1
Caesar, Caesaris m.
Caesar
Hour 3 — Briefing第 3 课 —— 简报
From Hour 2 to Hour 3从第 2 课到第 3 课
In Hour 2 you watched Caesar break the Helvetian phalanx at Bibracte with the bent在第 2 课中，你看到凯撒在比布拉克特用弯曲的标枪冲破了赫尔维提人的方阵 pīla. The Helvetii surrendered. The surviving migrants were ordered home, and Caesar pivoted east: a new and more dangerous opponent had emerged in the form of Ariovistus, king of the Suebi and the dominant German warlord west of the Rhine. Diplomatic negotiations failed (DBG 1.34–46). Caesar marched against him and forced a battle on the plain of Ochsenfeld near modern Mulhouse, in late September of 58 BCE.
Hour 3: Battle of Vosges (Ochsenfeld) — Source: DBG 1.52–53第 3 课：孚日战役（奥克森费尔德）—— 出处：DBG 1.52–53
"Caesar appointed over each legion a lieutenant and a quaestor, that every one might have them as witnesses of his valor. He himself began the battle at the head of the right wing, because he had observed that part of the enemy to be the least strong. Accordingly our men, upon the signal being given, vigorously made an attack upon the enemy, and the enemy so suddenly and rapidly rushed forward that there was no time for casting the javelins at them. Throwing aside their javelins, they fought with swords hand to hand. But the Germans, according to their custom, rapidly forming a phalanx, sustained the attack of our swords. There were found very many of our soldiers who leaped upon the phalanx, and with their hands tore away the shields, and wounded the enemy from above. Although the army of the enemy was routed on the left wing and put to flight, they still pressed heavily on our men from the right wing, by the great number of their troops. On observing which, P. Crassus, a young man, who commanded the cavalry — as he was more disengaged than those who were employed in the fight — sent the third line as a relief to our men who were in distress. Thereupon the engagement was renewed, and all the enemy turned their backs, nor did they cease to flee until they arrived at the river Rhine, about fifty miles from that place."
Connection to Wheelock.与 Wheelock 教材的衔接。 This hour pairs with本课配合 Wheelock Chapter 3
— Second Declension Masculines and Adjectives; Apposition. The 2nd declension
is the family of nouns whose nominative singular ends in -us or -er
(masculine) or in -um (neuter), and whose stem appears in the genitive
singular ending -ī.
Today's task. With the translation and vocabulary provided, identify all the 2nd-declension nouns AND all the verbs in the given passage. Answer the questions about the text. The ★ marker (rule #9) now fires for both 1st-declension nouns (from Hour 2) and 2nd-declension nouns (new this hour).
Source-document note.关于源文件的说明。 The course-structure document
(0 Caesar's Latin Course Structure and Task 1-2.docx) details only
Hours 1 and 2. This hour's specific passage chunking, vocabulary list, narrative
questions, and translation prompts have been constructed by following the same
paradigm — Latin text drawn from the canonical Perseus edition (Holmes 1914),
English from W. A. McDevitte & W. S. Bohn (1869), grammar mapping from
Wheelock Ch. 3. Subject to instructor revision.
Grammar Target — 2nd Declension Nouns语法目标 —— 第二变格名词
Two flavors: masculine and neuter两种类型：阳性与中性
The 2nd declension comes in two flavors:第二变格分两种类型：
- Masculine in -us (or -er, -ir): amīcus, -ī "friend"; puer, puerī "boy"; vir, virī "man"; gladius, -ī "sword"; Germānus, -ī "a German"; legātus, -ī "legate".
- Neuter in -um: proelium, -ī "battle"; scūtum, -ī "shield"; pīlum, -ī "javelin"; signum, -ī "signal"; tergum, -ī "back"; subsidium, -ī "reinforcement".
