Caesar Inferences and Extensions

The Gallic War Julius Caesar, Gerunds, Gerundives, Cum

clauses, purpose cluases

I can:◦ Read a passage in unadapted Latin and

understand the meaning◦ Cite text evidence to support my understanding◦ Make cultural inferences and comparisons based

on my translation of the Latin◦ Analyze the style used by Julius Caesar to impact

his audience

Objectives

I can:◦ Recognize a subjunctive purpose clause and

translate appropriately in context◦ Recognize a gerund or gerundive in context and

translate appropriately◦ Recognize and appropriately translate the four

types of cum clauses using the correct definition of the word cum

Grammar Objectives

I can:◦ Recognize and form subjunctives verbs in all four

tenses◦ Choose the correct tense of subjunctive to show

when the subordinate verb happens in relation to the main verb

◦ Translate the subordinate subjunctive verb to show the correct time relative to the main verb

Grammar Objectives

Passage One: Introduction to the Gallic War

Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur.

Hi omnes lingua, institutis, legibus inter se differunt. Gallos ab Aquitanis Garumna flumen, a Belgis Matrona et Sequana dividit.

Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae, propterea quod a cultu atque humanitate provinciae longissime absunt, minimeque ad eos mercatores saepe commeant atque ea quae ad effeminandos animos pertinent important, proximique sunt Germanis, qui trans Rhenum incolunt, quibuscum continenter bellum gerunt.

Qua de causa Helvetii quoque reliquos Gallos virtute praecedunt, quod fere cotidianis proeliis cum Germanis contendunt, cum aut suis finibus eos prohibent aut ipsi in eorum finibus bellum gerunt.

Eorum una, pars, quam Gallos obtinere dictum est, initium capit a flumine Rhodano, continetur Garumna flumine, Oceano, finibus Belgarum, attingit etiam ab Sequanis et Helvetiis flumen Rhenum, vergit ad septentriones.

Belgae ab extremis Galliae finibus oriuntur, pertinent ad inferiorem partem fluminis Rheni, spectant in septentrionem et orientem solem.

Aquitania a Garumna flumine ad Pyrenaeos montes et eam partem Oceani quae est ad Hispaniam pertinet; spectat inter occasum solis et septentriones.

1. Why would Caesar begin his commentaries with a geographical and ethnological explanation of the condition of Gaul?

2. What does the reader learn about Gaul from this introduction?

3. How might this introduction influence how Caesar and his mission are perceived by the reader? Explain your answer.

4. Identify any rhetorical techniques Caesar employed and their probable intended effect.

Extensions and Inferences

PassageTwo: Orgetorix

Apud Helvetios longe nobilissimus fuit et ditissimus Orgetorix. Is M. Messala, [et P.] M. Pisone consulibus regni cupiditate inductus coniurationem nobilitatis fecit et civitati persuasit ut de finibus suis cum omnibus copiis exirent: perfacile esse, cum virtute omnibus praestarent, totius Galliae imperio potiri.

Id hoc facilius iis persuasit, quod undique loci natura Helvetii continentur: una ex parte flumine Rheno latissimo atque altissimo, qui agrum Helvetium a Germanis dividit; altera ex parte monte Iura altissimo, qui est inter Sequanos et Helvetios; tertia lacu Lemanno et flumine Rhodano, qui provinciam nostram ab Helvetiis dividit.

His rebus fiebat ut et minus late vagarentur et minus facile finitimis bellum inferre possent; qua ex parte homines bellandi cupidi magno dolore adficiebantur.

Pro multitudine autem hominum et pro gloria belli atque fortitudinis angustos se fines habere arbitrabantur, qui in longitudinem milia passuum CCXL, in latitudinem CLXXX patebant.

1. Describe the portrait of Orgetorix which Caesar provides.

2. Why would he describe the leader of the Helvetii in these terms?

3. How would his description influence the reader’s perception of Caesar’s mission?

4. Why does Caesar include the geographical description?

Extension and Inferences

5. What is the overall impression he leaves for the reader regarding the character of the Helvetians?

6. How would a Roman reader interpret the last sentence? Why?

7. How would the last sentence possibly bias the reader’s interpretation?

8. Identify any rhetorical techniques Caesar employed and their probable intended effects.

Passage Three: A Tale of Two Rivals

Pullo and Vorenus

Erant in ea legione fortissimi viri, centuriones, qui primis ordinibus appropinquarent, Titus Pullo et Lucius Vorenus.

