De Bello Gallico 8.15

8.15.1Barbarī cōnfīsī locī nātūrā, cum dīmicāre nōn recūsārent, sī forte Rōmānī subīre collem cōnārentur, paulātim cōpiās distribūtās dīmittere nōn possent, nē dispersī perturbārentur, in aciē permānsērunt.

The barbarians, trusting in the nature of the ground, since they did not refuse to fight if the Romans perhaps tried to climb the hill, and could not send their forces away little by little in case they were thrown into disorder when scattered, stayed in their battle line.

Note. cōnfīsī: semi-deponent participle with the ablative, 'trusting in'. nē dispersī perturbārentur: 'for fear that, once scattered, they would be thrown into disorder'.

8.15.2Quōrum pertināciā cognitā Caesar XX cohortibus īnstrūctīs castrīsque eō locō mētātīs mūnīrī iubet castra.

When he learned of their stubbornness, Caesar drew up twenty cohorts, marked out a camp in that place and ordered it to be fortified.

Note. castrīs … mētātīs: from the deponent mētor, used in a passive sense, 'the camp having been marked out'.

8.15.3Absolūtīs operibus prō vallō legiōnēs īnstrūctās collocat, equitēs frēnātīs equīs in statiōne dispōnit.

When the works were finished he places the legions drawn up in front of the rampart and posts the cavalry at their stations with their horses bridled.

Note. Absolūtīs operibus: ablative absolute. frēnātīs equīs: 'with horses bridled', i.e. ready to ride at once.

8.15.4Bellovacī, cum Rōmānōs ad īnsequendum parātōs vidērent neque pernoctāre aut diūtius permanēre sine perīculō eōdem locō possent, tāle cōnsilium suī recipiendī cēpērunt.

The Bellovaci, since they saw that the Romans were ready to pursue and they could not spend the night or stay longer in the same place without danger, adopted the following plan for withdrawing.

Note. tāle cōnsilium suī recipiendī: 'the following plan for withdrawing themselves'; suī is the genitive plural of the reflexive with the gerund.

8.15.5Fascēs, ubi cōnsēderant (namque in aciē sedēre Gallōs cōnsuēsse superiōribus commentāriīs Caesaris dēclārātum est), per manūs strāmentōrum ac virgultōrum, quōrum summa erat in castrīs cōpia, inter sē trāditōs ante aciem collocārunt extrēmōque tempore diēī signō prōnūntiātō ūnō tempore incendērunt.

Bundles of straw and brushwood, of which there was a great supply in the camp, were passed from hand to hand to where they had been sitting (for it was shown in Caesar's earlier commentaries that the Gauls are accustomed to sit in their battle line) and placed in front of the line, and at the very end of the day, on a given signal, they set fire to them all at once.

Note. Fascēs … stramentōrum ac virgultōrum: 'bundles of straw and brushwood'. per manūs … inter sē trāditōs: 'passed from hand to hand among themselves'. collocārunt = collocāvērunt. Hirtius refers back to Caesar's account in Book VII.

8.15.6Ita continēns flamma cōpiās omnēs repente ā cōnspectū tēxit Rōmānōrum.

So a continuous wall of flame suddenly hid all their forces from the sight of the Romans.

Note. continēns flamma: 'an unbroken flame', a fire curtain.

8.15.6Quod ubi accidit, barbarī vehementissimō cursū refūgērunt.

As soon as this happened, the barbarians fled at full speed.

Note. Quod ubi accidit: 'as soon as this happened'.