2nd declension endings — masculine: amīcus, -ī
| Case | Singular | Plural | Function功能 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | amīcus | amīcī | subject |
| Genitive | amīcī | amīcōrum | "of X"; possession“X 的”；表所属 |
| Dative | amīcō | amīcīs | "to/for X"; indirect object“给／为 X”；间接宾语 |
| Accusative | amīcum | amīcōs | direct object |
| Ablative | amīcō | amīcīs | "with/by/from X"“用／凭／从 X” |
| Vocative呼格 | amīce | amīcī | direct address直接称呼 |
2nd declension endings — neuter: scūtum, -ī
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | scūtum | scūta |
| Genitive | scūtī | scūtōrum |
| Dative | scūtō | scūtīs |
| Accusative | scūtum | scūta |
| Ablative | scūtō | scūtīs |
Neuter rule of thumb.中性名词的经验法则。 In every Latin neuter noun (across all
five declensions), the nominative and accusative forms are always identical始终相同,
and the plural always ends in
-a. So scūta can be nominative
plural (subject) or accusative plural (direct object) — context decides which.
2nd-declension nouns in this hour's passage本课段落中的第二变格名词
About fourteen 2nd-declension noun forms appear in the 16 sentences of the Vosges passage. The clearest examples:
- legātōs (s. 1) — acc. pl. of legātus, -ī m.
- proelium (ss. 3, 16) — acc. sg. / nom. sg. of proelium, -ī n.
- signō (s. 5) — abl. sg. of signum, -ī n.
- spatium (s. 7) — nom. sg. of spatium, -ī n.
- pīla, pīlīs (ss. 7, 8) — nom./acc. pl. and abl. pl. of pīlum, -ī n.
- gladiīs, gladiōrum (ss. 8, 9) — abl. pl. and gen. pl. of gladius, -ī m.
- Germānī (s. 9) — nom. pl. of Germānus, -ī m.
- scūta (s. 11) — acc. pl. of scūtum, -ī n.
- Crassus (s. 14) — nom. sg. m. proper name in -us.
- subsidiō (s. 15) — dat. sg. of subsidium, -ī n. (predicate dative).
- terga (s. 16) — acc. pl. of tergum, -ī n.
Hour 3 — Passage:第 3 课 —— 段落： De Bello Gallico 1.52–53 (excerpt)
Scaffolding:脚手架：
Tags:标签：
1 Caesar singulīs legiōnibus singulōs legātōs et quaestōrem praefēcit.
2 Utī eōs testēs suae quisque virtūtis habēret.
3 Ipse ā dextrō cornū proelium commīsit.
4 Eam partem minimē firmam hostium esse animadverterat.
5 Nostrī signō datō ācriter impetum fēcērunt.
6 Hostēs repente celeriterque prōcurrērunt.
7 Spatium pīla in hostēs coniciendī nōn dabātur.
8 Relictīs pīlīs comminus gladiīs pugnātum est.
9 Germānī ex cōnsuētūdine suā phalange factā impetūs gladiōrum excēpērunt.
10 Repertī sunt complūrēs nostrī.
11 Quī in phalanga īnsilīrent et scūta manibus revellerent.
12 Hostium aciēs ā sinistrō cornū in fugam coniecta est.
13 Ā dextrō cornū multitūdine suōrum nostram aciem premēbant.
14 P. Crassus adulēscēns equitātuī praeerat.
15 Tertiam aciem labōrantibus nostrīs subsidiō mīsit.
16 Ita proelium restitūtum est, atque omnēs hostēs terga vertērunt.
Latin text from PerseusDL拉丁文本取自 PerseusDL canonical-latinLit (Holmes 1914 ed., file
phi0448.phi001.perseus-lat2.xml), chunked for student readability.
English translation adapted from McDevitte & Bohn (1869).
Hour 3 — Vocabulary第 3 课 —— 词汇
2nd-declension nouns are flagged第二变格名词已标出 2nd DECL. Carry-over 1st-declension forms are noted where they appear.
