[14] His Caesar ita respondit: eo sibi minus dubitationis dari, quod eas res quas legati Helvetii commemorassent memoria teneret, atque eo gravius ferre quo minus merito populi Romani accidissent; qui si alicuius iniuriae sibi conscius fuisset, non fuisse difficile cavere; sed eo deceptum, quod neque commissum a se intellegeret quare timeret neque sine causa timendum putaret.
Eng: Caesar responded in this way: He was given less hesitation because he remembered the things which the Helvetian ambassadors had mentioned and felt even more aggrieved that they had befallen the Roman people without merit. If he had been conscious of any wrongdoing, it would not have been difficult to take precautions. However, he was deceived in that he neither understood why he should be afraid nor believed there was any reason to fear without cause.
华文: 恺撒回答道：他不会因为那些赫尔维蒂使者所提到的事情而感到更加犹豫，因为他牢记着那些事情，并且因为这些事情给罗马人带来的损失越大，他就越加愤怒。如果他有任何罪行，他会很容易就能防范措施；但事实上他没有做错什么，因此既不知道他为什么会被怀疑，也不认为有理由让他感到恐惧。
Commentary: Divico's reference to the Helvetian belief in the superiority of virtus over deceit and treachery sheds light on the cultural values and beliefs of the Gallic peoples. The concept of virtus, or heroic valor and bravery, was central to the Gallic warrior ethos, and was often contrasted with Roman tactics of deceit and subterfuge.
Quod si veteris contumeliae oblivisci vellet, num etiam recentium iniuriarum, quod eo invito iter per provinciam per vim temptassent, quod Haeduos, quod Ambarros, quod Allobrogas vexassent, memoriam deponere posse? Quod sua victoria tam insolenter gloriarentur quodque tam diu se impune iniurias tulisse admirarentur, eodem pertinere.
Eng: If he were willing to forget the ancient insult, could he also forget the recent wrongs? Could he forget that they had attempted to march through the province by force against his will? Could he forget that they had harassed the Haedui, the Ambarri, and the Allobroges? Their pride in their victory and their wonder at having endured so many wrongs with impunity were related to the same issue.
华文: 若他想忘却旧时的侮辱，那么难道还能忘却最近的伤害吗？他们不顾他的反对强行穿越整个省份，烦扰了埃杜埃人、安巴尔人和阿洛布罗格人，这些事情也能被遗忘吗？他们如此猖狂地夸耀他们的胜利，以及这么长时间无惧地承受伤害，这也是有关连的。
Commentary: The Ambarri were another Gallic tribe that inhabited the region around modern-day Lyon. They were known for their skill in metalworking and minting coins.
The Allobroges were a Gallic tribe that lived in the region east of the Rhône River. They were known for their excellent horsemanship and were early allies of Rome in the conquest of Gaul.
Consuesse enim deos immortales, quo gravius homines ex commutatione rerum doleant, quos pro scelere eorum ulcisci velint, his secundiores interdum res et diuturniorem impunitatem concedere. Cum ea ita sint, tamen, si obsides ab iis sibi dentur, uti ea quae polliceantur facturos intellegat, et si Haeduis de iniuriis quas ipsis sociisque eorum intulerint, item si Allobrogibus satisfaciant, sese cum iis pacem esse facturum.
Eng: For it is customary for the immortal gods, in order to inflict a greater punishment on humans for their changeable fortunes, to grant them at times success and long-lasting impunity to those whom they wish to avenge for their wickedness. Although that may be the case, however, if they give him hostages, so that he may understand that they will do what they promise, and if they make amends to the Haedui for the wrongs they have inflicted upon them and their allies, as well as to the Allobroges, he will make peace with them.
华文: 因为神明习惯于对那些因为事物的变化而遭受重大痛苦的人进行惩罚，对于想要为他们的罪行报复的人而言，有时会让他们在较长时间内享受良好的状况和无罪的状态。虽然情况如此，如果他们提供人质给我，并保证他们会履行他们所承诺的事情，并且如果他们对于他们对于我和我的盟友所犯下的不义之行向埃杜埃人和阿洛布罗格人作出补偿，我将与他们达成和平。
Commentary: This passage highlights the Roman belief in divine intervention and the idea that the gods may grant victory to those who suffer greatly. The idea of offering hostages as a sign of good faith was a common practice in ancient diplomacy.
In ancient times, the hostages were usually members of noble families or other influential individuals who were considered valuable to their community. They were often well-treated, but their status was precarious, and they could be subjected to mistreatment or even executed if their captors felt that the other party had violated the agreement.
