Book 6 of De Bello Gallico (23–44)

[24] 

1 Ac fuit antea tempus, cum Germanos Galli virtute superarent, ultro bella inferrent, propter hominum multitudinem agrique inopiam trans Rhenum colonias mitterent.  

1 And there was formerly a time when the Gauls surpassed the Germans in valor, made war on them unprovoked, and on account of the multitude of people and scarcity of land, sent colonies across the Rhine. 

2 Itaque ea quae fertilissima Germaniae sunt loca circum Hercyniam silvam, quam Eratostheni et quibusdam Graecis fama notam esse video, quam illi Orcyniam appellant, Volcae Tectosages occupaverunt atque ibi consederunt; 

2 And so the Volcae Tectosages occupied and settled in those places which are the most fertile in Germany, around the Hercynian Forest, which I see is known by report to Eratosthenes and certain Greeks, and which they call Orcynia; 

3 quae gens ad hoc tempus his sedibus sese continet summamque habet iustitiae et bellicae laudis opinionem. 

3 which tribe maintains itself in these settlements to this day and has a very high reputation for justice and military prowess. 

4 Nunc quod in eadem inopia, egestate, patientia qua Germani permanent, eodem victu et cultu corporis utuntur; 

4 Now, because they remain in the same poverty, destitution, and endurance as the Germans, and use the same food and bodily attire; 

5 Gallis autem provinciarum propinquitas et transmarinarum rerum notitia multa ad copiam atque usus largitur, 

5 while for the Gauls, the proximity of the provinces and the knowledge of overseas affairs provides many things for abundance and use, 

6 paulatim adsuefacti superari multisque victi proeliis ne se quidem ipsi cum illis virtute comparant. 

6 having gradually become accustomed to being defeated and having been beaten in many battles, they do not even compare themselves to them (the Germans) in valor. 

 [25] 

1 Huius Hercyniae silvae, quae supra demonstrata est, latitudo novem dierum iter expedito patet: non enim aliter finiri potest, neque mensuras itinerum noverunt. 

1 The breadth of this Hercynian Forest, which has been described above, extends for a nine days' journey for an unencumbered traveler: for it cannot be defined otherwise, nor do they know measures of journeys. 

2 Oritur ab Helvetiorum et Nemetum et Rauracorum finibus rectaque fluminis Danubi regione pertinet ad fines Dacorum et Anartium; 

2 It originates from the borders of the Helvetii, Nemetes, and Rauraci, and extends directly along the region of the Danube River to the borders of the Dacians and Anartes; 

3 hinc se flectit sinistrorsus diversis ab flumine regionibus multarumque gentium fines propter magnitudinem attingit; 

3 From there, it bends to the left through regions distant from the river, and due to its size, it touches the territories of many tribes; 

4 neque quisquam est huius Germaniae, qui se aut adisse ad initium eius silvae dicat, cum dierum iter LX processerit, aut, quo ex loco oriatur, acceperit: 

4 Nor is there anyone in this part of Germany who claims to have reached the beginning of that forest, even after a sixty-day journey, or who has learned from what place it arises: 

5 multa in ea genera ferarum nasci constat, quae reliquis in locis visa non sint; ex quibus quae maxime differant ab ceteris et memoriae prodenda videantur haec sunt. 

5 It is known that many kinds of wild animals are born in it which have not been seen in other places; of these, those which differ most from others and seem worth recording are the following. 

[26] 

1 Est bos cervi figura, cuius a media fronte inter aures unum cornu exsistit excelsius magisque directum his, quae nobis nota sunt, cornibus: 

1 There is an ox in the shape of a stag, from the middle of whose forehead, between its ears, a single horn projects, taller and straighter than those horns known to us: 

2 ab eius summo sicut palmae ramique late diffunduntur. 

2 From its top, wide-spreading branches extend like palms and boughs. 

3 Eadem est feminae marisque natura, eadem forma magnitudoque cornuum. 

3 The nature of the female and male is the same, and the same is the shape and size of their horns. 

[27] 

1 Sunt item, quae appellantur alces. Harum est consimilis capris figura et varietas pellium, sed magnitudine paulo antecedunt mutilaeque sunt cornibus et crura sine nodis articulisque habent 

1 There are also animals called elks. Their shape is very similar to goats, and their hides are similarly varied, but they surpass them slightly in size, are hornless, and their legs lack joints and articulations; 

2 neque quietis causa procumbunt neque, si quo adflictae casu conciderunt, erigere sese aut sublevare possunt. 