2
singulus, -a, -um
individual, one each, single个别的、各一的、单个的
3
legiō, legiōnis f.
legion
4
legātus, -ī m.2nd DECL
legate, deputy commander副将、副指挥官
5
et conj.
and
6
quaestor, quaestōris m.
quaestor (Roman financial officer)财务官（罗马财务官员）
7
praeficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectum + dat.
to put in charge of使负责、令其掌管
8
utī = ut conj.
so that, in order that (+ subjunctive)以便、为了（+ 虚拟式）
9
is, ea, id
he, she, it; that (demonstrative)他、她、它；那个（指示词）
10
testis, testis m.
witness
11
suus, -a, -um
his/her/its/their own (reflexive)他／她／它／他们自己的（反身）
12
quisque, quaeque, quidque
each (one)每一个
13
virtūs, virtūtis f.
virtue, valor, courage美德、英勇、勇气
14
habeō, habēre, habuī, habitum
to have, hold拥有、持有
15
ipse, ipsa, ipsum
himself, herself, itself他自己、她自己、它自己
16
ā / ab + abl.
from, away from; (with persons) by从、离开；（接人时）由…
17
dexter, dextra, dextrum
right (side); right-handed右（侧）；右手的
18
cornū, cornūs n. (4th)中性（第四变格）
horn; wing of an army角；军队的翼
19
proelium, -ī n.2nd DECL
battle
20
committō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missum
to join, begin; (proelium committere) to join battle
21
pars, partis f.
part, side部分、一侧
22
minimē adv.
least, very little最少、极少
23
firmus, -a, -um
strong, firm强壮的、坚固的
24
hostis, hostis m./f.
enemy (often pl., a hostile people)敌人（常作复数，指敌对的民族）
25
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus
to be
26
animadvertō, -vertere, -vertī, -versum
to notice, observe; turn the mind toward注意到、观察；把注意力转向
27
noster, -tra, -trum
our; (nostrī as substantive) our men
28
signum, -ī n.2nd DECL
sign, signal; standard, banner记号、信号；军旗、旗帜
29
dō, dare, dedī, datum
to give; (signō datō) "the signal having been given"
30
ācriter adv.
fiercely, sharply, vigorously猛烈地、锐利地、有力地
31
impetus, -ūs m. (4th)
attack, charge, assault攻击、冲锋、突击
32
faciō, facere, fēcī, factum
to do, make做、造
33
repente adv.
suddenly
34
celeriter adv.
swiftly, quickly迅速地、快速地
35
-que enclitic后附小词
and (attached to the following word)和（附在后一个词上）
36
prōcurrō, -currere, -cucurrī, -cursum
to run forward, rush forward向前跑、冲向前
37
spatium, -ī n.2nd DECL
space, distance, room, interval of time空间、距离、余地；一段时间
38
pīlum, -ī n.2nd DECL
javelin (heavy Roman throwing spear)标枪（罗马重型投掷矛）
39
in + acc.+ 宾格
into, against进入、对着
40
coniciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectum
to throw, hurl together投掷、一齐掷出
41
nōn adv.
not
42
relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictum
to leave, leave behind留下、抛下
43
comminus adv.
at close quarters, hand-to-hand近身、肉搏
44
gladius, -ī m.2nd DECL
sword
45
pugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum
to fight战斗
46
Germānus, -ī m.2nd DECL
a German (a tribesman from beyond the Rhine)一个日耳曼人（来自莱茵河彼岸的部落民）
47
ex / ē + abl.
out of, from出自、从
48
cōnsuētūdō, -dinis f.
custom, habit, established practice习惯、惯例、惯常做法
49
phalanx, phalangis f.
phalanx (dense interlocked formation)方阵（密集互锁的队形）
50
excipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptum
to receive, withstand, take up接住、抵挡、承接
51
reperiō, -īre, repperī, repertum
to find, discover; (repertī sunt) "there were found"
52
complūrēs, complūra
several, very many好几个、很多
53
quī, quae, quod
who, which (relative pronoun)谁、哪个（关系代词）
54
īnsiliō, -īre, -uī
to leap onto, jump upon跃上、跳到…上
55
scūtum, -ī n.2nd DECL
shield
56
manus, -ūs f. (4th)阴性（第四变格）
hand; band of men手；一队人
57
revellō, -vellere, -vellī, -vulsum
to tear away, pluck out, wrench off扯掉、拔出、撕下
58
aciēs, -ēī f. (5th)阴性（第五变格）
battle line, edge, sharpness战线、边缘、锋利
59
sinister, -tra, -trum
left (side); ill-omened, unlucky左（侧）；不祥的、不吉的
60
pellō, pellere, pepulī, pulsum
to drive, push, rout驱赶、推、击溃
61
fuga, -ae f. (1st)阴性（第一变格）
flight, escape (carry-over from Hour 2)逃跑、逃脱（自第 2 课沿用）
62
multitūdō, -dinis f.
