C. Iulius Caesar, Commentāriōrum dē Bellō Gallicō 4.28
Tier 2
diēs quattuor postquam in Brittaniā Rōmanī vēnerant, pāx cōnfīrmāta est. nāvēs XVIII, quae equitēs portāverant, ex portū in lenī ventō nāvigāvērunt. ubi nāvēs approprīnquābant ad Brittaniam, tempestās subitō coörta est. haec tempestās aliās nāvēs ad eundem portum portāvit, aliās ad īnferiōrem partem insulae. hae nāvēs, quās fluctūs complent aquā, continentem petiērunt.
Tier 3
pāce cōnfīrmātā hīs rēbus, post diem quartum quam ventum est in Britanniam, nāvēs XVIII, dē quibus suprā dēmōnstrātum est, quae equitēs sustulerant, solvērunt ex superiōre portū lēnī ventō. nāvēs cum appropīnquārent Britanniae et vidērentur ex castrīs, tanta tempestās subitō coörta est ut nūlla eārum posset tenēre cursum, sed aliae referrentur eōdem unde profectae erant, aliae dēicerentur ad īnferiōrem partem īnsulae, quae est propius sōlis occāsum, cum māgnō perīculō suī; quae nāvēs tamen, ancorīs iactīs, complērentur cum fluctibus, necessāriō adversā nocte in altum prōvēctae, petiērunt continentem.
Tier 4
Hīs rēbus pāce cōnfīrmātā, post diem quartum quam est in Britanniam ventum nāvēs XVIII, dē quibus suprā dēmōnstrātum est, quae equitēs sustulerant, ex superiōre portū lēnī ventō solvērunt. Quae cum appropīnquārent Britanniae et ex castrīs vidērentur, tanta tempestās subitō coörta est ut nūlla eārum cursum tenēre posset, sed aliae eōdem unde erant profectae referrentur, aliae ad īnferiōrem partem īnsulae, quae est propius sōlis occāsum, māgnō suī cum perīculō dēicerentur; quae tamen, ancorīs iactīs, cum fluctibus complērentur, necessāriō adversā nocte in altum prōvēctae, continentem petiērunt.
C. Iulius Caesar, Commentāriōrum dē Bellō Gallicō 4.29
Tier 2
nocte lūna plēna erat ergo fluctūs erant maxīmī. nostrī mīlites id nēscīverunt. nāvēs, quae exercitum trānsportāvērunt et nunc in āridō stant, fluctūs compleverant eās. tempestās adflīctābat aliās nāvēs quae ad ancorās erant. plurimae nāvēs fractae sunt et reliquae āmisērunt ancorās, fūnēs, armāmenta; navigāre nōn potuērunt. apud mīlitēs māgna perturbātiō facta est. reficere nāvēs nōn possunt et nullum frūmentum habēbant quod omnēs putābant hiemāre in Galliā, nōn in Britanniā.
Tier 3
eādem nocte accidit ut esset lūna plēna, quī diēs cōnsuēvit efficere in Ōceanō maritimōs aestūs māximōs, et id erat incōgnitum nostrīs mīlitibus. ita ūnō tempore et aestus complēverat longās nāvēs (quibus Caesar cūrāverat exercitum trānsportandum esse quāsque subdūxerat in āridum) et tempestās adflictābat onerāriās (quae dēligātae erant ad ancorās), neque ūlla facultās dabātur nostrīs mīlitibus aut administrandī aut auxiliandī.
complūribus nāvibus frāctīs et cum reliquae essent inūtilēs ad nāvigandum fūnibus, ancorīs, reliquīsque armāmentīs āmīssīs, māgna perturbātiō tōtīus exercitūs facta est (id quod necesse erat accidere.) neque enim erant aliae nāvēs quibus mīlitēs reportārī possent, et omnia deërant quae erant ūsuī ad reficiendās nāvēs. quoque quod cōnstābat omnibus oportēre hiemāre in Galliā, frūmentum nōn erat prōvīsum in hiemem in hīs locīs.
Tier 4
Eādem nocte accidit ut esset lūna plēna, quī diēs maritimōs aestūs māximōs in Ōceanō efficere cōnsuēvit, nostrīsque id erat incōgnitum. Ita ūnō tempore et longās nāvēs, quibus Caesar exercitum trānsportandum cūrāverat quāsque in āridum subdūxerat, aestus complēverat et onerāriās, quae ad ancorās erant dēligātae, tempestās adflīctābat, neque ūlla nostrīs facultās aut administrandī aut auxiliandī dabātur. Complūribus nāvibus frāctīs, reliquae cum essent fūnibus, ancorīs, reliquīsque armāmentīs āmīssīs ad nāvigandum inūtilēs, māgna, id quod necesse erat accidere, tōtīus exercitūs perturbātiō facta est. Neque enim nāvēs erant aliae quibus reportārī possent, et omnia deërant quae ad reficiendās nāvēs erant ūsuī et, quod omnibus cōnstābat hiemāre in Galliā oportēre, frūmentum hīs in locīs in hiemem prōvīsum nōn erat.
C. Iulius Caesar, Commentāriōrum dē Bellō Gallicō 4.30
Tier 2
prīncipēs Britanniae, quī convēnerant ad Caesarem post proelium, intellēxērunt Rōmānōs nōn habēre equitēs et nāvēs et frūmentum. Britannī quoque intellēxērunt Rōmānōs habēre paucōs mīlitēs quod cōnspēxērunt parva castra Rōmānōrum. castra Rōmāna erant angustiōra quod Caesar trānsportāverat legiōnēs sine impedīmentīs.
