[25] Caesar primum suo, deinde omnium ex conspectu remotis equis, ut aequato omnium periculo spem fugae tolleret, cohortatus suos proelium commisit. Milites loco superiore pilis missis facile hostium phalangem perfregerunt. Ea disiecta gladiis destrictis in eos impetum fecerunt.
Eng: Caesar, first of all, removed his own horse from view, and then all others, in order to eliminate any hope of flight and equalize the danger for all. He exhorted his troops and engaged in battle. The soldiers, from a higher position, easily broke the enemy's phalanx with thrown spears. After the phalanx was disrupted, they charged into them with drawn swords.
华文: 首先，凯撒驱赶走了自己的马匹，然后让所有人的马匹也离开视线范围，以消除逃跑的希望，鼓励自己的士兵开始战斗。士兵们在高地上扔出长矛，很容易打破了敌人的方阵。一旦方阵瓦解，他们就挥舞着出鞘的剑向敌人发起冲锋。
Commentary: Caesar's decision to remove his own horse from view and place himself in the midst of his troops was a tactical move. By doing so, he showed his soldiers that he was willing to put himself in danger alongside them, which boosted their morale and increased their trust in him as a leader. However, it also eliminated any possibility of him escaping the battlefield if the battle went poorly.
The tactic of throwing spears at the enemy's phalanx was effective because the Helvetians were heavily reliant on their phalanx formation. The Roman soldiers' higher position allowed them to throw the spears at a downward angle, increasing the likelihood of hitting the enemy. Once the phalanx was disrupted, the Roman soldiers charged into the Helvetian lines with their swords, taking advantage of the chaos and disarray caused by the disruption of the phalanx.
Gallis magno ad pugnam erat impedimento quod pluribus eorum scutis uno ictu pilorum transfixis et conligatis, cum ferrum se inflexisset, neque evellere neque sinistra impedita satis commode pugnare poterant, multi ut diu iactato bracchio praeoptarent scutum manu emittere et nudo corpore pugnare.
Eng: The Gauls were greatly hindered in battle by the fact that, with several of their shields pierced and bound together by a single blow of the javelins, the iron having bent they were unable to pull them out or fight effectively with their left hand obstructed. Many of them, after vainly trying to shake off the shield with their arm for a long time, preferred to throw away the shield and fight with their body uncovered.
华文: 高卢人在战斗中面临的一个巨大障碍是，他们许多人的盾牌被一枚投矛洞穿并缚在一起，当矛头弯曲时，他们无法拔出投矛，也无法用左手方便地战斗。因此，许多人在抡动手臂一段时间后选择放弃盾牌，赤裸上身地战斗。
Commentary: The Gauls often used large, round shields made of wood or leather that were held in the left hand and protected the body from enemy attacks. However, when hit by a javelin, the shields could be pierced and sometimes became stuck together. The Gauls would then struggle to remove the javelin or separate the shields, leaving them vulnerable to attack.
Caesar, on the other hand, made use of the Roman pilum, a specially designed javelin that had a soft iron shank which would bend on impact, making it difficult to remove from a shield. This tactic was effective in disrupting the enemy's formation and leaving them vulnerable to attack.
Tandem vulneribus defessi et pedem referre et, quod mons suberit circiter mille passuum spatio, eo se recipere coeperunt. Capto monte et succedentibus nostris, Boi et Tulingi, qui hominum milibus circiter XV agmen hostium claudebant et novissimis praesidio erant, ex itinere nostros ab latere aperto adgressi circumvenire, et id conspicati Helvetii, qui in montem sese receperant, rursus instare et proelium redintegrare coeperunt.
Eng: At last, exhausted by their wounds, they began to retreat and sought refuge on a mountain, which was about a mile away. Our troops captured the mountain and were pursuing the enemy, while the Boi and Tulingi, who were guarding the rear of the enemy column with about 15,000 men, attacked our troops from an open flank and attempted to encircle them. Seeing this, the Helvetians, who had retreated to the mountain, once again began to advance and renew the battle.
华文: 终于，由于伤口疲惫不堪，许多人开始撤退，并在周围约一千步远的山上撤回。当山被占领并我们的人上来时，博伊人和图林吉人，他们约有十五千人左右，包围了敌军的行列并且作为最后的预备队。当他们从敌人的侧翼袭击我们时，攻击线就暴露了，发现了山上的瑞士人又开始逼近，重新开始了战斗。
Commentary: This passage describes a turning point in the battle where the Helvetians, after being defeated, regrouped and attempted to turn the tide of the battle in their favor. They retreated to a nearby mountain, but then decided to launch a counter-attack. Meanwhile, the Boi and Tulingi, who were guarding the rear of the enemy column, launched an attack on the Roman troops from an open flank in an attempt to encircle them.
Romani conversa signa bipertito intulerunt: prima et secunda acies, ut victis ac submotis resisteret, tertia, ut venientes sustineret.
Eng: The Romans advanced with their standards turned around in two parts: the first and second lines to resist and repel the enemy, and the third line to support those coming forward.
华文: 罗马人改变队形，分成两部分发起攻击：第一和第二方阵前进，以便抵挡击败敌人，第三方阵则负责抵挡前来的敌人。
Commentary: The Roman military formation described here is known as the triplex acies or "triple line." It was a common tactic used by the Romans in battle, consisting of three lines of soldiers, with the first two forming the front line, and the third serving as a reserve.