2 Nor do they lie down to rest, nor, if they have fallen due to some accident, can they raise or lift themselves. 

3 His sunt arbores pro cubilibus: ad eas se applicant atque ita paulum modo reclinatae quietem capiunt. 

3 Trees serve them as beds: they lean against them and, reclining only slightly, take their rest. 

4 Quarum ex vestigiis cum est animadversum a venatoribus, quo se recipere consuerint, omnes eo loco aut ab radicibus subruunt aut accidunt arbores, tantum ut summa species earum stantium relinquatur. Huc cum se consuetudine reclinaverunt, 

4 When, from their tracks, hunters have noticed where they are accustomed to take refuge, they undermine or cut the trees at that place either from the roots or partway up, leaving only the appearance of them standing. When the animals, as is their habit, lean on them, 

5 infirmas arbores pondere adfligunt atque una ipsae concidunt.  

5 they bring down the weakened trees with their weight and fall together with them. 

 Copyright Discoverlatin

[28] 

1 Tertium est genus eorum, qui uri appellantur. Hi sunt magnitudine paulo infra elephantos, specie et colore et figura tauri. 

1 There is a third kind of animal, which are called aurochs. These are a little smaller than elephants in size, with the appearance, color, and shape of a bull. 

2 Magna vis eorum est et magna velocitas, neque homini neque ferae quam conspexerunt parcunt. Hos studiose foveis captos interficiunt. 

2 Their strength is great and their speed is great; they spare neither man nor beast that they have seen. They eagerly kill them after capturing them in pits. 

3 Hoc se labore durant adulescentes atque hoc genere venationis exercent, et qui plurimos ex his interfecerunt, relatis in publicum cornibus, quae sint testimonio, magnam ferunt laudem. 

3 With this labor young men harden themselves and train through this kind of hunting, and those who have killed the most of them, having brought the horns into public view as proof, gain great praise. 

4 Sed adsuescere ad homines et mansuefieri ne parvuli quidem excepti possunt. 

4 But they cannot be tamed or grow accustomed to humans, not even when captured young. 

5 Amplitudo cornuum et figura et species multum a nostrorum boum cornibus differt. 

5 The size, shape, and appearance of their horns differ greatly from those of our oxen. 

6 Haec studiose conquisita ab labris argento circumcludunt atque in amplissimis epulis pro poculis utuntur. 

6 These horns, eagerly sought out, are encircled with silver at the lips and used as drinking cups at the most sumptuous feasts. 

[29] 

1 Caesar, postquam per Ubios exploratores comperit Suebos sese in silvas recepisse, inopiam frumenti veritus, quod, ut supra demonstravimus, minime omnes Germani agriculturae student, constituit non progredi longius; sed, 

1 Caesar, after learning from the Ubii’s scouts that the Suebi had retreated into the forests, feared a lack of grain, because, as we showed above, the Germans are not at all devoted to agriculture, and decided not to advance further; but, 

2 ne omnino metum reditus sui barbaris tolleret atque ut eorum auxilia tardaret, reducto exercitu partem ultimam pontis, 

2 lest he entirely remove the fear of his return from the barbarians and to delay their reinforcements, he led the army back and dismantled the far end of the bridge, 

3 quae ripas Ubiorum contingebat, in longitudinem pedum ducentorum rescindit atque in extremo ponte turrim tabulatorum quattuor constituit praesidiumque cohortium duodecim pontis tuendi causa ponit magnisque eum locum munitionibus firmat. Ei loco praesidioque Gaium Volcatium Tullum adulescentem praefecit. 

3 which touched the banks of the Ubii, cutting away two hundred feet in length; and at the end of the bridge he built a tower of four stories, stationed a garrison of twelve cohorts to guard the bridge, and strengthened the place with large fortifications. He placed the young Gaius Volcatius Tullus in command of the post and garrison. 

4 Ipse, cum maturescere frumenta inciperent, ad bellum Ambiorigis profectus per Arduennam silvam, quae est totius Galliae maxima atque ab ripis Rheni finibusque Treverorum ad Nervios pertinet milibusque amplius quingentis in longitudinem patet, Lucium Minucium Basilum cum omni equitatu praemittit, si quid celeritate itineris atque opportunitate temporis proficere possit; 

4 He himself, as the grain was beginning to ripen, set out for the war against Ambiorix through the Ardennes Forest, which is the largest in all Gaul and stretches from the banks of the Rhine and the borders of the Treveri to the Nervii, extending more than five hundred miles in length. He sent Lucius Minucius Basilus ahead with all the cavalry to see if he could accomplish anything through speed of march and favorable timing; 

5 monet, ut ignes in castris fieri prohibeat, ne qua eius adventus procul significatio fiat: sese confestim subsequi dicit. 

5 He advised him to prevent fires being lit in the camps, lest any sign of his arrival be noticed from afar: he said he would follow immediately. 

[30] 

1 Basilus, ut imperatum est, facit. Celeriter contraque omnium opinionem confecto itinere multos in agris inopinantes deprehendit: eorum indicio ad ipsum Ambiorigem contendit, quo in loco cum paucis equitibus esse dicebatur. 

1 Basilus did as he was ordered. Having quickly completed the journey contrary to everyone's expectation, he caught many unsuspecting people in the fields: by their information, he pressed on to Ambiorix himself, in the place where he was said to be with a few horsemen. 

