De Bello Gallico 1.26

1.26.1Ita ancipitī proeliō diū atque ācriter pugnātum est.

So the fighting went on long and fiercely on two fronts.

Note. pugnātum est: impersonal passive, 'there was fighting'.

1.26.1Diūtius cum sustinēre nostrōrum impetūs nōn possent, alterī sē, ut coeperant, in montem recēpērunt, alterī ad impedīmenta et carrōs suōs sē contulērunt.

When they could no longer withstand our men's attacks, one group withdrew to the hill, as they had begun to, the other to their baggage and wagons.

Note. alterī … alterī: 'some … others'.

1.26.2Nam hōc tōtō proeliō, cum ab hōrā septimā ad vesperum pugnātum sit, āversum hostem vidēre nēmō potuit.

For in this whole battle, though it was fought from the seventh hour until evening, no one could see an enemy turn his back.

1.26.3Ad multam noctem etiam ad impedīmenta pugnātum est, proptereā quod prō vallō carrōs obiēcērunt et ē locō superiōre in nostrōs venientēs tēla coiciēbant et nōn nūllī inter carrōs rotāsque matarās ac tragulās subiciēbant nostrōsque vulnerābant.

Fighting went on at the baggage too until late at night, because they had set the wagons in front as a rampart and from higher ground hurled weapons at our men as they came on, and some thrust javelins and spears from between the wagons and wheels and wounded our men.

1.26.4Diū cum esset pugnātum, impedīmentīs castrīsque nostrī potītī sunt.

After long fighting, our men took the baggage and the camp.

1.26.4Ibi Orgetorīgis fīlia atque ūnus ē fīliīs captus est.

There the daughter of Orgetorix and one of his sons were captured.

1.26.5Ex eō proeliō circiter hominum mīlia CXXX superfuērunt eāque tōtā nocte continenter iērunt nūllam partem noctis itinere intermissō;

About 130,000 people survived that battle, and they marched without stopping that whole night, not breaking their march for any part of the night;

1.26.5in fīnēs Lingonum diē quārtō pervēnērunt, cum et propter vulnera mīlitum et propter sepultūram occīsōrum nostrī trīduum morātī eōs sequī nōn potuissent.

on the fourth day they reached the territory of the Lingones, since our men, delayed for three days by the soldiers' wounds and the burial of the dead, had not been able to follow them.

1.26.6Caesar ad Lingonas litterās nūntiōsque mīsit, nē eōs frūmentō nēve aliā rē iuvārent: quī sī iūvissent, sē eōdem locō quō Helvētiōs habitūrum.

Caesar sent letters and messengers to the Lingones telling them not to help the Helvetii with grain or anything else: if they did help them, he would treat them the same as the Helvetii.

Note. nē … neve: 'not … nor'. eōdem locō quō Helvētiōs: 'in the same position as the Helvetii', that is, as enemies.

1.26.6Ipse trīduō intermissō cum omnibus cōpiīs eōs sequī coepit.

He himself, after a wait of three days, began to follow them with all his forces.