The first and second lines were composed of the heaviest and most experienced infantry, known as the principes and hastati respectively. These soldiers were armed with swords and spears and wore armor and shields for protection. They were tasked with engaging the enemy in hand-to-hand combat and breaking their lines.
The third line, made up of less experienced soldiers known as the triarii, was positioned behind the first two lines. They carried longer spears and were trained to fight in a defensive formation, providing support to the front lines when needed.
By using this formation, the Romans could maintain a strong and resilient defense while also keeping a fresh reserve of troops to reinforce the front lines or launch a counterattack.
[26] Ita ancipiti proelio diu atque acriter pugnatum est. Diutius cum sustinere nostrorum impetus non possent, alteri se, ut coeperant, in montem receperunt, alteri ad impedimenta et carros suos se contulerunt. Nam hoc toto proelio, cum ab hora septima ad vesperum pugnatum sit, aversum hostem videre nemo potuit.
Eng: Thus, the battle was fought fiercely and with great uncertainty. When the enemy could no longer withstand the attacks of our troops, some retreated to the mountain as they had initially done, while others went to their baggage and wagons for protection. During the entire battle, which lasted from the seventh hour until evening, no one was able to see a fleeing enemy.
华文: 经过激烈的双方交战，一直战斗到很晚。当敌人再也无法承受我们的冲击时，有些人回到了他们开始攻击我们的山上，而有些人则转向他们的障碍和战车。在这整场战斗中，从早上七点打到傍晚，没有人能看到敌人的背影。
Commentary: This passage highlights the discipline of both the Helvetii and the Romans, as they did not flee in disarray but instead retreated in an orderly fashion to regroup and protect their supplies. The fact that no one saw a fleeing enemy is a testament to the pride of both camps and the fortitude of the soldiers.
Ad multam noctem etiam ad impedimenta pugnatum est, propterea quod pro vallo carros obiecerunt et e loco superiore in nostros venientes tela coiciebant et non nulli inter carros rotasque mataras ac tragulas subiciebant nostrosque vulnerabant.
Eng: The fighting continued even until late at night, because the enemy had placed their wagons as a barricade and threw missiles from the higher ground as our men approached, and some even threw spears and javelins under the wagons and wheels, injuring our soldiers.
华文: 如此激烈的战斗一直持续到双方都疲惫不堪。当我们的攻势越来越难以承受时，有些人退回到了山上，就像他们一开始所做的那样，而另一些人则退到了他们的障碍和车辆处。在整个战斗中，从上午七点一直持续到傍晚，没有人能看到逃跑的敌人。
Commentary: In ancient warfare, it was common for armies to use makeshift fortifications or barricades made out of available materials, such as wagons or carts, to protect themselves during a battle. These fortifications served as barriers to prevent the enemy from advancing and as a shield from which soldiers could safely launch attacks.
Diu cum esset pugnatum, impedimentis castrisque nostri potiti sunt. Ibi Orgetorigis filia atque unus e filiis captus est. Ex eo proelio circiter hominum milia CXXX superfuerunt eaque tota nocte continenter ierunt [nullam partem noctis itinere intermisso];
Eng: After a long battle, our forces finally gained control of the enemy's camp and supplies. Orgetorix's daughter and one of his sons were captured. About 130,000 of the enemy survived the battle and marched all night without interruption, covering the distance of the journey.
华文: 深夜时分，战斗甚至持续到了障碍物，因为他们把战车当成了防御墙，在高处向我们投掷武器。一些人在战车和车轮之间扔木杆和标枪，伤害我们的士兵。
in fines Lingonum die quarto pervenerunt, cum et propter vulnera militum et propter sepulturam occisorum nostri [triduum morati] eos sequi non potuissent. Caesar ad Lingonas litteras nuntiosque misit, ne eos frumento neve alia re iuvarent: qui si iuvissent, se eodem loco quo Helvetios habiturum. Ipse triduo intermisso cum omnibus copiis eos sequi coepit.
Eng: they reached the territory of the Lingones on the fourth day. Our troops were unable to pursue them for three days due to the need to tend to the wounded and bury the dead. Caesar sent letters and messengers to the Lingones, instructing them not to provide any aid to the fleeing Helvetii. If they did, he would treat them in the same way as the Helvetii. After three days, Caesar and his entire army began to pursue the enemy.
华文: 第四天，罗马人到达了林戈地区，由于士兵受伤和死者的安葬，我们停留了三天，不能继续追击敌人。凯撒向林戈人发送了信件和使者，告诉他们不要帮助敌人提供粮食或其他支援，如果他们提供了支援，凯撒将把他们视为敌人。三天后，凯撒带领全军追击敌人。
Commentary: Roman burial practices in war varied depending on the time period and cultural context. In general, however, Roman soldiers were often buried in mass graves or pits after a battle, particularly if there were a large number of casualties.
During the early Roman Republic period, cremation was the most common form of burial, with the ashes being placed in urns. However, by the 2nd century AD, inhumation (burial in the ground) became more common.
The Romans believed in the importance of proper burial and viewed it as a sacred duty. They believed that the souls of the deceased needed to be properly buried in order to be at peace and that the failure to do so could bring bad luck and misfortune.
In this case, it is likely that the Roman soldiers who died in battle were buried in mass graves or pits, as was common practice. The fact that Caesar and his troops took the time to bury their dead despite the need to pursue the fleeing Helvetii demonstrates the importance that the Romans placed on proper burial.