[22] Prima luce, cum summus mons a [Lucio] Labieno teneretur, ipse ab hostium castris non longius mille et quingentis passibus abesset neque, ut postea ex captivis comperit, aut ipsius adventus aut Labieni cognitus esset, Considius equo admisso ad eum accurrit, dicit montem, quem a Labieno occupari voluerit, ab hostibus teneri: id se a Gallicis armis atque insignibus cognovisse.

Eng: At daybreak, when the highest mountain was held by [Lucius] Labienus, Caesar himself was not more than a mile and a half away from the enemy's camp, and as he later learned from captives, neither his arrival nor Labienus' presence had been detected. Considius, spurring his horse, came up to him and said that the mountain which he had wished Labienus to occupy was held by the enemy; this he knew from Gallic arms and insignia.

华文: 天刚亮，当时卢基乌斯·拉比诺占据了山顶，而凯撒本人则离敌军营地只有1500步远。后来从俘虏口中得知，敌人既没有察觉凯撒的到来，也没有认出拉比诺。于是康西迪乌斯骑马赶到凯撒那里，告诉他自己从高卢的武器和标志中认出敌人占领了拉比诺想要占据的那座山。

Commentary: When Considius reported that the mountain was held by the enemy, it suggested that the Helvetians had anticipated the Roman strategy and had sent troops to occupy the high ground first.

This demonstrates the Helvetians' strategic awareness and their use of defensive tactics to thwart Roman advances. By occupying high ground, they could gain an advantage in battle and limit the Romans' ability to maneuver. Additionally, their use of Gallic arms and insignia may have been an attempt to deceive the Romans or create confusion on the battlefield.

Caesar suas copias in proximum collem subducit, aciem instruit. Labienus, ut erat ei praeceptum a Caesare ne proelium committeret, nisi ipsius copiae prope hostium castra visae essent, ut undique uno tempore in hostes impetus fieret, monte occupato nostros expectabat proelioque abstinebat.

Eng: Caesar withdrew his troops to the nearest hill and arranged his battle line. Labienus, as he had been instructed by Caesar not to engage in battle unless the enemy camp was visible to his own troops, waited for our forces to arrive after taking the mountain, so that an attack could be made on the enemy from all sides at once, and refrained from battle.

华文: 凯撒把他的部队撤到了附近的山上，并组成了战线。而按照凯撒的指示，拉比埃努斯不参与战斗，除非他的部队看到了敌人的营地，以便能够在同一时间向敌人发起攻击，因此他占领了山丘，等待我们的攻击，并避免了战斗。

Commentary: This was likely done to avoid the risk of being outnumbered or surrounded by the Helvetii. By waiting for Caesar's arrival, the Romans could launch a coordinated attack from multiple sides, making it more difficult for the Helvetii to defend themselves effectively.

Multo denique die per exploratores Caesar cognovit et montem a suis teneri et Helvetios castra, movisse et Considium timore perterritum quod non vidisset pro viso sibi renuntiavisse. Eo die quo consuerat intervallo hostes sequitur et milia passuum tria ab eorum castris castra ponit.

Eng: Finally, much later in the day, through his scouts, Caesar learned that his men held the mountain, and the Helvetians had moved their camp, and that Considius, terrified because he had not seen anything, had reported false information. On that day, following his usual practice, Caesar pursued the enemy at a distance and set up camp three miles away from their camp.

华文: 最后，在侦察兵的报告中，凯撒得知山丘被自己的部队控制，并且赫尔维蒂人已经离开营地。考虑到某些人因为害怕而没有看到战斗情况而向他报告错误信息，这些消息有所疑虑。按照惯例，他在间隔一天的时间内跟踪敌人，并在距离敌营三英里处扎营。

Commentary: Misinformation from scouts was not uncommon in ancient times, as they often operated far ahead of the main force and had to rely on their own judgment and observations, which could be limited or biased. In the case of the passage, Considius' false report highlights the challenges of relying on intelligence gathering in a fast-moving and unpredictable conflict.

Once Caesar learned the truth however through his other scouts, he pursued the enemy at a distance and set up camp a safe distance away. This was a common tactic used by Caesar to avoid being ambushed or caught off guard by the enemy. By setting up camp a few miles away, he could keep a close eye on the enemy and be prepared to engage in battle if necessary.

[23] Postridie eius diei, quod omnino biduum supererat, cum exercitui frumentum metiri oporteret, et quod a Bibracte, oppido Haeduorum longe maximo et copiosissimo, non amplius milibus passuum XVIII aberat, rei frumentariae prospiciendum existimavit; itaque iter ab Helvetiis avertit ac Bibracte ire contendit.

Eng: On the next day, which was the second day left, when it was necessary to measure out grain for the army, and since Bibracte, a very large and abundant town of the Haedui, was no more than 18 miles away, Caesar considered it necessary to take care of the supply of provisions; so he turned his march away from the Helvetii and hastened to go to Bibracte.

华文: 次日，因为完全剩下两天，必须为军队测量粮食，而且离最大、最丰富的埃杜阿城不到18英里，因此认为应该注意粮食问题；于是他转移了注意力，离开了赫尔维蒂人，前往埃杜阿城。

Commentary:Bibracte was a significant town during the Gallic Wars and served as the capital of the Haedui tribe. Caesar used the town as a base for his operations in Gaul and even wintered his troops there on multiple occasions. The town was also an important center for trade and commerce, and its location made it a strategic point for controlling the surrounding territory.

Caesar's decision to turn towards Bibracte was not without risk, as the Helvetians could have taken advantage of his absence to attack his army or other Roman-held territories. However, Caesar likely felt that securing his army's supply chain was a top priority, and he trusted in the defensive capabilities of his fortified camps to protect against any potential attacks.

