De Bello Gallico 1.39

1.39.1Dum paucōs diēs ad Vesontiōnem reī frūmentāriae commeātūsque causā morātur, ex percontātiōne nostrōrum vōcibusque Gallōrum ac mercātōrum, quī ingentī magnitūdine corporum Germānōs, incrēdibilī virtūte atque exercitātiōne in armīs esse praedicābant (saepe numerō sēsē cum hīs congressōs nē vultum quidem atque aciem oculōrum dīcēbant ferre potuisse), tantus subitō timor omnem exercitum occupāvit ut nōn mediocriter omnium mentēs animōsque perturbāret.

While he stayed a few days near Vesontio for the sake of grain and supplies, the questions of our men and the talk of the Gauls and traders, who declared that the Germans were men of huge size and of incredible courage and skill in arms (they said that often, when they had met them, they had not been able to bear even their faces and the glare of their eyes), caused such sudden fear to seize the whole army that it greatly disturbed everyone's minds and spirits.

Note. The sentence is long because of the bracketed aside about the Germans' fierce eyes; the main clause is tantus subitō timor … occupāvit ut … perturbāret.

1.39.2Hic prīmum ortus est ā tribūnīs mīlitum, praefectīs, reliquīsque quī ex urbe amīcitiae causā Caesarem secūtī nōn magnum in rē mīlitārī ūsum habēbant: quōrum alius aliā causā inlātā, quam sibi ad proficīscendum necessāriam esse dīceret, petēbat ut eius voluntāte discēdere licēret;

This fear began first with the military tribunes, the prefects and the others who had followed Caesar from Rome out of friendship and had little experience of war: one gave one reason and another another, which he said made it necessary for him to leave, and asked to be allowed to go with Caesar's consent;

Note. alius aliā causā illātā: 'one giving one reason, another another'. alius repeated in different cases is a common Latin way of saying 'different people … different things'.

1.39.3nōn nūllī pudōre adductī, ut timōris suspīciōnem vītārent, remanēbant.

some, kept there by shame, stayed so as to avoid the suspicion of fear.

1.39.4Hī neque vultum fingere neque interdum lacrimās tenēre poterant: abditī in tabernāculīs aut suum fātum querēbantur aut cum familiāribus suīs commūne perīculum miserābantur.

These men could neither control their faces nor sometimes hold back their tears: hidden in their tents they either complained about their fate or lamented the common danger with their friends.

1.39.4Vulgō tōtīs castrīs testāmenta obsignābantur.

All over the camp wills were being signed and sealed.

Note. Vulgō tōtīs castrīs: 'everywhere in the camp'. Soldiers sealed their wills because they expected to die.

1.39.5Hōrum vōcibus ac timōre paulātim etiam iī quī magnum in castrīs ūsum habēbant, mīlitēs centuriōnēsque quīque equitātuī praeerant, perturbābantur.

Through the talk and fear of these men, even those with long experience of camp life, the soldiers, the centurions and those in command of the cavalry, were gradually unsettled.

1.39.6Quī sē ex hīs minus timidōs exīstimārī volēbant, nōn sē hostem verērī, sed angustiās itineris et magnitūdinem silvārum quae intercēderent inter ipsōs atque Ariovistum, aut rem frūmentāriam, ut satis commodē supportārī posset, timēre dīcēbant.

Those of them who wished to be thought less frightened said they did not fear the enemy, but the narrow roads and the vast forests that lay between them and Ariovistus, or the grain supply, that it could not be brought up easily enough.

1.39.7Nōn nūllī etiam Caesarī nūntiābant, cum castra movērī ac signa ferrī iussisset, nōn fore dictō audientēs mīlitēs neque propter timōrem signa lātūrōs.

Some even told Caesar that when he gave the order to break camp and advance, the soldiers would not obey and would not advance because of their fear.

Note. nōn fore dictō audientēs: 'would not obey orders'; dictō audiēns (literally 'listening to the word') means 'obedient'.