In 58 B.C. Julius Caesar became governor of northern Italy and the vast country extending from the Alps to the North Sea, and spent the next nine years in disciplining various tribes of that great territory.
Caesar, cum[1] in Galliā bellum gerēbat, tōtam aestātem[2] hostēs premere solitus est, tum, ut vīrēs[3] mīlitum cōnservāret, exercitum in hīberna dēdūcēbat[4]: nam caelum[5] eārum regiōnum hieme asperrimum[6] est; quārē ille[7] iūdicābat aestāte sibi cum hostibus esse dīmicandum, reliquōs autem annī mēnsēs in hībernīs mīlitēs retinendōs esse. Ōlim[8], cum trānsīsset in Britanniam multōsque diēs cum incolīs eius īnsulae bellum gessisset, aestāte exāctā[9] ad continentem rediit. Ibi certior factus est propter siccitātem[10] in Galliā summam esse frūmentī inopiam. Itaque exercitum in partēs complūrēs dīvisum[11] in dīversīs cīvitātibus hiemandī causā collocāvit[12].
- ↑ cum: at the time when.
- ↑ aestātem: f, not aetātem. The acc. may be rendered “throughout.”.
- ↑ vīrēs: f, do not confuse vīs and vir.
- ↑ dēdūcēbat: note the tense.
- ↑ caelum: n, climate.
- ↑ asperrimum: i.e. as compared with that of Italy.
- ↑ ille: omit in translating.
- ↑ Ōlim: freely, one year.
- ↑ aestāte exāctā: freely, at the very end of the season; cf. vigiliā . . . exāctā, p. 102, l. 8.
- ↑ siccitātem: siccitās, -ātis: f, drought.
- ↑ dīvisum: freely, after dividing, etc.; lit. what?.
- ↑ in dīversīs cīvitātibus . . . collocāvit: quartered upon, dīversīs cīvitātibus: the tribes of.
