Ab hīs castrīs oppidum Rēmōrum Bibrax aberat octō mīlia passuum. Id ex itinere magnō impetū Belgae oppugnāre coepērunt. Gallōrum eadem atque Belgārum oppugnātiō est haec: circumiēctā multitūdine hominum tōtīs moenibus undique in mūrum lapidēs iaciēbantur, et mūrus dēfēnsōribus nūdābātur; testūdine factā portās succēdunt mūrumque subruunt. Quod tum facile fīēbat. Iccius igitur, quī tum oppidō praefuerat, ad Caesarem nuntium mīsit, quī auxilium peteret.
[1] connecting
relative
Quod tum facile fīēbat | (and) this was
easily done at that time; quod refers back to the content of the
previous sentence and not to a specific noun
24.12.26: Level 3+
(review); Dooge LXXV [2] connecting relative
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2026/06/241226-level-3-review-dooge-lxxv-2.html
[2] ablative of
separation
mūrus dēfēnsōribus
nūdābātur | the wall was stripped of its defenders
17.06.25: Level
3; summary of the uses of the ablative
case [15]: the ablative of separation
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/170625-level-3-summary-of-of-uses-of.html
[3] verbs with
the dative case
quī tum oppidō
praefuerat | who had been in command of the town at that time
13.04.25: Level 3;
Verbs with the dative case [1]: compound verbs
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/130425-level-3-verbs-with-dative-case-1.html
[4] Translate the full phrases and identify the constructions in bold.
[a]
circumiēctā
multitūdine hominum tōtīs
moenibus
testūdine factā portās succēdunt
[b]
ad Caesarem
nuntium mīsit, quī auxilium peteret
[5] What is a testūdō?
____________________
[4]
[a]
Once
a large number of men had been placed around all the fortifications …; ablative absolute
After
a testudo formation has been made, they advance towards the gates; ablative absolute
[b]
(he) sent a messenger to Caesar to seek help; subjunctive of purpose
[5]
Roman military tactic involving a formation of soldiers using shields to form a
tortoise-shell-like protection against enemy weapons
Bibrax,
a town of the Remi, was eight miles away from this camp. The Belgae began to
storm it directly from their march with a powerful assault. The method of
attack used by both the Gauls and the Belgae is the same, as follows: once a
large number of men had been placed around all the fortifications, stones were
being hurled onto the wall from all sides, and the wall was being stripped of
defenders; then, once a testudo formation has been formed, they advance toward
the gates and undermine the wall. And this was easily done at that time.
Therefore Iccius, who had been in command of the town at that time, sent a
messenger to Caesar to seek help.