Hi perpetuas inter se controversias habebant, quinam anteferretur, omnibusque annis de locis summis simultatibus contendebant

Ex his Pullo, cum acerrime ad munitiones pugnaretur, "Quid dubitas," inquit, " Vorene? aut quem locum tuae probandae virtutis exspectas ?

hic dies de nostris controversiis iudicabit."

Haec cum dixisset, procedit extra munitiones quaque pars hostium confertissima est visa irrumpit.

Ne Vorenus quidem tum sese vallo continet, sed omnium veritus existimationem subsequitur.

. Mediocri spatio relicto Pullo pilum in hostes immittit atque unum ex multitudine procurrentem traicit; quo percusso et exanimato hunc scutis protegunt, in hostem tela universi coniciunt neque dant regrediendi facultatem.

Transfigitur scutum Pulloni et verutum in balteo defigitur.

Avertit hic casus vaginam et gladium educere conanti dextram moratur manum, impeditumque hostes circumsistunt.

Succurrit inimicus illi Vorenus et laboranti subvenit

Ad hunc se confestim a Pullone omnis multitudo convertit: illum veruto arbitrantur occisum.

Gladio comminus rem gerit Vorenus atque uno interfecto reliquos paulum propellit; dum cupidius instat, in locum deiectus inferiorem concidit.

Huic rursus circumvento fert subsidium Pullo, atque ambo incolumes compluribus interfectis summa cum laude sese intra munitiones recipiunt.

Sic fortuna in contentione et certamine utrumque versavit, ut alter alteri inimicus auxilio salutique esset, neque diiudicari posset, uter utri virtute anteferendus videretur.

1. In this story, Caesar says the two men are competing for “primis ordinibus”. What does this tell you about both men?

2. Centurions were the backbone of the Roman army and were responsible for discipline and training to a large extent. Explain how Pullo’s action might have been interpretted by his troops, by the Roman reader, and by Caesar.

Extensions and Inferences: A Tale of Two Rivals

3. Which of the two centurions is most ambitious? Defend your position.

4. Both centurions quickly find themselves in mortal peril. What led to these situtations?

5. How do both centurions escape from deadly danger? What can you infer about the Roman army in general from this interaction? About these two men specifically?

6. Do you think that day’s combat changed the relationship between those two men? Explain your opinion.

7. Often in interviews with soldiers returning from war, the emphasis they put on fighting for the soldiers around them is compelling. (Military commanders have long grasped that soldiers bond in a way unlike any other and exploit this relationship to convince soldiers to take actions civilians would find illogical) How do Pullo and Vorenus illustrate this concept? What does this say about soldiers today?

8. The Gallic Commentaries are about Caesar and his war in Gaul. Never once is he mentioned in this vignette. Why would he include this story? What does this story say about Caesar?

9. Identify any rhetorical techniques Caesar employed and their probable intended effect.

Research the position of primus pilus in the Roman army. Write a short essay evaluating Pullo and Vorenus for this position based on their story.

Research Writing

Passage Four: The Battle with the Nervii

…His rebus cum iter agminis nostri impediretur, non omittendum sibi consilium Nervii existimaverunt.

Loci natura erat haec, quem locum nostri castris delegerant

Collis ab summo aequaliter declivis ad flumen Sabim, quod supra nominavimus, vergebat.

Ab eo flumine pari acclivitate collis nascebatur adversus huic et contrarius, passus circiter CC infimus apertus, ab superiore parte silvestris, ut non facile introrsus perspici posset

Intra eas silvas hostes in occulto sese continebant; in aperto loco secundum flumen paucae stationes equitum videbantur.

Fluminis erat altitudo pedum circiter trium. Caesar equitatu praemisso subsequebatur

omnibus copiis; sed ratio ordoque agminis aliter se habebat ac Belgae ad Nervios detulerant

Nam quod hostibus adpropinquabat, consuetudine sua Caesar VI legiones expeditas ducebat; post eas totius exercitus impedimenta conlocarat; inde duae legiones quae proxime conscriptae erant totum agmen claudebant praesidioque impedimentis erant.

Equites nostri cum funditoribus sagittariisque flumen transgressi cum hostium equitatu proelium commiserunt.

Cum se illi identidem in silvis ad suos reciperent ac rursus ex silva in nostros impetum facerent, neque nostri longius quam quem ad finem porrecta [ac] loca aperta pertinebant cedentes insequi auderent, interim legiones VI quae primae venerant, opere dimenso, castra munire coeperunt.

