De Bello Gallico 2.33

2.33.1Sub vesperum Caesar portās claudī mīlitēsque ex oppidō exīre iussit, nē quam noctū oppidānī ā mīlitibus iniūriam acciperent.

Toward evening Caesar ordered the gates to be shut and the soldiers to leave the town, so that the townspeople would suffer no harm from the soldiers during the night.

2.33.2Illī ante initō, ut intellēctum est, cōnsiliō, quod dēditiōne factā nostrōs praesidia dēductūrōs aut dēnique indīligentius servātūrōs crēdiderant, partim cum iīs quae retinuerant et cēlāverant armīs, partim scūtīs ex cortice factīs aut vīminibus intextīs, quae subitō, ut temporis exiguitās postulābat, pellibus indūxerant, tertiā vigiliā, quā minimē arduus ad nostrās mūnītiōnēs ascēnsus vidēbātur, omnibus cōpiīs repente ex oppidō ēruptiōnem fēcērunt.

The townspeople had made a plan beforehand, as was learned later, because they had believed that once they surrendered our men would withdraw the guards or at least keep watch more carelessly. In the third watch, partly with the arms they had kept back and hidden, partly with shields made of bark or woven wicker, which they had hastily covered with hides as the short time required, they suddenly broke out of the town with all their forces at the point where the climb to our fortifications seemed least steep.

Note. ante initō … cōnsiliō: 'with a plan formed beforehand'. quā: 'where'.

2.33.3Celeriter, ut ante Caesar imperāverat, ignibus significātiōne factā, ex proximīs castellīs eō concursum est, pugnātumque ab hostibus ita ācriter est ut ā virīs fortibus in extrēmā spē salūtis inīquō locō contrā eōs quī ex vallō turribusque tēla iacerent pugnārī dēbuit, cum in ūnā virtūte omnis spēs cōnsisteret.

Quickly, as Caesar had ordered beforehand, a signal was given by fires, men ran there from the nearest forts, and the enemy fought as fiercely as brave men had to fight in their last hope of survival, on unfavourable ground, against men throwing missiles from a rampart and towers, since all their hope lay in courage alone.

Note. concursum est and pugnātum est are impersonal passives: 'there was running together', 'there was fighting'.

2.33.5Occīsīs ad hominum mīlibus IIII reliquī in oppidum rēiectī sunt.

About four thousand men were killed and the rest were driven back into the town.

2.33.6Postrīdiē eius diēī refrāctīs portīs, cum iam dēfenderet nēmō, atque intrōmissīs mīlitibus nostrīs, sectiōnem eius oppidī ūniversam Caesar vēndidit.

The next day the gates were broken open, as no one was defending them any more, and our soldiers were let in; Caesar sold the whole spoil of that town in one lot.

Note. sectiōnem … vēndidit: the captured town and its people were sold to dealers in one lot.

2.33.7Ab iīs quī ēmerant capitum numerus ad eum relātus est mīlium LIII.

The buyers reported to him that the number of persons was fifty-three thousand.