[52] Caesar singulis legionibus singulos legatos et quaestorem praefecit, uti eos testes suae quisque virtutis haberet; ipse a dextro cornu, quod eam partem minime firmam hostium esse animadverterat, proelium commisit. Ita nostri acriter in hostes signo dato impetum fecerunt itaque hostes repente celeriterque procurrerunt, ut spatium pila in hostes coiciendi non daretur.
Eng: Caesar assigned one legate and quaestor to each individual legion so that they could serve as witnesses of their respective valor. He himself engaged in battle from the right wing, which he had observed to be the weakest part of the enemy. Our troops launched a vigorous attack upon the signal being given. The enemy, caught off guard, swiftly advanced, allowing no time for our soldiers to hurl their spears at them.
华文: 凯撒为每个军团分配了各自的军官和财务官，以便每个人都可以作为自己勇敢的证明人；他自己位于右翼，因为他观察到那个位置是敌人最薄弱的部分，他发起了战斗。我们的士兵奋勇向前，一旦发出信号，敌人突然迅速地冲过来，不给我们扔长矛的机会。
Commentary: Legatus refers to a military commander or officer, while quaestor refers to a financial or administrative official. The term dextro cornu refers to the "right wing," which Caesar identified as the weakest part of the enemy's formation. Additionally, the phrase signo dato means "with the signal given," indicating the commencement of the attack.
Relictis pilis comminus gladiis pugnatum est. At Germani celeriter ex consuetudine sua phalange facta impetus gladiorum exceperunt. Reperti sunt complures nostri qui in phalanga insilirent et scuta manibus revellerent et desuper vulnerarent. Cum hostium acies a sinistro cornu pulsa atque in fugam coniecta esset, a dextro cornu vehementer multitudine suorum nostram aciem premebant. Id cum animadvertisset P. Crassus adulescens, qui equitatui praeerat, quod expeditior erat quam ii qui inter aciem versabantur, tertiam aciem laborantibus nostris subsidio misit.
Eng: Once the javelins were discarded, the fight continued at close quarters with swords. However, the Germans quickly formed a phalanx, as was their custom, to withstand the thrusts of the swords. Our troops discovered several who leaped onto the phalanx, tore away the enemy's shields with their hands, and struck them from above. As the enemy's line was broken and driven into retreat from the left wing, they fiercely pressed upon our line with their overwhelming numbers from the right wing. Upon noticing this, the young Publius Crassus, who commanded the cavalry and was more agile than those engaged in the thick of battle, sent the third line to support our struggling troops.
华文: 放下长矛，我们开始近身格斗。但是德国人迅速采用了他们的传统方阵来应对剑的攻击。我们发现了许多人冲进方阵，用手拉开盾牌，从上方造成伤害。当敌人的队伍从左翼被击退并逃窜时，从右翼的德国人用他们众多的人压制我们的队伍。年轻的普·克拉苏斯（P. Crassus）注意到了这一点，他指挥着骑兵，因为他比在战线上的人更为灵活，他派遣了第三支队伍来支援我们正在奋战的队伍。
Commentary: In this passage, the battle between Caesar's forces and the Germanic tribes intensifies into close combat with swords. The Germans, following their customary practice, quickly formed a phalanx to counter the sword thrusts. Some of Caesar's soldiers were able to leap onto the phalanx, tear away the shields with their hands, and strike the enemy from above.
The engagement reveals a clash of fighting styles, with the Germans relying on their disciplined phalanx formation and the Romans employing more agile and individualistic tactics. The Romans seized opportunities to exploit weaknesses in the enemy's formation, showing their resourcefulness and adaptability in the heat of battle.
As the battle progressed, the Germanic forces on Caesar's left flank were routed and driven into retreat. However, on the right flank, the enemy fiercely pressed forward with the sheer force of their numbers, putting pressure on Caesar's troops. P. Crassus, a young commander in charge of the cavalry, noticed the situation and, being more mobile than the infantry, sent the third line of soldiers to support their struggling comrades.