2 Multum cum in omnibus rebus tum in re militari potest fortuna. Nam, sicut magno accidit casu ut in ipsum incautum etiam atque imparatum incideret, priusque eius adventus ab omnibus videretur, quam fama ac nuntius adferretur: sic magnae fuit fortunae omni militari instrumento, quod circum se habebat, erepto, raedis equisque comprehensis ipsum effugere mortem. Sed hoc quoque factum est, 

2 Fortune has great power both in all things and especially in military affairs. For just as it happened by great chance that he fell upon Ambiorix himself while he was unsuspecting and unprepared, and his arrival was seen by all before rumor or messenger could bring word: so it was also great fortune that, although all the military equipment he had with him was seized, and his wagons and horses captured, he himself escaped death. But this too came to pass, 

3 quod aedificio circumdato silva, ut sunt fere domicilia Gallorum, qui vitandi aestus causa plerumque silvarum atque fluminum petunt propinquitates, comites familiaresque eius angusto in loco paulisper equitum nostrorum vim sustinuerunt. 

3 because his dwelling, as is usual among the Gauls, was surrounded by forest—since they generally seek the shelter of woods and rivers to avoid the heat—and his companions and household members sustained the attack of our cavalry for a short time in that narrow space. 

4 His pugnantibus illum in equum quidam ex suis intulit: fugientem silvae texerunt. Sic et ad subeundum periculum et ad vitandum multum fortuna valuit. 

4 While these were fighting, one of his men lifted him onto a horse: the woods concealed him as he fled. Thus, fortune had great power both for encountering and avoiding danger. 

[31] 

1 Ambiorix copias suas iudicione non conduxerit, quod proelio dimicandum non existimarit, an tempore exclusus et repentino equitum adventu prohibitus, cum reliquum exercitum subsequi crederet, dubium est. 

1 It is doubtful whether Ambiorix deliberately did not gather his forces because he did not think a battle should be fought, or whether he was prevented by lack of time and the sudden arrival of the cavalry, believing that the rest of the army would follow. 

2 Sed certe dimissis per agros nuntiis sibi quemque consulere iussit. Quorum pars in Arduennam silvam, pars in continentes paludes profugit; 

2 But certainly, having sent messengers throughout the fields, he ordered everyone to look to their own safety. Part fled into the Ardennes Forest, part into the continuous marshes; 

3 qui proximi Oceano fuerunt, his insulis sese occultaverunt, quas aestus efficere consuerunt: 

3 those who were nearest to the Ocean concealed themselves in the islands which the tides are accustomed to form: 

4 multi ex suis finibus egressi se suaque omnia alienissimis crediderunt. 

4 many, having left their own territories, entrusted themselves and all their possessions to complete strangers. 

5 Catuvolcus, rex dimidiae partis Eburonum, qui una cum Ambiorige consilium inierat, aetate iam confectus, cum laborem aut belli aut fugae ferre non posset, omnibus precibus detestatus Ambiorigem, qui eius consilii auctor fuisset, taxo, cuius magna in Gallia Germaniaque copia est, se exanimavit. 

5 Catuvolcus, king of half the Eburones, who had joined in the plan with Ambiorix, now worn out with age, since he could not endure the hardship of either war or flight, called down every curse upon Ambiorix, who had been the author of that plan, and took his own life with yew, of which there is great abundance in Gaul and Germany. 

[32] 

1 Segni Condrusique, ex gente et numero Germanorum, qui sunt inter Eburones Treverosque, legatos ad Caesarem miserunt oratum, ne se in hostium numero duceret neve omnium Germanorum, qui essent citra Rhenum, unam esse causam iudicaret: nihil se de bello cogitasse, nulla Ambiorigi auxilia misisse. 

1 The Segni and Condrusi, of the tribe and number of the Germans, who are between the Eburones and the Treveri, sent envoys to Caesar to ask that he not count them among the enemy and not judge that all the Germans on this side of the Rhine shared one cause: that they had thought nothing of war, and had sent no aid to Ambiorix. 

2 Caesar explorata re quaestione captivorum, si qui ad eos Eburones ex fuga convenissent, ad se ut reducerentur, imperavit; si ita fecissent, fines eorum se violaturum negavit. 

2 Caesar, having investigated the matter by questioning captives, ordered that if any Eburones had come to them in flight, they should be brought back to him; if they did so, he said he would not harm their territory. 

3 Tum copiis in tres partes distributis impedimenta omnium legionum Aduatucam contulit. 

3 Then, having divided his forces into three parts, he gathered the baggage of all the legions to Aduatuca. 

4 Id castelli nomen est. Hoc fere est in mediis Eburonum finibus, ubi Titurius atque Aurunculeius hiemandi causa consederant. 

4 That is the name of a fort. It lies roughly in the middle of the territory of the Eburones, where Titurius and Aurunculeius had settled for the purpose of wintering. 

