De Bello Gallico 8.19

8.19.1Cum dispositīs turmīs in vicem rārī proeliārentur neque ab lateribus circumvenīrī suōs paterentur, ērumpunt cēterī Correō proeliante ex silvīs.

While, with the squadrons posted apart, they fought in small groups in turn and did not let their comrades be surrounded on the flanks, the rest burst out of the woods while Correus was fighting.

Note. in vicem: 'in turn'. rārī: 'few at a time, in small groups'. Correō proeliante: ablative absolute, 'while Correus was fighting': the main ambush is sprung only now.

8.19.2Fit magnā contentiōne dīversum proelium.

A battle is fought in different places with great effort.

Note. Fit … proelium: 'a battle takes place'. dīversum: 'in different places'.

8.19.2Quod cum diūtius parī Mārte inīrētur, paulātim ex silvīs īnstrūcta multitūdō prōcēdit peditum, quae nostrōs coēgit cēdere equitēs.

When this had gone on for some time with neither side gaining, a mass of infantry, drawn up in order, gradually came out of the woods and forced our cavalry to give way.

Note. parī Mārte: 'with equal fortune of war', Mārs standing for battle itself. ex silvīs īnstrūcta multitūdō … peditum: the long subject is split by the verb prōcēdit.

8.19.2Quibus celeriter subveniunt levis armātūrae peditēs, quōs ante legiōnēs missōs docuī, turmīsque nostrōrum interpositī cōnstanter proeliantur.

The light-armed infantry, who I said had been sent ahead of the legions, quickly come to their help, and, placed among the squadrons of our men, fight steadily.

Note. quōs ante legiōnēs missōs docuī: 'whom I said had been sent ahead of the legions': Hirtius refers back to chapter 17, speaking in the first person, which Caesar never does.

8.19.3Pugnātur aliquamdiū parī contentiōne;

For some time the fight goes on with equal effort;

Note. Pugnātur: impersonal passive, 'the fighting goes on'.

8.19.3deinde, ut ratiō postulābat proelī, quī sustinuerant prīmōs impetūs īnsidiārum hōc ipsō fīunt superiōrēs, quod nūllum ab īnsidiantibus imprūdentēs accēperant dētrīmentum.

then, as the nature of the battle required, those who had withstood the first attacks from the ambush gain the upper hand for this very reason, that they had suffered no loss from the men in ambush by being caught off guard.

Note. ut ratiō postulābat proelī: 'as the logic of the battle demanded'. hōc ipsō … quod: 'for this very reason, that'. imprūdentēs: 'off guard, unawares'.

8.19.4Accēdunt propius interim legiōnēs, crēbrīque eōdem tempore et nostrīs et hostibus nūntiī adferuntur, imperātōrem īnstrūctīs cōpiīs adesse.

Meanwhile the legions come closer, and many messages are brought at the same time both to our men and to the enemy that the general is at hand with his forces drawn up.

Note. crēbrī … nūntiī: 'frequent messages'. imperātōrem … adesse: indirect statement explaining the messages; imperātor is Caesar.

8.19.5Quā rē cognitā praesidiō cohortium cōnfīsī nostrī ācerrimē proeliantur, nē, sī tardius rem gessissent, victōriae glōriam commūnicāsse cum legiōnibus vidērentur;

When they learned this, our men, trusting in the protection of the cohorts, fight most fiercely, so that they should not seem, if they acted too slowly, to have shared the glory of the victory with the legions;

Note. praesidiō cohortium cōnfīsī: cōnfīdō takes the ablative, 'trusting in the support'. nē … vidērentur: 'so as not to seem', a negative purpose clause. commūnicāsse = commūnicāvisse.

8.19.6hostēs concidunt animīs atque itineribus dīversīs fugam quaerunt.

the enemy lose heart and seek flight by different routes.

Note. animīs concidunt: 'they lose heart', literally 'fall in their spirits' (concĭdō, not concīdō 'cut down').

8.19.6Nēquīquam: nam quibus difficultātibus locōrum Rōmānōs claudere voluerant, eīs ipsī tenēbantur.

In vain: for they were themselves trapped by the same difficult ground in which they had wanted to shut in the Romans.

Note. Nēquīquam: 'in vain', set apart for emphasis. quibus difficultātibus … eīs: 'by the same difficulties with which…': the relative clause comes first and eīs picks it up.

8.19.7Victī tamen perculsīque maiōre parte āmissā cōnsternātī profugiunt partim silvīs petītīs, partim flūmine (quī tamen in fugā ā nostrīs ācriter īnsequentibus cōnficiuntur), cum interim nūllā calamitāte victus Correus excēdere proeliō silvāsque petere aut invītantibus nostrīs ad dēditiōnem potuit addūcī, quīn fortissimē proeliandō complūrēsque vulnerandō cōgeret ēlātōs īrācundiā victōrēs in sē tēla conicere.

Beaten, however, and struck down, having lost the greater part of their men, they flee in panic, some making for the woods, some for the river (and even so they are cut down in their flight by our men pursuing them fiercely), while all the time Correus, unbroken by any disaster, could not be brought to leave the battle and make for the woods, or to surrender when our men invited him, but by fighting most bravely and wounding many he forced the victors, carried away by anger, to hurl their weapons at him.

Note. A long sentence: first the rout (partim … partim, 'some … others'), then a parenthesis, then cum interim, 'while all the time'. nōn … potuit addūcī, quīn … cōgeret: 'could not be brought to (surrender) without forcing…'. prōeliandō … vulnerandō: gerunds in the ablative, 'by fighting… by wounding'.