Caesar Gallic Wars 5.38-40

[5.38-40]
1 Hāc victōriā sublātus Ambiorīx statim cum equitātū in
2 Aduātucōs, quī erant eius rēgnō fīnitimī, proficīscitur; neque
3 noctem neque diem intermittit peditātumque subsequī iubet.

Ambiorix, having been uplifted by this victory, immediately sets out with the cavalry against the Aduatuci, who were neighboring to his kingdom; he lets neither day nor night pass and orders the infantry to follow [him].

4 Rē dēmōnstrātā Aduātucīsque concitātīs posterō diē in Nerviōs
5 pervenit hortāturque, nē suī in perpetuum līberandī atque
6 ulcīscendī Rōmānōs prō eīs quās accēperint iniūriis occāsiōnem
7 dīmittant: interfectōs esse lēgātōs duōs magnamque partem
8 exercitūs interīsse dēmōnstrat; nihil esse negōtī subitō oppressam
9 legiōnem quae cum Cicerōne hiemet interficī; sē ad eam rem
10 profitētur adiūtōrem. Facile hāc ōrātiōne Nerviīs persuādet.

With the matter having been described, and with the Aduatuci having been incited, he comes into the Nervii during the following day, and he encourages that [they] not send away the opportunity of freeing themselves forever and of taking vengeance on the Romans for these wounds, which they received: he explains that two lieutenants were killed and a great part of the army died; it is nothing of trouble that the overwhelmed legion which passes the winter with Cicero is to be killed; he admits that he [is] a helper to this matter. He persuades the Nervii easily with this speech.

1 Itaque cōnfestim dīmissīs nuntiīs ad Ceutronēs,
2 Grudiōs, Levācōs, Pleumoxiōs, Geidumnōs, quī omnēs sub
3 eōrum imperiō sunt, quam maximās manūs possunt cōgunt et
4 dē improvisō ad Cicerōnis hiberna advolant nōndum ad eum
5 fāmā dē Titūrī morte perlātā. Huic quoque accidit, quod fuit
6 necesse, ut nōnnūllī mīlitēs, quī lignātiōnis mūnītiōnisque
7 causaā in silvās discessissent, repentīnō equitum adventū
8 interciperentur.

And so with the messages having been immediately sent to the Ceutrones, Grudii, Levaci, Pleumoxi, and Geidumni, who were all under their authority, they compel as great bands of soldiers as possible and unexpectedly rush to the winter quarters of Cicero, with the report of Titurus’s death having not yet been delivered to them. It also happens to this one, which was necessary that several soldiers who had departed into the forests for the sake of gathering wood and fortifying, were intercepted by the sudden arrival of the calvary.

9 Hīs circumventīs magnā manū Eburōnēs, Nerviī, Aduātucī atque
10 hōrum omnium sociī et clientēs legiōnem oppugnāre incipiunt.
11 Nostrī celeriter ad arma concurrunt, vāllum cōnscendunt.
12 Aegrē is diēs sustentātur, quod omnem spem hostēs in celeritāte
13 pōnēbant atque hanc adeptī victōriam in perpetuum sē fore
14 victōrēs cōnfīdēbant.

With these ones having been surrounded, with a grand band the Nervii, the Aduactuci, and the allies of all these and their clients began to attack the legion. Our men quickly run to arms and mount the entrenchment. Weakly this day is endured because the enemy was placing all hope in speed and if they gained this victory they hoped they would forever be victors.

1 Mittuntur ad Caesarem cōnfestim ab Cicerōne litterae
2 magnīs prōpositīs praemiīs, sī pertulissent: obsessīs omnibus viīs
3 missī intercipiuntur. Noctū ex māteriā, quam mūnītiōnis causā
4 comportāverant, turrēs admodum CXX excitantur incrēdibilī
5 celeritāte; quae deesse operī vidēbantur, perficiuntur.

The letters are hastily sent to Caesar by Cicero with the great rewards having been proposed if they had carried through; the ones having been sent are intercepted, with all roads having been blockaded. At night up to 120 towers are constructed with incredible speed out of timber, which they had collected for the cause of fortifying; and (the things) are finished which were seemiing to lack fortification.

6 Hostēs posterō diē multō maiōribus coāctis cōpiīs castra
7 oppugnant, fossam complent. Eādem ratiōne, quā prīdiē, ab
8 nostrīs resistitur. Hoc idem reliquīs deinceps fit diēbus. Nūlla
9 pars nocturnī temporis ad labōrem intermittitur; nōn aegrīs,
10 nōn vulnerātīs facultās quiētis datur.

The enemy on the following day besiege the camp with much greater troops having been gathered, they fill the trench. By the same method, in which manner it is resisted by our men on the day before. This same thing in turn happens on the remaining days. No part of the time at night is neglected for work; the opportunity of rest is given not to weak ones, not to the wounded.

11 Quaecumque ad proximī diēī oppugnātiōnem opus sunt noctū
12 comparantur; multae praeustae sudēs, magnus mūrālium
13 pīlōrum numerus īnstituitur; turrēs contabulantur, pinnae
14 lōrīcaeque ex crātibus attexuntur. Ipse Cicerō, cum tenuissimā
15 valētūdine esset, nē nocturnum quidem sibi tempus ad quiētem
16 relinquēbat, ut ultrō mīlitum concursū ac vōcibus sibi parcere
17 cōgerētur.

Whatever is necessary to the attack of the following day is prepared during the night; many stakes burned up that end, a large number of heavy javelins are prepared; towers built up, battlements and parapets are weaved on out of wickerworks. Cicero himself, although he was in very weak health, did not even leave the nighttime to himself for rest, so that he was compelled voluntarily by the crowd and by words of soldiers to spare himself.