Hostages were used as a diplomatic tool in various contexts, such as ending wars, concluding treaties, securing alliances, and ensuring compliance with political and economic agreements. The practice continued throughout the medieval period and was still used in some form until the early modern era.
Divico respondit: ita Helvetios a maioribus suis institutos esse uti obsides accipere, non dare, consuerint; eius rei populum Romanum esse testem. Hoc responso dato discessit.
Eng: Divico replied that the Helvetians have been accustomed by their ancestors to receive hostages, not to give them, and the Roman people could bear witness to this fact. Having given this answer, he departed.
华文: 迪维科回答道：据其祖先所传，瑞士人习惯接受人质，而不是交出人质；这一点罗马人是知道的。他说完这句话便离开了。
Commentary: Interestingly, the ancient Greeks also had a similar practice of taking hostages as a form of diplomatic assurance. For example, during the Peloponnesian War, Athens demanded that the island of Melos surrender hostages as a condition for peace. When the Melians refused, the Athenians eventually sacked their city and killed most of the population.
[15] Postero die castra ex eo loco movent. Idem facit Caesar equitatumqueomnem, ad numerum quattuor milium, quem ex omni provincia et Haeduis atque eorum sociis coactum habebat, praemittit, qui videant quas in partes hostes iter faciant. Qui cupidius novissimum agmen insecuti alieno loco cum equitatu Helvetiorum proelium committunt; et pauci de nostris cadunt.
Eng: The next day, they move the camp from that place. Caesar also sends forward all the cavalry, to the number of four thousand, which he had collected from the entire province, as well as from the Aedui and their allies, to see in what direction the enemy was marching. The cavalry, eagerly pursuing the enemy's rearguard, engage in battle with the Helvetians in an unfavorable location, and a few of our men are killed.
华文: 第二天，他们离开了那个地方的营地。恺撒也派出了他所有的骑兵，共四千人，其中包括从整个省份和埃杜埃人及其盟友集合而来的部队，去前方侦查敌军的行动。骑兵们太过急切地追击了最后一队敌人，并在不利的地形与瑞士人的骑兵交战，导致我们方的一些人死亡。
Commentary: The Roman cavalry was an essential component of their military strategy, and they were trained to perform a variety of tasks such as reconnaissance, skirmishing, and flanking maneuvers. In contrast, the Helvetii relied more on their infantry, which consisted of skilled and well-equipped warriors.
Quo proelio sublati Helvetii, quod quingentis equitibus tantam multitudinem equitum propulerant, audacius subsistere non numquam et novissimo agmine proelio nostros lacessere coeperunt. Caesar suos a proelio continebat, ac satis habebat in praesentia hostem rapinis, pabulationibus populationibusque prohibere.
Eng: After this battle, the Helvetians, having driven off such a large number of cavalry with only five hundred of their own, were emboldened to occasionally stand their ground and provoke our men to battle from their rear guard. Caesar kept his soldiers from battle and was content for the time being to prevent the enemy from raiding and plundering for food.
华文: 在那场战斗后，赫尔维蒂人的骑兵击败了五百名骑兵，因此他们有时更加勇敢，决定停下来并开始挑衅我们的后卫。凯撒让他的士兵不要参加战斗，而在目前，他们已经阻止敌人进行掠夺、抢夺和掠夺等行动，对此表示满意。
Commentary: Caesar is conserving his troops and not wanting to risk unnecessary losses in a battle that was not critical. Additionally, by preventing the Helvetii from foraging and plundering, it would weaken their army and limit their supplies.
Ita dies circiter XV iter fecerunt uti inter novissimum hostium agmen et nostrum primum non amplius quinis aut senis milibus passuum interesset.
Eng: Thus, they marched for about fifteen days so that there was no more than five or six miles between the enemy's rear guard and our vanguard.
华文: 如此，大约十五天时间，我们行军的最前线和敌人的最后一队间相距不超过五到六千步。
Commentary: The Roman army was known for their impressive marching ability, which was essential for their military campaigns. Soldiers would march for long distances, often carrying heavy equipment and supplies, and were required to maintain a high level of physical fitness. They would typically march in formation, with the fastest and most experienced soldiers at the front to set the pace, and the slower soldiers and supply wagons at the back.
During the march, the Roman soldiers would take short breaks to rest and eat, but would typically cover a distance of around 20 miles per day. The pace of the march could vary depending on the terrain, weather, and the presence of enemy forces.
In this particular passage, we see that the Romans kept a close distance to the enemy, which suggests that they were on high alert and ready for any potential attacks. This tactic of keeping close to the enemy was common in Roman military strategy and allowed them to maintain a strong defensive position.