De Bello Gallico 2.25

2.25.1Caesar ab X. legiōnis cohortātiōne ad dextrum cornū profectus, ubi suōs urgērī signīsque in ūnum locum conlātīs XII. legiōnis cōnfertōs mīlitēs sibi ipsōs ad pugnam esse impedīmentō vīdit, quārtae cohortis omnibus centuriōnibus occīsīs signiferōque interfectō, signō āmissō, reliquārum cohortium omnibus ferē centuriōnibus aut vulnerātīs aut occīsīs, in hīs prīmipīlō P. Sextiō Baculō, fortissimō virō, multīs gravibusque vulneribus cōnfectō, ut iam sē sustinēre nōn posset, reliquōs esse tardiōrēs et nōn nūllōs ab novissimīs dēsertō locō proeliō excēdere ac tēla vītāre, hostēs neque ā fronte ex īnferiōre locō subeuntēs intermittere et ab utrōque latere īnstāre et rem esse in angustō vīdit, neque ūllum esse subsidium quod submittī posset, scūtō ab novissimīs ūnī mīlitī dētrāctō, quod ipse eō sine scūtō vēnerat, in prīmam aciem prōcessit centuriōnibusque nōminātim appellātīs reliquōs cohortātus mīlitēs signa īnferre et manipulōs laxāre iussit, quō facilius gladiīs utī possent.

After encouraging the tenth legion Caesar set out for the right wing. There he saw his men hard pressed: the standards of the twelfth legion had been brought together in one place, and the soldiers were packed so close that they got in each other's way in the fight. All the centurions of the fourth cohort had been killed, the standard-bearer slain and the standard lost; almost all the centurions of the other cohorts were wounded or killed, among them the chief centurion Publius Sextius Baculus, a very brave man, so worn out by many serious wounds that he could no longer stand. The rest were slowing down, and some at the rear were leaving the battle and getting out of range of the missiles. The enemy did not stop coming up the slope in front and were pressing on both flanks. The situation was critical, and there was no reserve that could be sent up. So Caesar took a shield from a soldier at the rear, since he had come there without a shield himself, went forward to the front line, called the centurions by name, encouraged the rest of the soldiers, and ordered them to advance the standards and open out the ranks, so that they could use their swords more easily.

Note. One of Caesar's longest sentences: a chain of things he saw (vīdit) and then a short main action, in prīmam aciem prōcessit. scūtō … dētrāctō: 'taking a shield', ablative absolute.

2.25.3Cuius adventū spē inlātā mīlitibus ac redintegrātō animō, cum prō sē quisque in cōnspectū imperātōris etiam in extrēmīs suīs rēbus operam nāvāre cuperet, paulum hostium impetus tardātus est.

His arrival gave the soldiers hope and restored their spirit; each man wanted to do his utmost in sight of the general, even in his own last extremity, and the enemy's attack was checked a little.

Note. operam nāvāre: 'to do one's best'. paulum: adverb, 'a little'.