De Bello Gallico 2.9

2.9.1Palūs erat nōn magna inter nostrum atque hostium exercitum.

There was a marsh, not large, between our army and the enemy's.

Note. Palūs, -ūdis is a marsh, not pālus, a stake.

2.9.1Hanc sī nostrī trānsīrent hostēs expectābant;

The enemy were waiting to see whether our men would cross it;

Note. Hanc sī nostrī trānsīrent: sī here means 'to see whether'.

2.9.1nostrī autem, sī ab illīs initium trānseundī fieret, ut impedītōs adgrederentur parātī in armīs erant.

our men, for their part, stood ready in arms to attack them while they were hampered, if the enemy began to cross.

2.9.2Interim proeliō equestrī inter duās aciēs contendēbātur.

Meanwhile there was a cavalry fight between the two lines.

2.9.2Ubi neutrī trānseundī initium faciunt, secundiōre equitum proeliō nostrīs Caesar suōs in castra redūxit.

When neither side began to cross, Caesar, the cavalry battle having gone in our favour, led his men back into camp.

2.9.3Hostēs prōtinus ex eō locō ad flūmen Axonam contendērunt, quod esse post nostra castra dēmōnstrātum est.

The enemy immediately hurried from that place to the river Aisne, which, as has been shown, was behind our camp.

Note. quod esse post nostra castra dēmōnstrātum est: 'which, as was shown, was behind our camp'.

2.9.4Ibi vadīs repertīs partem suārum cōpiārum trādūcere cōnātī sunt eō cōnsiliō ut, sī possent, castellum, cui praeerat Q. Titūrius lēgātus, expugnārent pontemque interscinderent, sī minus potuissent, agrōs Rēmōrum populārentur, quī magnō nōbīs ūsuī ad bellum gerendum erant, commeātūque nostrōs prohibērent.

There, finding fords, they tried to lead part of their forces across, with the plan of storming, if they could, the redoubt commanded by the officer Quintus Titurius and breaking down the bridge; or, if they could not, of laying waste the fields of the Remi, which were very useful to us for waging the war, and cutting our men off from supplies.

Note. eō cōnsiliō ut: 'with the plan that'. magnō nōbīs ūsuī: a double dative, 'of great use to us'.