great number, multitude大量、众多
63
premō, premere, pressī, pressum
to press, push, oppress压、推、压迫
64
P. Crassus proper m. (2nd)阳性专名（第二变格）2nd DECL
Publius Licinius Crassus (son of the triumvir; later commanded in Aquitania)普布利乌斯·李锡尼·克拉苏（三头同盟一员的儿子；后来在阿基塔尼亚领兵）
65
adulēscēns, adulēscentis m.
young man年轻人
66
equitātus, -ūs m. (4th)
cavalry
67
praesum, -esse, -fuī + dat.
to be in charge of, command负责、指挥
68
tertius, -a, -um
third
69
labōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum
to labor; to struggle, be in difficulty劳作；挣扎、陷入困境
70
subsidium, -ī n.2nd DECL
support, reinforcement, reserve支援、增援、后备
71
mittō, mittere, mīsī, missum
to send派遣
72
ita adv.
thus, so, in this way于是、如此、以这种方式
73
restituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtum
to restore, set right again恢复、重新整顿
74
atque / ac conj.
and
75
omnis, -e
all, every全部、每一个
76
tergum, -ī n.2nd DECL
back; (terga vertere) "to turn one's back" = to flee
77
vertō, vertere, vertī, versum
to turn
Hour 3 — Battle Task第 3 课 —— 战斗任务
The instructor will only give the question paper to the players / let the players turn to the online question page right before the 20-minute countdown starts.教师只会在 20 分钟倒计时开始前，才把题纸发给玩家／让玩家打开在线题页。
Tagging rules in effect this Hour本课生效的标注规则
Your task is to你的任务是 identify all the 2nd-declension nouns AND all the verbs找出所有第二变格名词以及所有动词. Five codebook rules fire in this hour; rule #9 is extended扩展 this week to cover 2nd-declension forms (it already covered 1st-decl. from Hour 2). The rest are suppressed.
- Rule #1 — Indicative verb (red). Carried. The finite indicative verbs in the passage: praefēcit, commīsit, animadverterat, fēcērunt, prōcurrērunt, dabātur, pugnātum est, excēpērunt, repertī sunt, coniecta est, premēbant, praeerat, mīsit, restitūtum est, vertērunt. Periphrastic forms like pugnātum est and repertī sunt count: the est/sunt is the finite verb, paired with a perfect-passive participle.
- Rule #2 — Subjunctive verb (white on black黑底白字). Three subjunctives appear, all in subordinate clauses: habēret (s. 2, purpose clause after utī), īnsilīrent and revellerent (s. 11, relative clause of characteristic). Subjunctives ARE finite verbs — count them. You will formally study subjunctives in Year 2.
- Rule #4 — Infinitive (green绿色). coniciendī (s. 7) is a gerund ("of throwing"), grammatically related to the infinitive system — verb-like but NOT finite. Also esse (s. 4) is the infinitive of sum inside an indirect-statement construction. Do not tag these as verbs in the task.
- Rule #5 — Participle (orange橙色). Four participles, several inside ablative absolutes: datō (s. 5, signō datō), Relictīs (s. 8, Relictīs pīlīs), factā (s. 9, phalange factā), labōrantibus (s. 15). NOT finite — don't tag.
- Rule #9 — Noun case for attention (★) — EXTENDED this hour. Now fires for BOTH 1st- and 2nd-declension nouns. There are no 1st-declension nouns in this passage; the 2nd-declension targets you must identify: legātōs (s. 1), proelium (ss. 3, 16), signō (s. 5), spatium, pīla (s. 7), pīlīs, gladiīs (s. 8), Germānī, gladiōrum (s. 9), scūta (s. 11), Crassus (s. 14), subsidiō (s. 15), terga (s. 16). After grading, correct ones get the ★ prefix.