5 Hunc cum reliquis rebus locum probabat, tum quod superioris anni munitiones integrae manebant, ut militum laborem sublevaret. Praesidio impedimentis legionem quartamdecimam reliquit, unam ex eis tribus, quas proxime conscriptas ex Italia traduxerat. 

5 He approved of this place for several reasons, especially because the fortifications of the previous year remained intact, which would lighten the labor of the soldiers. For the protection of the baggage, he left the Fourteenth Legion, one of the three he had recently recruited and brought from Italy. 

6 Ei legioni castrisque Quintum Tullium Ciceronem praeficit ducentosque equites attribuit. 

6 He placed Quintus Tullius Cicero in command of that legion and the camp, and assigned him two hundred cavalry. 

[33] 

1 Partito exercitu Titum Labienum cum legionibus tribus ad Oceanum versus in eas partes quae Menapios attingunt proficisci iubet; 

1 Having divided the army, he ordered Titus Labienus with three legions to set out toward the Ocean, into the regions which border the Menapii; 

2 Gaium Trebonium cum pari legionum numero ad eam regionem quae ad Aduatucos adiacet depopulandam mittit; 

2 he sent Gaius Trebonius with an equal number of legions to devastate the region adjoining the Aduatuci; 

3 ipse cum reliquis tribus ad flumen Scaldem, quod influit in Mosam, extremasque Arduennae partis ire constituit, quo cum paucis equitibus profectum Ambiorigem audiebat. 

3 he himself decided to go with the remaining three legions to the river Scheldt, which flows into the Meuse, and to the outermost parts of the Ardennes, where he heard Ambiorix had gone with a few horsemen. 

4 Discedens post diem septimum sese reversurum confirmat; quam ad diem ei legioni quae in praesidio relinquebatur deberi frumentum sciebat. 

4 On departing, he affirmed that he would return after seven days; by which day he knew that grain was due to the legion left in garrison. 

5 Labienum Treboniumque hortatur, si rei publicae commodo facere possint, ad eum diem revertantur, ut rursus communicato consilio exploratisque hostium rationibus aliud initium belli capere possint. 

5 He urged Labienus and Trebonius, if they could act for the public good, to return by that day, so that after again sharing plans and examining the enemy’s situation, they might take a new approach to the war. 

[34] 

1 Erat, ut supra demonstravimus, manus certa nulla, non oppidum, non praesidium, quod se armis defenderet, sed in omnes partes dispersa multitudo. 

1 There was, as we demonstrated above, no organized band, no town, no garrison that could defend itself with arms, but a multitude scattered in all directions. 

2 Ubi cuique aut valles abdita aut locus silvestris aut palus impedita spem praesidi aut salutis aliquam offerebat, consederat. 

2 Wherever a hidden valley or a wooded spot or an impassable swamp offered anyone some hope of protection or safety, he had taken up position there. 

3 Haec loca vicinitatibus erant nota, magnamque res diligentiam requirebat non in summa exercitus tuenda (nullum enim poterat universis a perterritis ac dispersis periculum accidere), sed in singulis militibus conservandis; quae tamen ex parte res ad salutem exercitus pertinebat. 

3 These places were known to the locals, and the situation required great diligence not in guarding the army as a whole (for no danger could befall all at once, since they were terrified and scattered), but in preserving individual soldiers; and this in part pertained to the army’s safety. 

4 Nam et praedae cupiditas multos longius evocabat, et silvae incertis occultisque itineribus confertos adire prohibebant. 

4 For both the desire for plunder drew many too far out, and the forests, with their uncertain and hidden paths, prevented them from advancing in close formation. 

5 Si negotium confici stirpemque hominum sceleratorum interfici vellet, dimittendae plures manus diducendique erant milites; 

5 If he wished the task to be completed and the race of wicked men to be exterminated, more detachments would have to be sent out and the soldiers scattered; 

6 si continere ad signa manipulos vellet, ut instituta ratio et consuetudo exercitus Romani postulabat, locus ipse erat praesidio barbaris, neque ex occulto insidiandi et dispersos circumveniendi singulis deerat audacia. 

6 if he wanted to keep the maniples at the standards, as Roman military method and custom demanded, the place itself was a protection to the barbarians, and individual boldness was not lacking for ambushing from cover and surrounding scattered men. 

7 Ut in eiusmodi difficultatibus, quantum diligentia provideri poterat providebatur, ut potius in nocendo aliquid praetermitteretur, etsi omnium animi ad ulciscendum ardebant, quam cum aliquo militum detrimento noceretur. 

7 In such difficulties, as much as could be foreseen by diligence was foreseen, so that rather something might be overlooked in the work of harming—although the spirits of all burned for revenge—than that harm should be done with any loss of soldiers. 

