CHAP. 23. 29 33 acie] this is probably a genitive after parte. A. Gellius IX. 14 says that Caesar in his book de analogia expresses his opinion that the genitives die and specie should be used. cf. R. § 357. But acie might very well be an ablative here in line' 'in their ranks'. transire non dubitaverunt] cf. n. on 2 dubitandum non existimavit quin. p. 44. 3 diversae] apart from each other'. 4 ex loco superiore] to be taken with profligatis. 9 summam imperii] 'the chief command', cf. n. on I. 41. 11 summum castrorum locum] the height occupied by the camp. 13 14 15 16 17 CHAP. 24. quos pulsos dixeram] Caesar means who had been repulsed, as I have said' but by a slight confusion of thought and expression he writes 'whom I had described as repulsed'. This, no doubt correct, explanation of the pluperfect is given by Kraner and Vielhaber, cf. 1, 28, IV. 27 quem demonstraveram praemissum' who had been sent forward as I have shown?. adversis hostibus occurrebant] it would appear that before the Roman cavalry who had engaged the enemy on the right bank of the river and had been thrown into disorder and dispersed (19) could recross the river and return to the camp, the Nervii had already crossed the stream lower down and were attacking the camp on the high ground (summum castrorum locum 23), consequently the cavalry on their return met (‘ran up against' adversis occurrebant) the enemy who had crossed before them. fugam petebant] fugam petere, as Schneider shows, is more common in poetry than in prose. Cf. Liv. IX. 23. calones] 'suttlers' 'camp-followers'. decumana porta] the Roman camp was always constructed on definite principles. It was in the form of a square through which ran the via principalis terminating in the porta principalis dextra and the porta principalis sinistra; the gates on the other two opposite sides were called respectively the decumana and the praetoria porta. In the present case the decumana porta was on the side of the camp farthest removed from the river. transisse conspexerant] 'had seen that they had crossed'. 20 qui cum impedimentis veniebant] it will be remembered that the impedimenta were coming up under the convoy of the two recently levied legions the XIIIth and XIVth; it was when they first appeared in sight that the enemy began their attack, 19. 22 quorum...singularis] 'whose valour is in high repute among the Gauls': cf. 8 propter eximiam opinionem virtutis. CHAP. 25. 30 Caesar...profectus] the narrative takes us back to 21 where we read atque in alteram (i.e. dextram) partem item cohortandi causa profectus pugnantibus occurrit. 32 signis] apparently the colours of the several cohorts; see below on signiferoque interfecto. 33 ad pugnam impedimento] cf. n. on I. 25, where the same phrase Occurs. p. 45. omnibus centurionibus] there were 6 centuriae in a cohort, each commanded by a centurio. 4 signiferoque interfecto] it is concluded from this passage that every cohort had a special signum, though the fact is not elsewhere mentioned in writers before the Empire (Kraner): cf. Nipperdey on Tac. An. I. 18. Each manipulus had a signum of its own, cf. Varro 1. lat. v. 88 manipulos exercitus minimas manus, quae unum sequuntur signum. primipilo] the first centurion of the first cohort was called primipilus. Baculus was not killed, as we learn from III. 5. 6 deserto loco] 'having quitted their posts': see appendix. ab novissimis 'in the rear', so again, a few lines on. 7 neque...et] so in Greek oυTe...Te are often used, 'the enemy did not cease...and were pressing'. vidit] this, like the vidit in line r, follows on ubi. The greater part of this chapter from the beginning to uti possent consists of one long sentence made up of a protasis ubi suos...submitti posset and an apodosis scuto...uti possent, to which also belong the words Caesar...profectus at the beginning of the chapter: thus the second vidit would have been sufficient by itself, but the insertion of the first vidit makes the sentence easier to understand. ab novissimis militi] 'from a soldier in the rear ranks': see appendix. manipulos laxare] 'open out the ranks of the maniples'. operam navare] navare originally gnavare means 'to make known' 'to exhibit'; operam navare, lit. 