THE STORMING OF A CITY
Pūblius plūrīs diēs in Germāniā morātus in Galliam
rediit, et ad Caesaris castra sē contulit. Ille quia molestē ferēbat Gallōs
eius regiōnis obsidēs dare recūsāvisse et exercituī frūmentum praebēre nōluisse,
cōnstituit eīs bellum īnferre. Agrīs vāstātīs, vīcīs incēnsīs, pervēnit
ad oppidum validissimum quod et nātūrā et arte mūnītum erat. Cingēbātur mūrō
vīgintī quīnque pedēs altō. Ā lateribus duōbus situm, praeruptō fastīgiō ad
plānitiem vergēbat; ā quārtō tantum latere aditus erat facilis. Hoc oppidum oppugnāre,
cum opus esset difficillimum, tamen cōnstituit Caesar. Et castrīs
mūnītīs Pūbliō negōtium dedit ut rēs ad oppugnandum necessāriās parāret.
Rōmānōrum autem oppugnātiō est haec. Prīmum turrēs
aedificantur quibus mīlitēs in summum mūrum ēvādere possint;
vīneae fīunt quibus tēctī mīlitēs ad mūrum succēdant; pluteī
parantur post quōs mīlitēs tormenta administrent; sunt quoque arietēs quī
mūrum et portās discutiant. Hīs omnibus rēbus comparātīs,
deinde agger ab eā parte ubi aditus est facillimus exstruitur et cum vīneīs ad
ipsum oppidum agitur. Tum turris in aggere prōmovētur; arietibus quī sub vīneīs
conlocātī erant mūrus et portae discutiuntur; ballistīs, catapultīs,
reliquīsque tormentīs lapidēs et tēla in oppidum coniciuntur. Postrēmō cum iam
turris et agger altitūdinem mūrī adaequant et arietēs moenia perfrēgērunt,
signō datō mīlitēs inruunt et oppidum expugnant.
(1) review: subjunctive
Translate the following extracts focussing on the
constructions in bold:
[i] Hoc oppidum oppugnāre, cum opus esset
difficillimum, tamen cōnstituit Caesar.
[ii] Pūbliō negōtium dedit ut rēs ad oppugnandum
necessāriās parāret.
[iii] Prīmum turrēs aedificantur quibus mīlitēs in
summum mūrum ēvādere possint;
[iv] vīneae fīunt quibus tēctī mīlitēs ad mūrum succēdant
[v] pluteī parantur post quōs mīlitēs tormenta administrent;
[vi] sunt quoque arietēs quī mūrum et portās discutiant
(2) review: indirect statement
https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/indirect%20statement
Translate the following extract. Remember that the grammatical
term indirect statement may not refer exclusively to what somebody said,
but, here, what somebody thought or felt:
Ille quia molestē ferēbat Gallōs eius regiōnis obsidēs dare recūsāvisse
et exercituī frūmentum praebēre nōluisse, …
(3) review: participial constructions
Translate the following extracts focussing on the constructions
in bold:
[i] Pūblius plūrīs diēs in Germāniā morātus in Galliam
rediit, …
[ii] Agrīs vāstātīs, vīcīs incēnsīs, pervēnit ad
oppidum …
[iii] Et castrīs mūnītīs Pūbliō negōtium dedit
[iv] Hīs omnibus rēbus comparātīs, …
[v] signō datō mīlitēs inruunt …
____________________
Publius, after staying / having stayed for
several days in Germany, returned to Gaul and made his way to Caesar’s camp.
Caesar, because he was displeased that the Gauls of that region had refused
to give hostages and had been unwilling to supply grain to the army,
decided to make war upon them.
After the fields had been laid waste and the
villages burned, he came to a very strongly fortified town, which
was defended both by nature and by workmanship. It was surrounded by a wall
twenty-five feet high. On two sides it was situated on a slope, with a steep
incline falling down to the plain; from the fourth side alone was access easy.
Although it was a most difficult task to
attack this town, Caesar nevertheless decided to undertake it. And, after
the camp had been fortified, he assigned Publius the task of preparing
[lit: so that he might prepare] the things necessary for the attack.
The Roman method of attack, however, is as follows. First,
towers are built by which the soldiers may be able to climb up onto the top
of the wall; mantlets are made by which the soldiers, being covered,
may approach the wall; screens are prepared behind which the
soldiers may operate the engines; there are also battering rams which
may smash the wall and the gates.
When all these things have been prepared, then a
rampart is built from that side where the approach is easiest and is pushed
forward with the mantlets right up to the town. Then a tower is moved forward
on the rampart; by means of the rams, which had been placed under the mantlets,
the wall and gates are battered down; by ballistae, catapults, and the other
engines, stones and missiles are hurled into the town.
Finally, when the tower and ramp now match the height of the wall and the rams have broken through the defences, the signal having been given, the soldiers rush in and capture the town.
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