Latin for Beginners Part 56

[Footnote 4: >. Much of the baggage was carried in carts and on beasts of burden, as is shown above; but, besides this, each soldier (unless >) carried a heavy pack. See also picture, p. 159.]

[Footnote 5: The newest legions were placed in the rear, because they were the least reliable.]

[Footnote 6: >, --501.45.]

[Footnote 7: >, subject of

>.]

[Footnote 8: >, _stood under arms_.]

[Footnote 9: >. When is > used to introduce a purpose clause? See --350.I.]

[Footnote 10: >, _in such a camp as_.

It is important to remember the correlatives >, _such ... as_.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: CENTURIO]

LXX. THE RIVAL CENTURIONS

Illis in castris erant duo centuriones,[1] fortissimi viri, T. Pullo et L. Vorenus, quorum neuter alteri virtute[2] cedere volebat. Inter eos iam multos annos infensum certamen gerebatur. Tum demum finis controversiae hoc modo[3] factus est. Die tertio postquam Publius pervenit, hostes, maioribus copiis coactis, acerrimum impetum in castra fecerunt. Tum Pullo, [4]c.u.m Romani tardiores[5] viderentur, "Cur dubitas," inquit, "Vorene? Quam commodiorem occasionem exspectas? Hic dies de virtute nostra iudicabit." Haec[6] c.u.m dixisset, extra munitiones processit et in eam hostium partem quae cofertissima [7]videbatur inrupit. Neque Vorenus quidem tum vallo[8] sese continet, sed Pullonem subsequitur. Tum Pullo pilum in hostis immitt.i.t atque unum ex mult.i.tudine procurrentem traicit. Hunc percussum et exanimatum hostes scutis protegunt et in Pullonem omnes tela coniciunt. Eius scutum transfigitur et telum in balteo defigitur. Hic casus v.a.g.i.n.am avert.i.t et dextram manum eius gladium educere conantis[9] moratur. Eum ita impeditum hostes circ.u.msistunt.

Tum vero [10]ei laboranti Vorenus, c.u.m sit inimicus, tamen auxilium dat.

Ad hunc confestim [11]a Pullone omnis mult.i.tudo se convert.i.t. Gladio comminus pugnat Vorenus, atque, uno interfecto, reliquos paulum propellit. Sed instans cupidius[12] infelix, [13]pede se fallente, concidit.

Huic rursus circ.u.mvento auxilium dat Pullo, atque ambo incolumes, pluribus interfectis, summa c.u.m laude intra munitiones se recipiunt. Sic inimicorum alter alteri auxilium dedit nec de eorum virtute quisquam iudicare potuit.

[Footnote 1: A centurion commanded a company of about sixty men. He was a common soldier who had been promoted from the ranks for his courage and fighting qualities. The centurions were the real leaders of the men in battle. There were sixty of them in a legion. The centurion in the picture (p. 216) has in his hand a staff with a crook at one end, the symbol of his authority.]

[Footnote 2: >, --501.30.]

[Footnote 3: Abl. of manner.]

[Footnote 4: >, --501.46.]

[Footnote 5: >, _too slow_, a not infrequent translation of the comparative degree.]

[Footnote 6: >, obj. of >. It is placed before > to make a close connection with the preceding sentence. What is the construction of >?]

[Footnote 7: >. Why is the imperfect used in one case and the perfect in the other? Cf. --190.]

[Footnote 8: >, abl. of means, but in English we should say _within the rampart_. Cf. >, p. 201, l. 13, and note.]

[Footnote 9: >, pres. part. agreeing with >.]

[Footnote 10: >, indir. obj. of dat.]

[Footnote 11:

[Footnote 12: >, _too eagerly_.]

[Footnote 13:

>, lit. _the foot deceiving itself_; in our idiom, _his foot slipping_.]

LXXI. THE ENEMY BESIEGING THE CAMP ARE REPULSED

c.u.m iam s.e.x horas pugnatum esset[1] ac non solum vires sed etiam tela Romanos deficerent[1], atque hostes acrius instarent,[1] et vallum scindere fossamque complere incep.i.s.sent,[1] Caesar, vir rei militaris peritissimus, suis imperavit ut proelium paulisper intermitterent,[2]

