De Bello Gallico 5.51

5.51.1Quibus omnibus rēbus hostēs invītātī cōpiās trādūcunt aciemque inīquō locō cōnstituunt, nostrīs vērō etiam dē vallō dēductīs propius accēdunt et tēla intrā mūnītiōnem ex omnibus partibus coniciunt praecōnibusque circummissīs prōnūntiārī iubent, seu quis Gallus seu Rōmānus velit ante hōram tertiam ad sē trānsīre, sine perīculō licēre;

Lured on by all these things, the enemy bring their forces across and draw up their line on unfavourable ground, and when our men had been withdrawn even from the rampart, they come closer, throw weapons inside the fortification from all sides, and send heralds round to announce that if any Gaul or Roman wishes to come over to them before the third hour he may do so without danger;

Note. seu quis Gallus seu Rōmānus velit: 'if anyone, whether Gaul or Roman, wishes'. The heralds' proclamation is in indirect speech: licēre … nōn fore potestātem.

5.51.2post id tempus nōn fore potestātem: ac sīc nostrōs contempsērunt, ut obstrūctīs in speciem portīs singulīs ōrdinibus caespitum, quod eā nōn posse intrōrumpere vidēbantur, aliī vallum manū scindere, aliī fossās complēre inciperent.

after that time there would be no such chance. And they so despised our men that, since the gates had been blocked for show with single rows of turf and they thought they could not break in that way, some began to tear down the rampart with their hands, others to fill in the ditches.

Note. obstrūctīs in speciem portīs: 'the gates having been blocked for show'. The thin wall of turf was meant to look solid while being easy to burst open.

5.51.4Tum Caesar omnibus portīs ēruptiōne factā equitātūque ēmissō celeriter hostēs in fugam dat, sīc utī omnīnō pugnandī causā resisteret nēmō, magnumque ex eīs numerum occīdit atque omnēs armīs exuit.

Then Caesar, making a sortie from all the gates and sending out the cavalry, quickly puts the enemy to flight, so that no one at all stood his ground to fight, and he kills a great number of them and strips all of them of their arms.