Ch. 81

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Uno¹ die intermisso Galli atque hoc² spatio magno³ cratium⁴, scalarum, harpagonum numero effecto media nocte silentio ex castris egressi⁵ ad campestres⁶ munitiones accedunt. 2 Subito clamore sublato, qua⁷ significatione qui in oppido obsidebantur de⁸ suo adventu cognoscere possent, crates proicere⁹, fundis¹⁰, sagittis, lapidibus nostros de vallo proturbare reliquaque¹¹ quae ad oppugnationem pertinent parant administrare. 3 Eodem tempore clamore exaudito dat¹² tuba signum suis¹³ Vercingetorix atque ex oppido educit¹⁴. 4 Nostri¹⁵, ut¹⁶ superioribus diebus, ut¹⁷ cuique erat locus attributus, ad munitiones accedunt; fundis¹⁸ librilibus¹⁹ sudibusque²⁰ quas in opere disposuerant ac glandibus²¹ Gallos proterrent. 5 Prospectu²² tenebris adempto multa utrimque vulnera accipiuntur. Complura tormentis²³ tela coniciuntur. 6 At Marcus Antonius²⁴ et Gaius Trebonius²⁵ legati²⁶, quibus hae partes ad²⁷ defendendum obvenerant, qua²⁸ ex parte nostros premi intellexerant, his²⁹ auxilio ex ulterioribus castellis deductos summittebant.

Chapter 82 - English

 note - in the name of brevity, read this chapter in English

While the Gauls were some distance from the entrenchment they had more advantage from the quantity of their missiles; then, when they came up closer, they were soon caught unawares on the “spurs,” or they sank into the pits and were impaled, or they were shot by artillery pikes⁠ from the rampart and the turrets, and so perished on every side. Many a man was wounded, but the entrenchment was nowhere penetrated; and when daybreak drew nigh, fearing that they might be surrounded on their exposed flank by a sortie from the camps above them,⁠ they retired to their comrades. Meanwhile the inner force brought out the appliances which had been prepared by Vercingetorix for a sortie, and filled in the nearer trenches;⁠ but they lingered too long in the execution of the business, and, or ever they could get near the entrenchments, they learnt that their countrymen had withdrawn. So without success they returned to the town.

uno die intermisso: after the interval of one day (one day later) ↩
hoc spatio: in this area ↩
magno…..effecto: this whole phrase is an ablative absolute. Magno describers numero later on ↩
cratium, scalarum, harpagonum: cratis, -is (f) – wicker shields; scalae, -arum (f) – ladders; harpago, -onis (m) – grappling hook (wild, I know) ↩
egressi: this PPP describes the Galli that we skipped over earlier ↩
ad campestres munitiones: since they’re attacking the fortifications in the plain, we know these are the Gauls outside Alesia ↩
qua significatione: by which signal ↩
de suo adventu: of/about their arrival, meaning the arrival of the Gauls from outside of Alesia ↩
proicere: this a historical infinitive, meaning that it is left in the infinitive, but should be translated as a simple past in context, “they threw.” This is common enough in ancient historians, hence the name “historical infinitive” ↩
fundis, sagittis, lapidibus: take this as ablative of means with proturbare, another historical infinitive ↩
reliquaque …. administrare: Take in this order - parant administrare reliqua (quae ad oppugnationem pertinent). They prepare to carry out (administrare) the remaining things (reliqua) which pertain to the siege. ↩
dat tuba signum: tuba is ablative of means/orientation here, from/with a trumpet, since we see Vercingetorix as our nominative later on ↩
suis: as we’ve seen before, this is short for suis [viris], to his own men ↩
educit: supply some kind of direct object here, such as viros, milites, etc ↩
nostri: like the suis above, our [troops/men] ↩
ut superioribus diebus: as on previous days ↩
ut cuique erat locus attributus: remember that ut + indicative is “as” ↩
fundis librilibus sudibusque…. ac glandibus: all ablative of means going with proterrent ↩
fundis librilibus: either slings [and] one-pound weights, or slings weighing one pound ↩
sudibusque quas in opere disposuerant: stakes, which they had arranged (with)in the siege works ↩
glandibus: bullets, meaning the projectiles thrown from slings ↩
Prospectu tenebris adempto: with sight having been removed by the darkness, ablative absolute ↩
Tormentis: a tormentum is a catapult-like machine used to hurl stones ↩
Marcus Antonius: yes, THAT Mark Antony, right-hand man of Caesar. Antony’s military and political career prospered under Caesar, especially due to the skill Antony showed during the Gallic Wars. Antony is around 30 years old at this time ↩
Gaius Trebonius: Trebonius is a top legate of Caesar and one of his main military advisors. When the Civil War breaks out between Caesar and Pompey, Trebonius turns on Caesar and joins the Conspirators ↩
Legati: a legatus or “legate” is a high-ranking military officer who is directly under the imperator, commander. They lead a legion and also have the power to act as ambassadors to other nations ↩
ad defendendum: ad + FPP = in order to, in order to defend [them] ↩
qua ex parte …. intellexerant: save this for last, jumping to the next phrase first ↩
his auxilio: DOUBLE DATIVE!! They were sending those having been led (deductos) out of the further forts (ex ulterioribus castellis) to them** (his) as help** (auxilio). The **double dative is when you combine a dative of interest (for someone) with a dative of purpose (what something/someone is acting as) ↩