---
title: "Gallic War — Book VII"
author: "Julius Caesar"
translator: "W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn"
languages: [la, en]
shelf: "Classical Latin"
section: 71 of 90
url: https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-vii/71/
cite: "Julius Caesar, tr. W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn, Gallic War — Book VII, section 71. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-vii/71/"
---

# Gallic War — Book VII

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

## 71. Book VII — Chapter 71

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-vii/71/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-vii/71/#p-N

[¶0] Vercingetorix adopts the design of sending away all his cavalry by night, before the fortifications should be completed by the Romans.

> Latin: Vercingetorix, priusquam munitiones ab Romanis perficiantur, consilium capit omnem ab se equitatum noctu dimittere.

[¶1] He charges them when departing "that each of them should go to his respective state, and press for the war all who were old enough to bear arms;

> Latin: Discedentibus mandat ut suam quisque eorum civitatem adeat omnesque qui per aetatem arma ferre possint ad bellum cogant.

[¶2] he states his own merits, and conjures them to consider his safety, and not surrender him who had deserved so well of the general freedom, to the enemy for torture; he points out to them that, if they should be remiss, eighty thousand chosen men would perish with him;

> Latin: Sua in illos merita proponit obtestaturque ut suae salutis rationem habeant neu se optime de communi libertate meritum in cruciatum hostibus dedant. Quod si indiligentiores fuerint, milia hominum delecta octoginta una secum interitura demonstrat.

[¶3] that upon making a calculation, he had barely corn for thirty days, but could hold out a little longer by economy." After giving these instructions he silently dismisses the cavalry in the second watch, [on that side] where our works were not completed;

> Latin: Ratione inita se exigue dierum triginta habere frumentum, sed paulo etiam longius tolerari posse parcendo. His datis mandatis, qua opus erat intermissum, secunda vigilia silentio equitatum mittit.

[¶4] he orders all the corn to be brought to himself; he ordains capital punishment to such as should not obey;

> Latin: Frumentum omne ad se referri iubet; capitis poenam eis qui non paruerint constituit:

[¶5] he distributes among them, man by man, the cattle, great quantities of which had been driven there by the Mandubii; he began to measure out the corn sparingly, and by little and little;

> Latin: pecus, cuius magna erat copia ab Mandubiis compulsa, viritim distribuit; frumentum parce et paulatim metiri instituit;

[¶6] he receives into the town all the forces which he had posted in front of it.

> Latin: copias omnes quas pro oppido collocaverat in oppidum recepit.

[¶7] In this manner he prepares to await the succors from Gaul, and carry on the war.

> Latin: His rationibus auxilia Galliae exspectare et bellum parat administrare.