De Bello Gallico 1.48

1.48.1Eōdem diē castra prōmōvit et mīlibus passuum VI ā Caesaris castrīs sub monte cōnsēdit.

That same day he moved his camp forward and encamped at the foot of a hill six miles from Caesar's camp.

1.48.2Postrīdiē eius diēī praeter castra Caesaris suās cōpiās trādūxit et mīlibus passuum duōbus ultrā eum castra fēcit eō cōnsiliō utī frūmentō commeātūque quī ex Sēquanīs et Haeduīs supportārētur Caesarem interclūderet.

The next day he led his forces past Caesar's camp and pitched camp two miles beyond him, intending to cut Caesar off from the grain and supplies being brought up from the Sequani and the Haedui.

1.48.3Ex eō diē diēs continuōs V Caesar prō castrīs suās cōpiās prōdūxit et aciem īnstrūctam habuit, ut, sī vellet Ariovistus proeliō contendere, eī potestās nōn dēesset.

From that day on, for five days in a row, Caesar led his forces out in front of the camp and kept his battle line drawn up, so that if Ariovistus wanted to fight a battle he would have the chance.

1.48.4Ariovistus hīs omnibus diēbus exercitum castrīs continuit, equestrī proeliō cōtīdiē contendit.

All these days Ariovistus kept his army in camp, but fought a cavalry battle every day.

1.48.4Genus hoc erat pugnae, quō sē Germānī exercuerant: equitum mīlia erant VI, totidem numerō peditēs vēlōcissimī ac fortissimī, quōs ex omnī cōpiā singulī singulōs suae salūtis causā dēlēgerant: cum hīs in proeliīs versābantur, ad eōs sē equitēs recipiēbant;

This was the kind of fighting the Germans had trained in: there were six thousand horsemen, and as many foot soldiers, very swift and very brave, whom the horsemen had chosen from the whole host, each one picking one man for his own protection; the horsemen fought alongside them in battle and fell back on them;

Note. singulī singulōs: 'each one picked one', distributive. The foot soldiers ran beside the horsemen and protected them.

1.48.6hī, sī quid erat dūrius, concurrēbant, sī quī graviōre vulnere acceptō equō dēciderat, circumsistēbant;

if things got very hard, these ran up to help; if any horseman had received a serious wound and fallen from his horse, they stood around him;

1.48.7sī quō erat longius prōdeundum aut celerius recipiendum, tanta erat hōrum exercitātiōne celeritās ut iubīs sublevātī equōrum cursum adaequārent.

if they had to go forward some distance or fall back quickly, their training had made them so fast that, holding on to the horses' manes, they kept pace with them.

Note. prōdeundum … recipiendum: impersonal gerundives, 'there was need to go forward … to fall back'. iubīs sublevātī: 'holding themselves up by the manes'.