Ea res per fugitivos L. Aemilii, decurionis equitum Gallorum, hostibus nuntiatur. Helvetii, seu quod timore perterritos Romanos discedere a se existimarent, eo magis quod pridie superioribus locis occupatis proelium non commisissent, sive eo quod re frumentaria intercludi posse confiderent, commutato consilio atque itinere converso nostros a novissimo agmine insequi ac lacessere coeperunt.

Eng: The news of this was reported to the enemy by some Gallic horsemen who had deserted from Lucius Aemilius, a cavalry commander. Whether the Helvetians thought that the Romans had left because of fear, especially since they had not engaged in battle the day before, despite having occupied higher ground, or whether they thought they could cut off the Roman supply lines, they changed their plan and turned their route to follow and attack our troops from the rear.

华文: 有罗马骑兵队长L. Aemilius的逃亡者向敌人报告了这个情况。由于希尔维蒂人认为罗马人因恐惧而离开他们，尤其是前一天他们没有在已经占领的地方发起战斗，或者他们相信他们可以切断罗马的粮食补给线，于是改变了计划，转换路线，开始从后方追击和骚扰我们。

Commentary: The passage reveals the tactical flexibility of the Helvetii. Initially, they had not engaged the Romans in battle and had occupied favorable positions. However, upon receiving news of the Roman march to Bibracte, they quickly changed their plan and pursued the Romans, hoping to catch them off guard. This demonstrates their ability to adapt to changing circumstances and make quick decisions on the battlefield.

[24] Postquam id animum advertit, copias suas Caesar in proximum collem subduxit equitatumque, qui sustineret hostium impetum, misit. Ipse interim in colle medio triplicem aciem instruxit legionum quattuor veteranarum; in summo iugo duas legiones quas in Gallia citeriore proxime conscripserat et omnia auxilia conlocavit,

Eng: After realizing this, Caesar withdrew his forces to the nearest hill and sent his cavalry to withstand the enemy's attack. He himself, in the meantime, arranged a triple line of four veteran legions on the middle hill; on the summit, he positioned two legions which he had recently recruited in Cisalpine Gaul, and all his auxiliary forces.

华文: 在他注意到这一点后，凯撒将自己的军队撤到了最近的山丘上，并派出骑兵来抵御敌人的冲击。同时他亲自在中间山丘上组成了四支老兵军团的三层军阵，在山顶上调集了他最近在高卢征募的两个军团和所有辅助部队。

Commentary: By withdrawing his forces to higher ground, Caesar put his army in a better position to defend itself, while at the same time forcing the Helvetii to attack uphill. This not only made the enemy's assault more difficult, but it also made them more vulnerable to missile fire from Caesar's troops.

He knew that the Helvetii relied heavily on their infantry and that their cavalry was not as effective as that of the Roman army. Therefore, he placed his cavalry in the front line to slow down the enemy's advance and to disrupt their formation.

Additionally, the formation of a triple line of legions was a tactic that Caesar had used successfully in previous battles. This formation allowed him to maintain a strong defense in the center while also having reserves on either side. It was a tactic that he would use again in the future with great success.

Through this formation, Caesar maximized the advantages of the terrain and deployed his troops in a way that would make it difficult for the Helvetii to attack. By placing the newer and less experienced troops at the top of the hill, he ensured that they would be protected by the more battle-hardened veterans in the lower positions.

ita ut supra se totum montem hominibus compleret; impedimenta sarcinasque in unum locum conferri et eum ab iis qui in superiore acie constiterant muniri iussit.

Eng: Thus, he ordered that the entire mountain above him be filled with men so that there would be no space left unfilled. He also commanded that the baggage and packs be gathered in one place and fortified by those who stood in the higher ranks.

华文: 他命令所有行李和背包都被聚集在山顶上的上阵者那里，以便他们把整个山都填满人；并命令将行李物资集中在一个地方，并命令在山顶上的那些人进行防御。

Commentary: By consolidating the baggage and supplies in one location, he was able to secure the supplies and prevent them from being captured by the enemy. This also formed a makeshift barricade and prevented the enemy from attacking his camp from the rear and also ensured that his troops had easy access to their supplies.

Helvetii cum omnibus suis carrissecuti impedimenta in unum locum contulerunt; ipsi confertissima acie, reiecto nostro equitatu, phalange facta sub primam nostram aciem successerunt.
Eng: The Helvetians, having chased all their wagons to one place, formed themselves into a densely-packed formation and, with our cavalry having been repelled, formed a phalanx and advanced against our first line.

华文: 当赫尔维蒂人追随他们所有的车辆把障碍物集中到一个地方时，他们本身则以最密集的队形，在击退了我们的骑兵之后，形成了一个排列在我们的前线的方阵。

Commentary:In this passage, we see the Helvetii forming a densely packed phalanx and advancing towards the Roman army. This tactic, known as a phalanx, was a common military formation in ancient Greece and was later adopted by other civilizations, including the Romans. The phalanx was characterized by soldiers standing in close formation with their shields overlapping, presenting a wall of protection against enemy attacks. The soldiers in the front row carried long spears, called sarissas, which they used to thrust at the enemy.

The Helvetians, being a Celtic tribe, likely used a slightly different version of the phalanx than the Greeks and Macedonians. However, the basic principles of the formation would have been the same: a tightly packed formation of soldiers armed with long spears, moving in unison to create a wall of overlapping shields and spears.

The Roman army, on the other hand, was more flexible and relied on individual soldiers' skills and training rather than strict formations. Caesar's decision to form a triple line of veteran legions and position his auxiliary troops on the flanks was a departure from the traditional Roman tactics. This adaptation shows Caesar's ability to adjust to his opponent's strengths and weaknesses and demonstrates his tactical prowess.