et, signo dato, ex castris erumperent.[2] [3]Quod iussi sunt faciunt, et subito ex omnibus portis erumpunt. Atque tam celeriter milites concurrerunt et tam propinqui erant hostes[4] ut spatium pila coniciendi[5] non daretur. Itaque reiectis pilis [6]comminus gladiis pugnatum est. Diu et audacter hostes rest.i.terunt et in extrema spe salutis tantam virtutem praest.i.terunt ut a dextro cornu vehementer [7]mult.i.tudine suorum aciem Romanam premerent. [8]Id imperator c.u.m animadvertisset, Publium adulescentem c.u.m equitatu misit qui laborantibus[9] auxilium daret. Eius impetum sustinere non potuerunt hostes[10] et omnes terga verterunt. Eos in fugam datos Publius subsecutus est usque ad flumen Rhenum, quod ab eo loco quinque milia pa.s.suum aberat. Ibi pauci salutem sibi reppererunt. Omnibus reliquis interfectis, Publius et equites in castra sese receperunt. De hac calamitate finitimae gentes c.u.m certiores factae essent, ad Caesarem legatos miserunt et se suaque omnia dediderunt.

[Footnote 1:

>.

These are all subjunctives with >. Cf. --501.46.]

[Footnote 2: >. What use of the subjunctive?]

[Footnote 3: >, etc., _they do as ordered_. The antecedent of > is > understood, which would be the object of >.]

[Footnote 4: >. Is this a clause of purpose or of result?]

[Footnote 5: >, --402.]

[Footnote 6: >, _a hand-to-hand conflict was waged with swords_.]

[Footnote 7: >, _by their numbers_. > is used as a noun. What is the literal translation of this expression?]

[Footnote 8: > is the obj. and > the subj. of

[Footnote 9: >. This participle agrees with > understood, the indir. obj. of > is a purpose clause, --501.40.]

[Footnote 10: >, subj. of

>.]

LXXII. PUBLIUS GOES TO GERMANY ITS GREAT FORESTS AND STRANGE ANIMALS

Inita aestate Caesar litteris certior fiebat et per exploratores cognoscebat pluris civitates Galliae novis rebus studere,[1] et contra populum Romanum coniurare[1] obsidesque [2]inter se dare,[1] atque c.u.m his Germanos quosdam quoque sese coniuncturos esse.[1] His litteris nuntiisque commotus Caesar const.i.tuit quam celerrime in Gallos proficisci,[3] ut eos inopinantis opprimeret, et Labienum legatum c.u.m duabus legionibus peditum et duobus milibus equitum in Germanos mittere.[3] [4]Itaque re frumentaria comparata castra movit. Ab utroque[5] res bene gesta est; nam Caesar tam celeriter in hostium finis pervenit ut spatium [6]copias cogendi non daretur[4]; et Labienus de Germanis tam grave supplicium sumpsit ut nemo ex ea gente in reliquum tempus Gallis auxilium dare auderet.[7]

Hoc iter in Germaniam Publius quoque fecit et, [8]c.u.m ibi moraretur, multa mirabilia vidit. Praesertim vero ingentem silvam mirabatur, quae tantae magnitudinis esse dicebatur [9]ut nemo eam transire posset, nec quisquam sciret aut initium aut finem. Qua de re plura cognoverat a milite quodam qui olim captus a Germanis multos annos ibi incoluit.

Ille[10] de silva dicens, "Infinitae magnitudinis est haec silva,"

inquit; "nee quisquam est [11]huius Germaniae [12]qui initium eius sciat aut ad finem adierit. Nasc.u.n.tur illic multa talia animalium genera qualia reliquis in locis non inveniuntur. Sunt boves qui unum[13] cornu habent; sunt etiam animalia quae appellantur alces. Hae nullos crurum[14] articulos habent. Itaque, si forte conciderunt, sese erigere nullo modo possunt. Arbores habent pro[15] cubilibus; ad eas se applicant atque ita reclinatae quietem capiunt. Tertium est genus eorum qui uri appellantur. Hi sunt paulo minores elephantis.[16] Magna vis eorum est et magna velocitas. Neque homini neque ferae parc.u.n.t.[17]"

[Footnote 1: Observe that all these infinitives are in indirect statements after >, _he was informed_, and >, _he learned_. Cf. --501.48, 49.]

[Footnote 2: >, _to each other_.]

[Footnote 3:

>. These infinitives depend upon >.]

[Footnote 4: Before beginning a campaign, food had to be provided.

Every fifteen days grain was distributed. Each soldier received about two pecks. This he carried in his pack, and this const.i.tuted his food, varied occasionally by what he could find by foraging.]

[Footnote 5: Abl. of personal agent, --501.33.]