8 Dimittit ad finitimas civitates nuntios Caesar: omnes ad se vocat spe praedae ad diripiendos Eburones, ut potius in silvis Gallorum vita quam legionarius miles periclitetur, simul ut magna multitudine circumfusa pro tali facinore stirps ac nomen civitatis tollatur. 

8 Caesar sent messengers to the neighboring states: he summoned all to himself with the hope of plunder, to sack the Eburones, so that the lives of Gauls rather than Roman legionaries might be endangered in the woods, and at the same time, that the race and name of the tribe might be wiped out by an overwhelming host in punishment for such a crime. 

9 Magnus undique numerus celeriter convenit. 

9 A great number quickly assembled from all sides. 

[35] 

1 Haec in omnibus Eburonum partibus gerebantur, diesque appetebat septimus, quem ad diem Caesar ad impedimenta legionemque reverti constituerat. 

1 These things were taking place in all parts of the territory of the Eburones, and the seventh day was approaching, by which day Caesar had decided to return to the baggage and the legion. 

2 Hic quantum in bello fortuna possit et quantos adferat casus cognosci potuit. 

2 Here it was possible to see how much fortune can do in war, and how many events it brings. 

3 Dissipatis ac perterritis hostibus, ut demonstravimus, manus erat nulla quae parvam modo causam timoris adferret. 

3 With the enemy scattered and terrified, as we have shown, there was no force that could bring even the slightest cause for fear. 

4 Trans Rhenum ad Germanos pervenit fama, diripi Eburones atque ultro omnes ad praedam evocari. 

4 News reached the Germans across the Rhine that the Eburones were being plundered and that all were even being summoned to the spoils. 

5 Cogunt equitum duo milia Sugambri, qui sunt proximi Rheno, a quibus receptos ex fuga Tencteros atque Usipetes supra docuimus. 

5 The Sugambri, who are nearest to the Rhine, and by whom, as we have explained above, the Tencteri and Usipetes were received after their flight, gathered two thousand horsemen. 

6 Transeunt Rhenum navibus ratibusque triginta milibus passuum infra eum locum, ubi pons erat perfectus praesidiumque ab Caesare relictum: primos Eburonum fines adeunt; multos ex fuga dispersos excipiunt, magno pecoris numero, cuius sunt cupidissimi barbari, potiuntur. 

6 They crossed the Rhine in boats and rafts thirty miles below the place where the bridge had been completed and a garrison left by Caesar; they entered the nearest territories of the Eburones, intercepted many scattered in flight, and captured a large number of cattle, of which the barbarians are extremely fond. 

7 Invitati praeda longius procedunt. Non hos palus in bello latrociniisque natos, non silvae morantur. Quibus in locis sit Caesar ex captivis quaerunt; profectum longius reperiunt omnemque exercitum discessisse cognoscunt. 

7 Tempted by the plunder, they advanced farther. Neither swamps—for they were born to war and raiding—nor forests delayed them. They inquired from captives where Caesar was; they found that he had gone farther and learned that the whole army had departed. 

8 Atque unus ex captivis "Quid vos," inquit, "hanc miseram ac tenuem sectamini praedam, quibus licet iam esse fortunatissimos? 

8 And one of the captives said, "Why do you pursue this wretched and meager plunder, when you can now be most fortunate? 

9 Tribus horis Aduatucam venire potestis: huc omnes suas fortunas exercitus Romanorum contulit: praesidi tantum est, ut ne murus quidem cingi possit, neque quisquam egredi extra munitiones audeat." 

9 In three hours you can reach Aduatuca: there the Roman army has brought all its possessions; the garrison is so small that not even the wall can be manned, and no one dares to go outside the fortifications." 

10 Oblata spe Germani quam nacti erant praedam in occulto relinquunt; ipsi Aduatucam contendunt usi eodem duce, cuius haec indicio cognoverant. 

10 With this hope presented, the Germans left the plunder they had secured hidden away; they themselves hurried to Aduatuca, using the same guide by whose information they had learned this. 

[36] 

1 Cicero, qui omnes superiores dies praeceptis Caesaris cum summa diligentia milites in castris continuisset ac ne calonem quidem quemquam extra munitionem egredi passus esset, septimo die diffidens de numero dierum Caesarem fidem servaturum, quod longius progressum audiebat, neque ulla de reditu eius fama adferebatur, simul eorum permotus vocibus, 

1 Cicero, who for all the previous days had kept the soldiers in camp with the utmost diligence following Caesar’s orders, and had not even allowed a single camp servant to leave the fortifications, on the seventh day, doubting that Caesar would keep his pledge regarding the number of days—since he had heard that Caesar had gone farther and no news of his return was being brought—was at the same time moved by the voices of those, 

2 qui illius patientiam paene obsessionem appellabant, siquidem ex castris egredi non liceret, nullum eiusmodi casum exspectans, quo novem oppositis legionibus maximoque equitatu dispersis ac paene deletis hostibus in milibus passuum tribus offendi posset, quinque cohortes frumentatum in proximas segetes mittit, quas inter et castra unus omnino collis intererat. Complures erant ex legionibus aegri relicti; 

2 who were calling his endurance almost a siege, since it was not permitted to leave the camp. Expecting no such mischance by which, though nine legions and the greatest cavalry force had been deployed and the enemy scattered and nearly destroyed, danger could arise within three miles, he sent five cohorts to gather grain in the nearby fields, between which and the camp there was only one hill. Several soldiers who had been ill had remained behind from the legions; 

3 ex quibus qui hoc spatio dierum convaluerant, circiter CCC, sub vexillo una mittuntur; magna praeterea multitudo calonum, magna vis iumentorum, quae in castris subsederant, facta potestate sequitur. 