'to exhibit zeal', may be translated 'to do one's best': the word is connected etymologically with yoкw and its kindred words, cf. ignavia=äyvola. Cf. Liv. VII. 16 fortiter in acie operam navaturos. Tacitus with his usual audacity of expression ventures on bellum navare, Hist. v. 25. CHAP. 26. septimam legionem] this was one of the legions on the right wing exposed to the assaults of the Nervii. conversa signa] cf. I. 25. Caesar placed the two legions back to back, as it were, so that they fronted opposite ways; hence the words conversa signa though applied to the two legions are only strictly applicable to ne of them. This is Schneider's explanation, accepted by Kraner but 24 25 26 32 33 not by Long (App. 2), whose explanation (taken from Roesch) of the movements of the two legions is almost too elaborate to be probable. in novissimo agmine] 'in the extreme rear of the line of march'. praelio...incitato] 'having quickened their pace on receiving intelligence of the battle '. Titus Labienus] it will be remembered that the IXth and Xth legions, the latter commanded by Labienus, had driven the Atrebates in confusion across the river. Caesar now says that they had succeeded in taking the enemies' entrenchments on the hill of Hautmont, and from this position they were able to see how their comrades were faring across the river. nihil...fecerunt] lit. 'left nothing undone to effect speed' 'made all possible haste': the phrase reliqui facere is only used with a negative. CHAP. 27. qui procubuissent] a little less definite than qui procubuerant. p. 46. 3 inermes] in I. 40 the form inermus is used. 6 13 15 17 22 25 26 in extrema spe salutis] this occurs again in 33, 'in their utter despair of safety' (or 'success'). quae...redegerat] cf. IV. 3 hos Suebi multo humiliores infirmioresque redegerunt, the only other instance of this use of redigere reddere that I can find quoted from any classical author; redigere aliquem ad aliquid 'to reduce a person (or thing) to' is common enough; see beginning of next chapter. CHAP. 28. ad internicionem] cf. I. 13. Notwithstanding this great defeat the Nervii were able to furnish 5000 fighting-men in the war of independence B. C. 52: cf. VII. 75. nomine] 'power' as in the common expression nomen Romanum. aestuaria] the word is defined by Festus as meaning those places quae mare vicissim tum accedit tum recedit: if this is universally correct and aestuaria here really denotes 'inlets' or 'creeks', and not merely 'marshes', it will be necessary to suppose that the Nervii had deposited their non-combatants somewhere near the estuary of the Scheldt: cf. n. on 16. coniectos dixeramus] cf. n. on 24 quos pulsos dixeram. LX] the Nervii had promised 50000 men at the beginning of the war, cf. 4. vix ad quingentos]=ad vix quingentos: cf. 1. 6 vix qua singuli. ut...prohiberent] 'to stay themselves and their adherents from doing any injury or harm to them' (the conquered Nervii). iniuria et maleficio] these words are thus united in 1. 79. 29 31 A brief recapitulation of the chief incidents of this battle may be useful. The two armies were encamped on rising ground on opposite sides of the Sambre near Maubeuge, the Belgae on the SE., the Romans on the NW., bank. The Atrebates occupied the right of the Belgic position, to one looking towards the river, the Viromandui the centre and the Nervii the left. The right of the Roman position (opposite the Nervii) was occupied by the VIIth and XIIth legions, the centre by the VIIIth and XIth, the left (opposite the Atrebates) by the IXth and xth; the XIIIth and XIVth were in charge of the baggage-train some distance behind. The battle began by the Roman cavalry crossing the river and engaging the Belgic cavalry. While these were skirmishing the Belgae caught sight of the Roman baggage-train appearing some way off over the crest of the opposite hill: acting on a preconcerted plan they at once broke from their positions, scattered the Roman cavalry, crossed the river and burst with terrific fury upon the Roman legions on the opposite side. The latter, encouraged by Caesar, sustained the attack as well as they could. Soon the Ixth and Xth succeeded in driving back the Atrebates across the river, crossed it themselves and attacked and actually occupied the Belgic camp: about the same time the VIIIth and xIth had driven the Viromandui down the slope and were fighting on the banks of the river; thus the whole of the