---
title: "Gallic War — Book III"
author: "Julius Caesar"
translator: "W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn"
languages: [la, en]
shelf: "Classical Latin"
section: 1 of 29
url: https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-iii/1/
cite: "Julius Caesar, tr. W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn, Gallic War — Book III, section 1. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-iii/1/"
---

# Gallic War — Book III

*Julius Caesar, tr. W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn*

## 1. Book III — Chapter 1

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-iii/1/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-iii/1/#p-N

[¶0] When Caesar was setting out for Italy, he sent Servius Galba with the twelfth legion and part of the cavalry, against the Nantuates, the Veragri, and Seduni, who extend from the territories of the Allobroges, and the lake of Geneva, and the River Rhone to the top of the Alps.

> Latin: Cum in Italiam proficisceretur Caesar, Ser. Galbam cum legione XII. et parte equitatus in Nantuates, Veragros Sedunosque misit, qui a finibus Allobrogum et lacu Lemanno et flumine Rhodano ad summas Alpes pertinent.

[¶1] The reason for sending him was, that he desired that the pass along the Alps, through which [the Roman] merchants had been accustomed to travel with great danger, and under great imposts, should be opened.

> Latin: Causa mittendi fuit quod iter per Alpes, quo magno cum periculo magnisque cum portoriis mercatores ire consuerant, patefieri volebat.

[¶2] He permitted him, if he thought it necessary, to station the legion in these places, for the purpose of wintering.

> Latin: Huic permisit, si opus esse arbitraretur, uti in his locis legionem hiemandi causa conlocaret.

[¶3] Galba having fought some successful battles and stormed several of their forts, upon embassadors being sent to him from all parts and hostages given and a peace concluded, determined to station two cohorts among the Nantuates, and to winter in person with the other cohorts of that legion in a village of the Veragri, which is called Octodurus;

> Latin: Galba secundis aliquot proeliis factis castellisque compluribus eorum expugnatis, missis ad eum undique legatis obsidibusque datis et pace facta, constituit cohortes duas in Nantuatibus conlocare et ipse cum reliquis eius legionis cohortibus in vico Veragrorum, qui appellatur Octodurus hiemare;

[¶4] and this village being situated in a valley, with a small plain annexed to it, is bounded on all sides by very high mountains.

> Latin: qui vicus positus in valle non magna adiecta planitie altissimis montibus undique continetur.

[¶5] As this village was divided into two parts by a river, he granted one part of it to the Gauls, and assigned the other, which had been left by them unoccupied, to the cohorts to winter in. He fortified this [latter] part with a rampart and a ditch.

> Latin: Cum hic in duas partes flumine divideretur, alteram partem eius vici Gallis [ad hiemandum] concessit, alteram vacuam ab his relictam cohortibus attribuit. Eum locum vallo fossaque munivit.