3 of those who had recovered during this time, about 300 were sent together under a single standard; a large number of camp followers and a great quantity of pack animals, which had remained in camp, also followed with permission. 

[37] 

1 Hoc ipso tempore et casu Germani equites interveniunt protinusque eodem illo, quo venerant, cursu ab decumana porta in castra irrumpere conantur, 

1 At that very moment and by chance, German cavalry appeared and immediately tried to break into the camp through the decuman gate with the same charge by which they had arrived, 

2 nec prius sunt visi obiectis ab ea parte silvis, quam castris appropinquarent, usque eo ut qui sub vallo tenderent mercatores recipiendi sui facultatem non haberent. 

2 nor were they seen—because of the woods blocking that side—before they had approached the camp, to such an extent that the merchants pitching their tents under the rampart had no chance to retreat. 

3 Inopinantes nostri re nova perturbantur, ac vix primum impetum cohors in statione sustinet. 

3 Our men, caught off guard by the unexpected event, were thrown into confusion, and the cohort on guard duty scarcely withstood the first assault. 

4 Circumfunduntur ex reliquis hostes partibus, si quem aditum reperire possent. 

4 The enemy surrounded the camp from the other sides, to see if they could find an entry point. 

5 Aegre portas nostri tuentur, reliquos aditus locus ipse per se munitioque defendit. 

5 Our men barely defended the gates; the place itself and its fortifications protected the other approaches. 

6 Totis trepidatur castris, atque alius ex alio causam tumultus quaerit; neque quo signa ferantur neque quam in partem quisque conveniat provident. 

6 Panic spread throughout the entire camp, and each man asked another the cause of the alarm; nor did they know where to carry the standards or to which part each should assemble. 

7 Alius iam castra capta pronuntiat, alius deleto exercitu atque imperatore victores barbaros venisse contendit; 

7 One already declared the camp taken, another insisted that the barbarians had come victorious, the army and commander having been destroyed; 

8 plerique novas sibi ex loco religiones fingunt Cottaeque et Tituri calamitatem, qui in eodem occiderint castello, ante oculos ponunt. 

8 Most of them imagined new omens from the place and brought to mind the disaster of Cotta and Titurius, who had perished in the same fort. 

9 Tali timore omnibus perterritis confirmatur opinio barbaris, ut ex captivo audierant, nullum esse intus praesidium. 

9 With all terrified by such fear, the barbarians were confirmed in their belief, as they had heard from a captive, that there was no garrison inside. 

10 Perrumpere nituntur seque ipsi adhortantur, ne tantam fortunam ex manibus dimittant. 

10 They tried to break through and encouraged each other not to let such great fortune slip from their hands. 

[38] 

1 Erat aeger cum praesidio relictus Publius Sextius Baculus, qui primum pilum ad Caesarem duxerat, cuius mentionem superioribus proeliis fecimus, ac diem iam quintum cibo caruerat. 

1 Publius Sextius Baculus, who had led the first century under Caesar and whom we mentioned in previous battles, had been left sick with the garrison, and had now gone five days without food. 

2 Hic diffisus suae atque omnium saluti inermis ex tabernaculo prodit: videt imminere hostes atque in summo esse rem discrimine: capit arma a proximis atque in porta consistit. 

2 Despairing of his own and everyone’s safety, he came out unarmed from his tent: he saw the enemy pressing on and the situation at the utmost crisis: he took weapons from those nearby and stationed himself at the gate. 

3 Consequuntur hunc centuriones eius cohortis quae in statione erat: paulisper una proelium sustinent. 

3 The centurions of the cohort that was on guard duty followed him: together they withstood the fight for a short time. 

4 Relinquit animus Sextium gravibus acceptis vulneribus: aegre per manus tractus servatur. Hoc spatio interposito reliqui sese confirmant tantum, ut in munitionibus consistere audeant speciemque defensorum praebeant. 

4 Sextius, having received serious wounds, fainted: he was barely saved, dragged away by hand. This interval having passed, the others gained enough courage to stand on the ramparts and give the appearance of defenders. 

[39] 

1 Interim confecta frumentatione milites nostri clamorem exaudiunt: praecurrunt equites; quanto res sit in periculo cognoscunt. 