front and left of the Roman position was left unprotected. The Nervii seeing this divided their attack, their right making an assault on the front of the Roman camp, while their left went to the left of the VIIth and XIIth legions (with whom it will be remembered that the Nervii were engaged) in order to take them on their right and exposed flank (latus apertum). At this time the XIIIth and XIVth were coming up behind at a rapid pace, and, besides this, Labienus with the IXth and xth on the opposite bank, seeing the critical state of affairs, hastened to recross the river. This double succour in front and behind completely turned the day, and the Nervii notwithstanding their magnificent bravery were utterly routed. CHAP. 29. ex itinere] 'stayed their march and returned home'. This unum oppidum] Göler has concluded with great probability that the site of this oppidum is to be found on the hill Falhize, a steep and rocky plateau on the north bank of the Meuse, just opposite the town of Huy in the province of Liège, about halfway between Namur and Liège, and close to the junction of the small river Mehaigne with the Meuse. hill, of an oblong shape, is steep and almost inaccessible on the SE. and SW. sides; on the NW. side the ground is less precipitous, being broken by a few ravines, while on the NE. the plateau, instead of terminating in an abrupt fall, has a gently-descending slope for some little distance, after which the ground again rises till it merges with the range of hills covered with the Bois du Huy; the width of this end where the slope begins is about 230 feet; this is a sufficiently near approximation to the width of 200 feet given by Caesar. Across the plateau are some slight earthworks, marking no doubt the line of the double wall flanked by a ditch which the besieged constructed. 33 despectusque] cf. VII. 36 collibus occupatis qua despici poterat, 79 erat ex oppido Alesia despectus in campum. See appendix. p. 47. 2 duplici altissimo muro] 'with a double wall of great height'. praeacutas] 'sharpened at the end''pointed'. 3 4 5 6 7 ΙΟ 14 16 18 19 prognati] "the word which occurs again in VI. 18 is poetical and in the older prose is only found in Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. VIII. 15' (Kraner). iter in provinciam] in B.C. 102; cf. Momms. III. 90. agere ac portare] these two words are also found together in B. C. II. 25 animadvertit multa undique portari atque agi plenissimis viis quae repentini tumultus timore ex agris in urbem conferantur. Gaius says ferri proprie dicimus quae quis suo corpore baiulat, portari ea quae in iumento secum ducit, agi ea quae animalia sunt; this distinction though far from universally valid may possibly apply here; or we may perhaps regard the phrase as an example of those pairs of words in which each word merges its independent meaning in the general signification given by the two combined: cf. xaλòs kȧyalós, agere vertere, fusus fugatus, purus putus, 'safe and sound', etc. custodiam] custodians'; 'together with these (una) they left a guard (praesidium) of 6000 men'. alias...alias] 'at one time'... 'at another time'. CHAP. 30. vallo...circummuniti] pedum should no doubt be read with the inferior MSS for passuum: the natural line of circumvallation which touches the river at both ends is exactly 15000 pedes long' (A. v. Kampen): it is noticeable that Caesar says nothing about a river, but would rather lead us to infer that the town was completely surrounded by the wall in question. vineis actis] the vineae (cf. 12) were pushed forward to serve as protections for the men while engaged in constructing the agger, which was a raised dam begun some little distance from the oppidum and carried up to it at right angles. The object of the dam was to serve as an inclined platform up which the turris was to be wheeled till it was brought near enough to command the town. turrim procul constitui] 'a tower in course of erection some distance off'. quod] at the idea of so great a contrivance being set up so great a distance off'. The thought of the Gauls, not merely an actual fact, has to be expressed, hence the subjunctive instrueretur instead of instruebatur. praesertim] the word qualifies homines tantulae staturae, men too of such little stature', or 'especially as they were men of such little stature'. |