I at least shall have done my duty' (Walker) (A&G 478).

inter se: 'one another' (Walker)

universi: 'in a body' (Allen & Judson)

proximis primi navibus: 'from the nearest ships' (Allen & Greenough); primi is a conjecture of Madvig's. The manuscript reading proximis primis navibus is nonsense; for it would imply that the ships were ranged in at least two lines, one behind the other; and since the soldiers could only just leap into the sea without being drowned, those who were on board the ships in the imaginary second line could not have done so, for their ships would have been in deeper water. (Rice Holmes)