1 Meanwhile, the foraging completed, our soldiers heard a shout: the cavalry rode ahead; they realized how great the danger was. 

2 Hic vero nulla munitio est quae perterritos recipiat: modo conscripti atque usus militaris imperiti ad tribunum militum centurionesque ora convertunt; quid ab his praecipiatur exspectant. Nemo est tam fortis quin rei novitate perturbetur. 

2 Here truly there was no fortification to receive the terrified men: newly enlisted and inexperienced in military practice, they turned their faces to the military tribune and the centurions; they awaited instructions from them. No one was so brave as not to be shaken by the unexpected situation. 

3 Barbari signa procul conspicati oppugnatione desistunt: 

3 The barbarians, having seen the standards from afar, abandoned their assault: 

4 redisse primo legiones credunt, quas longius discessisse ex captivis cognoverant; postea despecta paucitate ex omnibus partibus impetum faciunt. 

4 at first they believed the legions had returned, which they had learned from captives had gone farther away; afterward, scorning their small number, they attacked from all sides. 

[40] 

1 Calones in proximum tumulum procurrunt. Hinc celeriter deiecti se in signa manipulosque coniciunt: eo magis timidos perterrent milites. 

1 The camp followers ran forward to the nearest hill. Quickly driven off from there, they threw themselves among the standards and maniples: this frightened the already timid soldiers even more. 

2 Alii cuneo facto ut celeriter perrumpant censent, quoniam tam propinqua sint castra, et si pars aliqua circumventa ceciderit, at reliquos servari posse confidunt; 

2 Some, forming a wedge, believed they should break through quickly, since the camp was so near, and even if part of them were surrounded and killed, they trusted that the rest could be saved; 

3 alii, ut in iugo consistant atque eundem omnes ferant casum. 

3 others thought they should take a stand on the ridge and all share the same fate. 

4 Hoc veteres non probant milites, quos sub vexillo una profectos docuimus. Itaque inter se cohortati duce Gaio Trebonio, equite Romano, qui eis erat praepositus, per medios hostes perrumpunt incolumesque ad unum omnes in castra perveniunt. 

4 The veteran soldiers, whom we have mentioned went out together under a standard, did not approve of this. Therefore, encouraging one another, under the leadership of Gaius Trebonius, a Roman knight who had been placed over them, they broke through the midst of the enemy and all, every one of them, arrived safely in the camp. 

5 Hos subsecuti calones equitesque eodem impetu militum virtute servantur. 

5 Following them, the camp followers and cavalry were saved by the same momentum and the valor of the soldiers. 

6 At ei qui in iugo constiterant, nullo etiam nunc usu rei militaris percepto neque in eo quod probaverant consilio permanere, ut se loco superiore defenderent, neque eam quam prodesse aliis vim celeritatemque viderant imitari potuerunt, sed se in castra recipere conati iniquum in locum demiserunt. 

6 But those who had taken a stand on the ridge, still without any experience in warfare, neither held to the plan they had approved, to defend themselves from the higher ground, nor could they imitate the force and speed which they had seen benefit others; instead, trying to retreat into the camp, they descended into a disadvantageous position. 

7 Centuriones, quorum nonnulli ex inferioribus ordinibus reliquarum legionum virtutis causa in superiores erant ordines huius legionis traducti, ne ante partam rei militaris laudem amitterent, fortissime pugnantes conciderunt. 

7 The centurions—some of whom had been promoted from the lower ranks of the other legions into the higher ranks of this legion for their valor—lest they lose the military glory they had already earned, fell fighting most bravely. 

8 Militum pars horum virtute summotis hostibus praeter spem incolumis in castra pervenit, pars a barbaris circumventa periit. 

8 A portion of the soldiers, because of the valor of these men and with the enemy driven back, arrived safely in camp beyond expectation; another part, surrounded by the barbarians, perished. 

[41] 

1 Germani desperata expugnatione castrorum, quod nostros iam constitisse in munitionibus videbant, cum ea praeda quam in silvis deposuerant trans Rhenum sese receperunt. 

1 The Germans, having given up hope of storming the camp because they saw our men already established in the fortifications, retreated across the Rhine with the plunder they had hidden in the woods. 

2 Ac tantus fuit etiam post discessum hostium terror ut ea nocte, cum Gaius Volusenus missus cum equitatu ad castra venisset, fidem non faceret adesse cum incolumi Caesarem exercitu. 

2 And so great was the terror, even after the enemy had withdrawn, that that night, when Gaius Volusenus, sent with cavalry, had arrived at the camp, he was not believed to be present with Caesar and the army unharmed. 

3 Sic omnino animos timor praeoccupaverat ut paene alienata mente deletis omnibus copiis equitatum se ex fuga recepisse dicerent neque incolumi exercitu Germanos castra oppugnaturos fuisse contenderent. 

