De Bello Gallico 8.14

8.14.1Complūribus diēbus īsdem in castrīs cōnsūmptīs, cum propius accessisse legiōnēs et Gāium Trebōnium lēgātum cognōssent, ducēs Bellovacōrum veritī similem obsessiōnem Alesiae noctū dīmittunt eōs quōs aut aetāte aut vīribus īnferiōrēs aut inermēs habēbant, ūnāque reliqua impedīmenta.

After several days had been spent in the same camp, when the leaders of the Bellovaci learned that the legions and the legate Gaius Trebonius had come closer, fearing a siege like that of Alesia, they send away by night those whom they had who were weaker in age or strength or unarmed, and with them the rest of the baggage.

Note. Alesia, where Caesar besieged Vercingetorix in 52 BC (Book VII), was a terrible memory for the Gauls. eōs quōs … habēbant: 'those they had who were …'. ūnāque: adverb, 'together with them'.

8.14.2Quōrum perturbātum et cōnfūsum dum explicant agmen (magna enim multitūdō carrōrum etiam expedītōs sequī Gallōs cōnsuēvit), oppressī lūce cōpiās armātōrum prō suīs īnstruunt castrīs, nē prius Rōmānī persequī sē inciperent quam longius agmen impedīmentōrum suōrum prōcessisset.

While they are sorting out this confused and disordered column (for a great number of wagons usually follows the Gauls even when they are lightly equipped), they are caught by daylight and draw up armed forces in front of their camp, so that the Romans should not begin to pursue them before the column of their baggage had got further away.

Note. Quōrum … agmen: connecting relative: 'their column'. dum explicant: dum with the present, 'while they were sorting out'. expedītōs … Gallōs: 'the Gauls even when lightly equipped'.

8.14.3At Caesar neque resistentēs adgrediendōs tantō collis ascēnsū iūdicābat, neque nōn usque eō legiōnēs admovendās ut discēdere ex eō locō sine perīculō barbarī mīlitibus īnstantibus nōn possent.

But Caesar judged that they should not be attacked when standing their ground on so steep a hill, nor yet that the legions should be kept from coming close enough that the barbarians could not leave that place without danger with our soldiers pressing on them.

Note. neque … aggrediendōs (esse) … neque nōn … admovendās (esse): two gerundives in indirect statement after iūdicābat; neque nōn = 'and yet should'. usque eō … ut: 'so far … that'.

8.14.4Ita, cum palūde impedītā ā castrīs castra dīvidī vidēret, quae trānseundī difficultās celeritātem īnsequendī tardāre posset, atque id iugum quod trāns palūdem paene ad hostium castra pertinēret mediocrī valle ā castrīs eōrum intercīsum animum adverteret, pontibus palūde cōnstrātā legiōnēs trādūcit celeriterque in summam plānitiem iugī pervēnit, quae dēclīvī fastīgiō duōbus ab lateribus mūniēbātur.

So, seeing that the two camps were separated by an impassable marsh, which, being hard to cross, could slow the speed of a pursuit, and noticing that the ridge which stretched across the marsh almost to the enemy's camp was cut off from their camp by a moderate valley, he lays bridges over the marsh, leads the legions across and quickly reaches the level top of the ridge, which was protected on two sides by a steep slope.

Note. palūde impedītā: ablative of means, 'by a marsh that was hard to cross'. quae trānseundī difficultās: 'a difficulty of crossing which'. animum adverteret: = animadverteret, 'noticed'. dēclīvī fastīgiō: 'by a downward slope'.

8.14.5Ibi legiōnibus īnstrūctīs ad ultimum iugum pervēnit aciemque eō locō cōnstituit unde tormentō missa tēla in hostium cuneōs conicī possent.

There, with the legions drawn up, he went to the far end of the ridge and formed his line in a place from which weapons shot by artillery could be thrown into the enemy's wedges.

Note. unde … possent: relative clause of purpose, 'from which weapons could be thrown'. cuneōs: the Gauls' wedge-shaped formations.