Ubi prima impedimenta nostri exercitus ab iis qui in silvis abditi latebant visa sunt, quod tempus inter eos committendi proelii convenerat, ut intra silvas aciem ordinesque constituerant atque ipsi sese confirmaverant, subito omnibus copiis provolaverunt impetumque in nostros equites fecerunt.

His facile pulsis ac proturbatis, incredibili celeritate ad flumen decucurrerunt, ut paene uno tempore et ad silvas et in flumine [et iam in manibus nostris] hostes viderentur.

Eadem autem celeritate adverso colle ad nostra castra atque eos qui in opere occupati erant contenderunt.

Caesari omnia uno tempore erant agenda: vexillum proponendum, quod erat insigne, cum ad arma concurri oporteret; signum tuba dandum; ab opere revocandi milites; qui paulo longius aggeris petendi causa processerant arcessendi; acies instruenda; milites cohortandi; signum dandum.

Quarum rerum magnam partem temporis brevitas et incursus hostium impediebat.

His difficultatibus duae res erant subsidio, scientia atque usus militum, quod superioribus proeliis exercitati quid fieri oporteret non minus commode ipsi sibi praescribere quam ab aliis doceri poterant, et quod ab opere singulisque legionibus singulos legatos Caesar discedere nisi munitis castris vetuerat

. Hi propter propinquitatem et celeritatem hostium nihil iam Caesaris imperium expectabant, sed per se quae videbantur administrabant.

Caesar, necessariis rebus imperatis, ad cohortandos milites, quam [in] partem fors obtulit, decucurrit et ad legionem decimam devenit.

Milites non longiore oratione cohortatus quam uti suae pristinae virtutis memoriam retinerent neu perturbarentur animo hostiumque impetum fortiter sustinerent, quod non longius hostes aberant quam quo telum adigi posset, proelii committendi signum dedit.

Atque in alteram item cohortandi causa profectus pugnantibus occurrit.

Temporis tanta fuit exiguitas hostiumque tam paratus ad dimicandum animus ut non modo ad insignia accommodanda sed etiam ad galeas induendas scutisque tegimenta detrahenda tempus defuerit.

Quam quisque ab opere in partem casu devenit quaeque prima signa conspexit, ad haec constitit, ne in quaerendis suis pugnandi tempus dimitteret.

This passage is very indicative of the style of most of the Gallic Commentaries.

1. How does Cesar explain the role of the terrain in his fight? Why would be go into the detailed description of the scene?

2. Notice that Caesar talks about himself in the third person. This is not a sign of arrogance but was more of a convention of writing at the time. By using his name instead of saying “I”, how does he manipulate his audience?

Inferences and Extensions for Caesar Four The Battle Against Nervii

3. Why does he include references to the Belgae when the battle is against the Nervi?

4. How does Caesar handle the issue of logistics/baggage? What do we learn about his skills as a leader? Why does he use the new recruits to guard the baggage?

5. Give examples that show how well his troops are trained in what they must do prior to becoming fully engaged in battle. How would a Roman reader react to these details?

6. Once his troops are attacked, Caesar describes the enemy in a way that shows some success on their part. Why would he include these details in his story?

7. The very long sentence that begins Caesari omnia actually reflects the battle conditions. Why is the sentence so long? What do you notice about the length of the individual clauses? What grammatical structure does he use repeatedly? Why?

8. Explain the purpose of each of the things he must do. What is he trying to convey to the reader with this sentence?

9. He then sets up a contrast of two things that hindered him and two things that helped him. He shares the credit with his soldiers while also taking the credit for their success. Explain how he does this.

10. How do the men show their preparedness? How does this reflect on Caesar?

11. Comment on Caesar’s own behavior during the battle.

12. What does Caesar say to encourage his troops? Why would it have been effective with his troops? With his audience/

13. What leadership style does Caesar show in this passage? How would it be interpretted by his soldiers? By his audience? By the senate opposition?

14. What details does he include to show how hectic the battle becomes? How do the men adapt to this level of activity? What does their adaption show about Caesar? How would modern soldiers have to adapt?

15. Compare the battle conditions of Caesar’s conflict with the Nervi to a 21st century battle. What problems are consistent across history? What problems are unique to then versus now?

16. Time in battle is a relative concept. Based on Caesar’s writing, does it become slower or faster in the perception of the soldier? Of the general?