3 So completely had fear preoccupied their minds that, almost out of their senses, they claimed the cavalry had returned from flight with all the forces destroyed and insisted that the Germans would not have attacked the camp if the army had been intact. 

4 Quem timorem Caesaris adventus sustulit. 

4 Caesar’s arrival dispelled this fear. 

[42] 

1 Reversus ille eventus belli non ignorans unum, quod cohortes ex statione et praesidio essent emissae, questus ne minimo quidem casu locum relinqui debuisse, multum fortunam in repentino hostium adventu potuisse iudicavit, 

1 Having returned and not ignorant of the outcome of the campaign, he complained about one thing—that the cohorts had been sent out from guard and garrison—and judged that no opportunity for even the slightest mishap should have been allowed, and that fortune had proved powerful in the sudden arrival of the enemy, 

2 multo etiam amplius, quod paene ab ipso vallo portisque castrorum barbaros avertisset. Quarum omnium rerum maxime admirandum videbatur, 

2 and even more powerful in that it had nearly turned back the barbarians from the very rampart and gates of the camp. Of all these things, what seemed most remarkable 

3 quod Germani, qui eo consilio Rhenum transierant, ut Ambiorigis fines depopularentur, ad castra Romanorum delati optatissimum Ambiorigi beneficium obtulerunt. 

3 was that the Germans, who had crossed the Rhine with the intent of plundering Ambiorix’s lands, having been diverted to the Roman camp, had unintentionally rendered him the most welcome service. 

[43] 

1 Caesar rursus ad vexandos hostes profectus magno coacto numero ex finitimis civitatibus in omnes partes dimittit. 

1 Caesar, having again set out to harass the enemy and having gathered a large number from the neighboring states, sent them out in all directions. 

2 Omnes vici atque omnia aedificia quae quisque conspexerat incendebantur; praeda ex omnibus locis agebatur; 

2 All villages and buildings that anyone had seen were set ablaze; plunder was gathered from all quarters; 

3 frumenta non solum tanta multitudine iumentorum atque hominum consumebantur, sed etiam anni tempore atque imbribus procubuerant ut, si qui etiam in praesentia se occultassent, tamen his deducto exercitu rerum omnium inopia pereundum videretur. 

3 the grain was not only consumed by the great number of animals and men, but also had fallen because of the season and the rains, so that even if some had hidden themselves for the time being, it seemed they would still perish once the army had withdrawn, from a lack of all necessities. 

4 Ac saepe in eum locum ventum est tanto in omnes partes diviso equitatu, ut modo visum ab se Ambiorigem in fuga circumspicerent captivi nec plane etiam abisse ex conspectu contenderent, ut spe consequendi illata atque infinito labore suscepto, 

4 And it often happened, with the cavalry so widely dispersed, that captives looked about for Ambiorix, saying they had just seen him in flight and insisting he had not yet vanished from sight, so that with the hope of catching him instilled and boundless labor undertaken, 

5 qui se summam ab Caesare gratiam inituros putarent, paene naturam studio vincerent, semperque paulum ad summam felicitatem defuisse videretur, 

5 those who thought they would gain Caesar’s highest favor almost overcame nature with their eagerness, and it always seemed as though just a little had been lacking for complete success, 

6 atque ille latebris aut saltibus se eriperet et noctu occultatus alias regiones partesque peteret non maiore equitum praesidio quam quattuor, quibus solis vitam suam committere audebat. 

6 but Ambiorix escaped by means of hiding places or forest passes, and, hidden by night, made his way to other districts and regions with no more than four horsemen as escort, to whom alone he dared entrust his life. 

[44] 

1 Tali modo vastatis regionibus exercitum Caesar duarum cohortium damno Durocortorum Remorum reducit concilioque in eum locum Galliae indicto de coniuratione Senonum et Carnutum quaestionem habere instituit et de Accone, qui princeps eius consili fuerat, 

1 In this manner, after devastating the regions, Caesar led his army back to Durocortorum of the Remi with the loss of two cohorts, and, having summoned a council of Gaul to that place, he began an inquiry into the conspiracy of the Senones and Carnutes, and concerning Acco, who had been the chief of that plan, 

2 graviore sententia pronuntiata more maiorum supplicium sumpsit. 

2 having pronounced a more severe sentence, he inflicted punishment according to the custom of his ancestors. 

3 Nonnulli iudicium veriti profugerunt. Quibus cum aqua atque igni interdixisset, duas legiones ad fines Treverorum, duas in Lingonibus, sex reliquas in Senonum finibus Agedinci in hibernis collocavit frumentoque exercitui proviso, ut instituerat, in Italiam ad conventus agendos profectus est. 

3 Some, fearing judgment, fled. Having interdicted them from fire and water, he stationed two legions on the borders of the Treveri, two in the territory of the Lingones, and the remaining six in the territory of the Senones at Agedincum in winter quarters, and having provided grain for the army, as he had planned, he set out for Italy to hold the assizes. 

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