This passage demonstrates the dynamic nature of the battle and the tactical decisions made by commanders in response to changing circumstances. It also highlights the individual valor and initiative displayed by some of Caesar's soldiers, who took advantage of gaps in the enemy's defense. The Latin usage in this passage includes military terms such as phalange (phalanx), gladiorum (swords), acies (battle line), cornu (flank), and subsidio (support).
[53] Ita proelium restitutum est, atque omnes hostes terga verterunt nec prius fugere destiterunt quam ad flumen Rhenum milia passuum ex eo loco circiter L pervenerunt. Ibi perpauci aut viribus confisi tranare contenderunt aut lintribus inventis sibi salutem reppererunt. In his fuit Ariovistus, qui naviculam deligatam ad ripam nactus ea profugit; reliquos omnes consecuti equites nostri interfecerunt.
Eng: Thus, the battle was restored, and all the enemies turned their backs and did not cease fleeing until they reached the river Rhine, approximately 50 miles from that place. Only a very few, either relying on their strength, attempted to swim across, or finding boats, secured their safety. Among them was Ariovistus, who, having found a boat tied to the bank, fled in it. Our cavalry pursued and killed all the others.
华文: 战斗重新开始，所有敌人都转身逃跑，直到大约距离莱茵河约50英里的地方才停止逃窜。在那里，只有极少数人凭借力量试图游过河流，或者找到船只保全自己。其中就有阿里约维斯图斯，他找到一条系在岸边的小船逃离了。我们的骑兵追击并击杀了其他所有人。
Commentary: The passage provides insights into the tactics and actions taken during the retreat. Some of the fleeing enemy, either relying on their strength or finding boats (lintribus inventis), attempted to cross the river (tranare) or found safety in them. Among those who made it to a boat was Ariovistus himself, who managed to secure a tied boat (naviculam deligatam) along the riverbank and escaped on it. However, Caesar's cavalry pursued and killed (interfecerunt) all the remaining enemy troops.
The use of Latin terms related to battle and retreat are also shown here. For instance, proelium restitutum est (the battle was restored) describes the turning point in the fight where Caesar's forces regained the upper hand. Terga verterunt (turned their backs) and fugere destiterunt (ceased fleeing) indicate the retreat of the enemy. Tranare (to swim across) and lintribus (boats) highlight the methods used by the fleeing troops to escape or find safety. The mention of Ariovistus and his escape provides specific details about his actions during the retreat.
Duae fuerunt Ariovisti uxores, una Sueba natione, quam domo secum eduxerat, altera Norica, regis Voccionis soror, quam in Gallia duxerat a fratre missam: utraque in ea fuga periit; duae filiae: harum altera occisa, altera capta est. C. Valerius Procillus, cum a custodibus in fuga trinis catenis vinctus traheretur, in ipsum Caesarem hostes equitatu insequentem incidit.
Eng: Ariovistus had two wives, one from the Suebi tribe whom he had brought with him from his homeland, and the other from Noricum, the sister of King Voccio, whom he had taken as his wife in Gaul after she was sent by her brother. Both of them perished in that flight. He also had two daughters, one was killed, and the other was captured. During the pursuit, Gaius Valerius Procillus, who had been captured and was being dragged away in chains by his captors, encountered Caesar himself, who was pursuing the enemy on horseback.
华文: 阿里约维斯图斯有两个妻子，一个是史瓦比亚人，他将她带到了这里，另一个是诺里克人，是沃克西奥国王的妹妹，他将她从兄弟那里娶到了高卢。两个妻子都在逃亡中丧生。他有两个女儿，其中一个被杀，另一个被俘。而当加布努斯·瓦列里乌斯·普洛希卢斯被三条链子绑着被押送时，他在敌人的骑兵追击中意外地遇到了凯撒本人。
Commentary: Phrases like una Sueba natione (one from the Suebi tribe) and altera Norica (the other from Norica) indicate the origins of Ariovistus' wives. The terms occisa (killed) and capta (captured) describe the fate of Ariovistus' daughters. The mention of C. Valerius Procillus being vinctus traheretur (bound and being dragged) adds a vivid detail to the scene of his capture.
