[*] 7.13. milia: acc. of extent of space; cf. 3 4 (§ 425 (257); B. 181. 1; G. 335; H. 417 (379); H-B. 387). — decem novem, nineteen: following the windings of the river (see note on 5 8). — murum: this rampart, or earthwork, was on the south side of the river, leaving the passage undisputed along the northern bank. The banks of the Rhone in this part are generally rugged and steep, with sharp ravines; there are only five short reaches — a little over three miles in all — requiring defences. The current is in general quite rapid. Some remains of Caesar's works can still be traced, according to the French engineers who surveyed the ground under the orders of Napoleon III. According to Caesar's statement, the work was continuous (this is the meaning of perducit). This undoubtedly means that, after the five accessible points were strengthened by artificial defences, the entire left bank of the Rhone, from Geneva to Pas-de-l'Ecluse (17 1/2 English miles), formed a continuous barrier against the Helvetians. The construction of any one of the fortifications may be described as follows: Along the crest of the ridge facing the river the slope was cut so as to be vertical, or nearly so, and then a trench was hollowed. The earth dug out was partly thrown up to increase the height of the wall, and quite likely in part thrown down the hill. At all events, it seems probable that the measure of 16 feet is the distance from the bottom of the ditch to the top of the wall. Thus the work formed really little more than a trench with scarp higher than the counterscarp. Then the crest was fortified with a breastwork of palisades, behind which the soldiers were protected while hurling their missiles at the enemy. This entire series of works, with the force at Caesar's command, could not have occupied more than two or three days. See Map, p. 5.
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BOOK FIRST. — B.C. 58.
book 2
BOOK THIRD. — B.C. 56.
BOOK FOURTH. — B.C. 55.
BOOK FIFTH.—B.C. 54.
BOOK VI. BOOK SIXTH.—B.C. 53.
BOOK SEVENTH.—B.C. 52.
Caesar's Gallic War. J. B. Greenough, Benjamin L. D'Ooge and M. Grant Daniell. Boston. Ginn and Company. 1898.
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