Britannī voluērunt prohibere Rōmānōs frūmentō commeātūque. Britannī quoque voluērunt bellum in hiemem extendere. cōnfīdēbant eōs posse vincere Rōmānōs et nēminem posteā oppūgnāturum esse Britanniam.
Britannī coepērunt discēdere ex castrīs paulātim āc dēdūcere suōs mīlitēs clam ex agrīs.
Tier 3
quibus rēbus cōgnitīs, prīncipēs Britanniae, quī post proelium ad Caesarem convēnerant, conlocūtī inter sē, cum intellegerent equitēs et nāvēs et frūmentum deësse Rōmānīs et (cum) cōgnōscerent paucitātem mīlitum Rōmānōrum ex exiguitāte castrōrum, quae hōc erant etiam angustiōra quod Caesar trānsportāverat legiōnēs sine impedīmentīs, (prīncipēs Britanniae) dūxērunt optimum factū esse, rebelliōne factā, prohibēre nostrōs mīlitēs frūmentō commeātūque et prōdūcere rem in hiemem, quod cōnfīdēbant Rōmānīs superātīs aut interclūsis reditū nēminem posteā trānsitūrum esse in Britanniam bellī īnferendī causā. itaque, rūrsus coniūrātiōne factā, coepērunt discēdere ex castrīs paulātim āc dēdūcere suōs mīlitēs clam ex agrīs.
Tier 4
Quibus rēbus cōgnitīs, prīncipēs Britanniae, quī post proelium ad Caesarem convēnerant, inter sē conlocūtī, cum equitēs et nāvēs et frūmentum Rōmānīs deësse intellegerent et paucitātem mīlitum ex castrōrum exiguitāte cōgnōscerent, quae hōc erant etiam angustiōra quod sine impedīmentīs Caesar legiōnēs trānsportāverat, optimum factū esse dūxērunt, rebelliōne factā, frūmentō commeātūque nostrōs prohibēre et rem in hiemem prōdūcere, quod eīs superātīs aut reditū interclūsīs nēminem posteā bellī īnferendī causā in Britanniam trānsitūrum cōnfīdēbant. Itaque, rūrsus coniūrātiōne factā, paulātim ex castrīs discēdere āc suōs clam ex agrīs dēdūcere coepērunt.
C. Iulius Caesar, Commentāriōrum dē Bellō Gallicō 4.31
Tier 2
Caesar nōn cōgnōverat cōnsilia Brittanōrum sed tamen erat suspiciosus quod nāvēs fractae sunt et Britannī nōn iam dābant obsidēs. itaque Caesar incepit parāre ad omnia. cotīdie ferēbat frūmentum ex agrīs in castra. Caesar quoque ūtēbātur māteriā nāvium quae erant adflīctae gravissimē ut reparāret aliās nāvēs. iubēbat rēs comportārī ex Galliā. atque mīlitēs fēcērunt lābōrem summō studiō. quamquam XII navēs āmīssae erant, Caesar effēcit ut reliquae nāvēs possent nāvigārī.
Tier 3
at Caesar, etsī nōndum cōgnōverat cōnsilia Brittanōrum, tamen suspicābātur et ēventū nāvium suārum et ex eō quod intermīserant dare obsidēs (id quod accīdit fore.) itaque comparābat subsidia ad omnēs cāsūs. nam et cotīdiē cōnferēbat frūmentum ex agrīs in castra et ūtēbātur māteriā atque aere nāvium, quae erant adflīctae gravissimē, ad reficienās reliquās et iubēbat comportārī ex continentī quae ad eās rēs erant ūsuī. itaque, cum lābōr administrārētur summō studiō ā mīlitibus, XII nāvibus āmīssīs, effēcit reliquīs ut nāvigārī satis commodē posset.
Tier 4
At Caesar, etsī nōndum eōrum cōnsilia cōgnōverat, tamen et ex ēventū nāvium suārum et ex eō quod obsidēs dare intermīserant fore id quod accīdit suspicābātur. Itaque ad omnēs cāsūs subsidia comparābat. Nam et frūmentum ex agrīs cotīdiē in castra cōnferēbat et, quae gravissimē adflīctae erant nāvēs, eārum māteriā atque aere ad reliquās reficiendās ūtēbātur et quae ad eās rēs erant ūsuī ex continentī comportārī iubēbat. Itaque, cum summō studiō ā mīlitibus administrārētur, XII nāvibus āmīssīs, reliquīs ut nāvigārī satis commodē posset effēcit.
Reflecting on what Britain symbolized for Caesar, and then future leaders, is important for understanding why Romans were obssessed with conquering the island. Roman Britain had a lasting impact on the western world, far beyond what Caesar or Claudius could have ever imagined. You should begin by reviewing the important details of Caesar's Invasion of Britain and then turn your attention to Claudius' successful conquest. It may also be of benefit to think about later events, such as the Carausian Revolt and ultimately the lasting legacy of Rome's occupation.
Along different lines, the question of why Rome would want Britain, we're thinking, has everything to do with an understanding of what Rome was that both shaped and was shaped by Caesar's actions in 49 BCE and the civil war looming on the horizon.
To get you started: Wikipedia on the Commentarii de Bello Civili
In order to introduce a little more complexity, this article concerns Caesar's Latin style:
Style in De Bello Civili
Richard Goldhurst
The Classical Journal, Vol. 49, No. 7 (Apr., 1954), pp. 299-303
Published by: The Classical Association of the Middle West and South
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3292597