Quae quidem res Caesari non minorem quam ipsa victoria voluptatem attulit, quod hominem honestissimum provinciae Galliae, suum familiarem et hospitem, ereptum ex manibus hostium sibi restitutum videbat neque eius calamitate de tanta voluptate et gratulatione quicquam fortuna deminuerat. Is se praesente de se ter sortibus consultum dicebat, utrum igni statim necaretur an in aliud tempus reservaretur: sortium beneficio se esse incolumem. Item M. Metius repertus et ad eum reductus est.
Eng: This incident brought Caesar no less pleasure than the victory itself because he saw a highly respected man of the province of Gaul, his close friend and guest, rescued from the hands of the enemy and returned to him. The misfortune that had befallen him had not diminished the great joy and celebration. The man himself declared that, in Caesar's presence, he had consulted the gods three times by drawing lots to determine whether he should be immediately put to death by fire or spared for another time, and by the favor of the lots, he had remained unharmed. Similarly, Marcus Metius was found and brought back to Caesar.
华文: 这件事对凯撒来说，不仅带来了胜利本身所无法比拟的愉悦，更因为他看到了加布努斯·瓦列里乌斯·普洛希卢斯这个高品德的人、高卢省的亲密朋友和客人，从敌人的手中被夺回归来，他没有因为普洛希卢斯的不幸而减损任何幸福和庆祝之情。普洛希卢斯亲自告诉凯撒，他曾经在自己面前通过抽签三次，询问自己是立刻被火焰烧死还是留到其他时机：幸运之神让他保持了安全。同样，马库斯·梅修斯也被找到并被带回来。
Commentary: It is mentioned that Caesar himself had consulted the lots three times about his own fate, whether he should be immediately killed by fire or reserved for another time. The outcome of the lots, by fortune or chance, had ensured his safety. This demonstrates the belief in and reliance on divination among ancient Romans.
[54] Hoc proelio trans Rhenum nuntiato, Suebi, qui ad ripas Rheni venerant, domum reverti coeperunt; quos ubi qui proximi Rhenum incolunt perterritos senserunt, insecuti magnum ex iis numerum occiderunt. Caesar una aestate duobus maximis bellis confectis maturius paulo quam tempus anni postulabat in hiberna in Sequanos exercitum deduxit; hibernis Labienum praeposuit; ipse in citeriorem Galliam ad conventus agendos profectus est.
Eng: Upon hearing the news of this battle across the Rhine, the Suebi, who had come to the banks of the Rhine, began to return home. But when those who lived nearest the Rhine perceived their fear, they pursued them and killed a great number of them. With two major wars concluded in a single summer, Caesar led his army into winter quarters among the Sequani a little earlier than the time of year required. He placed Labienus in command of the winter camps while he himself set out for the interior of Gaul to attend to assemblies.
华文: 这场战斗的消息传到了莱茵河对岸的苏埃比人那里，他们开始返回家园。当居住在莱茵河附近的人们察觉到他们的恐慌时，追击者追捕并击杀了他们中的大部分。凯撒在一年内完成了两场重大战役，比当时的季节稍早一些，他将军队安置在塞克瓦诺斯的冬季营地，指派拉比乌努斯负责冬季驻扎，而他自己前往高卢内陆地区进行会议活动。
Commentary: The phrase "maturius quam tempus anni postulabat" in the passage refers to Caesar's decision to enter winter quarters earlier than what was conventionally expected based on the time of the year. In the context of ancient military campaigns, the timing of winter quarters was crucial for logistical and strategic reasons.
Winter quarters, or hiberna, were established by Roman armies to provide shelter, protection, and provisions during the winter months when military operations were typically suspended due to harsh weather conditions. It was essential to secure suitable locations with access to resources, such as food and firewood, to sustain the troops during this period.