Suppressed this hour: rule #3 (yellow connectives — first fires Hour 17), #6 (purple subject phrases — first fires Hour 11), #7 (underlined noun-adj phrases — first fires Hour 4, next week, with Type 1 adjectives), #8 (bracketed ablative absolutes — first fires Hour 26, although the passage clearly contains them in sentences 5, 8, 9, 15), #10 (shaded set phrases — instructor discretion; terga vertere in sentence 16 is a candidate idiom).
Mission — Identify all the 2nd-declension nouns, and all the verbs任务 —— 找出所有第二变格名词，以及所有动词
Set the mode, then click words. Click again to deselect.先设定模式，再点击词语。再次点击即取消选择。
20:00
1 Caesar singulīs legiōnibus singulōs legātōs et quaestōrem praefēcit.
2 Utī eōs testēs suae quisque virtūtis habēret.
3 Ipse ā dextrō cornū proelium commīsit.
4 Eam partem minimē firmam hostium esse animadverterat.
5 Nostrī signō datō ācriter impetum fēcērunt.
6 Hostēs repente celeriterque prōcurrērunt.
7 Spatium pīla in hostēs coniciendī nōn dabātur.
8 Relictīs pīlīs comminus gladiīs pugnātum est.
9 Germānī ex cōnsuētūdine suā phalange factā impetūs gladiōrum excēpērunt.
10 Repertī sunt complūrēs nostrī.
11 Quī in phalanga īnsilīrent et scūta manibus revellerent.
12 Hostium aciēs ā sinistrō cornū in fugam coniecta est.
13 Ā dextrō cornū multitūdine suōrum nostram aciem premēbant.
14 P. Crassus adulēscēns equitātuī praeerat.
15 Tertiam aciem labōrantibus nostrīs subsidiō mīsit.
16 Ita proelium restitūtum est, atque omnēs hostēs terga vertērunt.
Questions on the Narrative关于叙述的问题
- To whom did Caesar entrust each of his legions, and what purpose did this delegation serve?凯撒把他的每个军团托付给谁？这种委派起什么作用？
Answer
Caesar appointed a legate (legātus) and a quaestor (quaestor) over each legion. The stated purpose was that every man would have these officers as witnesses (testēs) of his own valor — turning the chain of command into a chain of personal accountability. - Why did Caesar choose specifically the right wing of his army from which to begin the engagement?凯撒为什么专门选择军队的右翼来发起交战？
Answer
He had noticed (animadverterat) that the corresponding part of the enemy line — the German left wing — was the least firm (minimē firmam). Roman doctrine pitted strength against weakness; Caesar led personally where his initiative would do most damage. - Why was there no time for the Romans to throw their javelins (pīla) at the start of the engagement?
Answer
Because the enemy suddenly and rapidly charged (repente celeriterque prōcurrērunt), closing the distance before the Romans could deploy their pīla. The Romans had to set the javelins aside and fight hand-to-hand with swords. - What unusual individual tactic did some Roman soldiers use against the Germanic phalanx?一些罗马士兵对日耳曼方阵使用了什么不寻常的个人战术？
Answer
Several leaped onto the phalanx itself (in phalanga īnsilīrent), tore the interlocked shields away with their hands (scūta manibus revellerent), and wounded the enemy from above. It is one of the few moments in Caesar's prose that describes Roman soldiers' individual physical bravery in detail. - Who saved the Roman right wing when it was being pressed by superior German numbers, and what unit did he commit?当罗马右翼被人数占优的日耳曼人压迫时，是谁挽救了它？他投入了什么部队？
Answer
P. (Publius) Crassus, "the youth" (adulēscēns) — a young officer commanding the cavalry. Being more disengaged than the legionaries already in the fight, he could read the developing crisis and sent in the third line (tertiam aciem) as reinforcement. He is later sent to conquer Aquitania (Hour 9).
Further Questions — Translation延伸问题 —— 翻译
- Caesar appointed individual legates over individual legions.凯撒在各个军团各任命一名副将。
Suggested Latin
Caesar singulīs legiōnibus singulōs legātōs praefēcit. - He himself began the battle from the right wing.
