De Bello Gallico 5.52

5.52.1Longius prōsequī veritus, quod silvae palūdēsque intercēdēbant neque etiam parvulō dētrīmentō illōrum locum relinquī vidēbat, omnibus suīs incolumibus cōpiīs eōdem diē ad Cicerōnem pervenit.

Afraid to pursue further, because woods and marshes lay between and he saw that no place was left for doing them even a little harm, he reaches Cicero the same day with all his forces unharmed.

Note. neque … parvulō dētrīmentō illōrum locum relinquī: 'that no opportunity was left for even a small loss of theirs', i.e. no chance to do them more harm.

5.52.2Īnstitūtās turrēs, testūdinēs mūnītiōnēsque hostium admīrātur;

He marvels at the towers, sheds and fortifications the enemy had built;

5.52.2legiōne prōductā cognōscit nōn decimum quemque esse reliquum mīlitem sine vulnere: ex hīs omnibus iūdicat rēbus, quantō cum perīculō et quantā cum virtūte rēs sint administrātae.

when the legion is paraded, he learns that not one soldier in ten was left without a wound: from all these things he judges with what danger and with what courage matters had been handled.

Note. nōn decimum quemque … sine vulnere: 'not one man in ten without a wound'. quisque with an ordinal means 'every tenth'.

5.52.4Cicerōnem prō eius meritō legiōnemque collaudat;

He praises Cicero as he deserves, and the legion;

5.52.4centuriōnēs singillātim tribūnōsque mīlitum appellat, quōrum ēgregiam fuisse virtūtem testimōniō Cicerōnis cognōverat.

he addresses one by one the centurions and the military tribunes whose courage he had learned from Cicero's testimony had been outstanding.

5.52.4Dē cāsū Sabīnī et Cottae certius ex captīvīs cognōscit.

He learns more definitely from the prisoners about the disaster of Sabinus and Cotta.

5.52.5Posterō diē cōntiōne habitā rem gestam prōpōnit, mīlitēs cōnsōlātur et cōnfirmat: quod dētrīmentum culpā et temeritāte lēgātī sit acceptum, hoc aequiōre animō ferendum docet, quod beneficiō deōrum immortālium et virtūte eōrum expiātō incommodō neque hostibus diūtina laetātiō neque ipsīs longior dolor relinquātur.

The next day he holds an assembly, sets out what had happened, and comforts and encourages the soldiers: the loss that had been suffered through the fault and rashness of the legate, he tells them, they should bear the more calmly because, by the kindness of the immortal gods and their own courage, the disaster had been avenged, so that neither the enemy were left a lasting joy nor they themselves a longer grief.

Note. quod dētrīmentum … hoc: the relative clause comes first and hoc picks it up: 'the loss which …, this …'. expiātō incommodō: 'since the disaster has been atoned for'.