Suggested Latin
Ipse ā dextrō cornū proelium commīsit. - Our men fiercely made an attack.我方士兵猛烈发起进攻。
Suggested Latin
Nostrī ācriter impetum fēcērunt. - The enemy ran forward suddenly.敌人突然向前冲来。
Suggested Latin
Hostēs repente prōcurrērunt. - The fighting was done with swords at close quarters.双方用剑近身搏斗。
Suggested Latin
Comminus gladiīs pugnātum est. - The Germans formed a phalanx.日耳曼人结成方阵。
Suggested Latin
Germānī phalange factā [impetūs gladiōrum excēpērunt]. - Many of our men leaped onto the phalanx.我方许多士兵跃上方阵。
Suggested Latin
Complūrēs nostrī in phalanga īnsilīrent. (subjunctive in the original — in indicative: īnsiluērunt.) - They tore the shields away with their hands.他们用手扯下盾牌。
Suggested Latin
Scūta manibus revellerent. (subjunctive in the relative clause; indicative: revellērunt.) - The enemy battle line was put to flight on the left wing.敌人的战线在左翼被击溃逃散。
Suggested Latin
Hostium aciēs ā sinistrō cornū in fugam coniecta est. - From the right wing they were pressing our battle line.他们从右翼压迫我方战线。
Suggested Latin
Ā dextrō cornū nostram aciem premēbant. - P. Crassus was in command of the cavalry.普布利乌斯·克拉苏指挥骑兵。
Suggested Latin
P. Crassus adulēscēns equitātuī praeerat. - He sent the third line as a reinforcement.他派出第三列作为增援。
Suggested Latin
Tertiam aciem subsidiō mīsit. - Thus the battle was restored.于是战斗得以恢复。
Suggested Latin
Ita proelium restitūtum est. - All the enemy turned their backs.所有敌人转身而逃。
Suggested Latin
Omnēs hostēs terga vertērunt.
Hour 3 — Result & Debrief第 3 课 —— 结果与复盘
Submit the Battle Task above to see your score here.提交上方的战斗任务即可在此看到你的得分。
Hour 3 — Screening第 3 课 —— 放映
Following the 20-minute countdown, the instructor announces the answer immediately, then holds a five-minute Q&A, then screens the film clip.20 分钟倒计时结束后，教师立即公布答案，然后进行五分钟问答，再放映影片片段。
Film clip (proposed):影片片段（建议）： Gladiator (2000), opening battle vs. Germanic tribes.
Ridley Scott's opening sequence depicts a Roman army engaging Germanic warriors in
a wooded clearing — a thematic if not historically literal parallel to Caesar
against Ariovistus. Watch for: the deployment of multiple lines, the cavalry
sweep, the moment of close hand-to-hand combat after the missile exchange.
Subject to instructor confirmation; the source course-design document does not
specify a clip for Hour 3.
Discussion讨论
Tactical analysis of the battle scene. Sample questions for the room:对战斗场面的战术分析。供课堂讨论的示例问题：
- Caesar appointed legates and a quaestor over each legion specifically as "witnesses of each man's valor." How does this reframe the social structure of a Roman legion in battle? Compare with the Helvetian families on the wagons at Bibracte, also serving as witnesses to their men's valor.
- The Romans were unable to throw their pīla because the Germans charged too fast. The Romans had to "set the javelins aside" and switch to gladiī. Compare Bibracte: there the pīla worked decisively. Why does the same Roman weapon system work brilliantly against one Gallic phalanx and fail against the German charge?
- The text reports individual Romans leaping onto the phalanx and tearing shields away with bare hands. This is the only such description in the entire DBG. What rhetorical work is this image doing — for Caesar's Roman audience and for our reading?
- P. Crassus, "the youth," commits the third line at the critical moment. This is the same Crassus who will independently conquer Aquitania in Hour 9. What does his initiative here signal about his future?
Intermission间歇
Break before Hour 4 (Battle of the Axona / Aisne — Wheelock Ch. 4, Type 1 Adjectives).