Caesar Gallic Wars 5.41-43

[5.41-43]
1 Tunc ducēs prīncipēsque Nerviōrum quī aliquem
2 sermōnis aditum causamque amīcitiae cum Cicerōne habēbant
3 colloqui sēsē velle dīcunt. Factā potestāte eadem quae Ambiorīx
4 cum Titūriō ēgerat commemorant: omnem esse in armīs Galliam;
5 Germānōs Rhēnum trānsīsse; Caesaris reliquōrumque hīberna
6 oppugnārī. Addunt etiam dē Sabīnī morte: Ambiorīgem
7 ostentant fideī faciendae causā.

Then the leaders and chiefs of the Nervii, who were having another approach of conversation and reason of friendship with Cicero, say that they wish to converse. With the opportunity having been made, they mention the same things which Ambriorix had discussed with Titurius: All Gaul was in arms; the Germans had crossed the Rhine; the winter quarters of Caesar and the rest were attacked. They also add about the death of Sabinus: they show Ambiorix for the sake of convincing them.

8 Errāre eōs dīcunt, sī quicquam ab hīs praesidī spērent, quī suīs
9 rēbus diffīdant; sēsē tamen hōc esse in Cicerōnem populumque
10 Rōmānum animō, ut nihil nisi hīberna recūsent atque hanc
11 inveterāscere cōnsuētūdinem nōlint: licēre illīs incolumibus
12 per sē ex hībernīs discēdere et quāscumque in partēs velint sine
13 metū proficīscī.

They say that they are making a mistake, if they hope for anything (of) help from them, who despair their own matters; that nevertheless they were of this spirit toward Cicero and the Roman people, that they refuse nothing but winter quarters and do not want this practice to become established: that it is allowed for those to depart unharmed from the winter quarters of their own accord and to set out into whichever parts they want without fear.

14 Cicerō ad haec ūnum modo respondit: non esse cōnsuētūdinem
15 populī Rōmānī accipere ab hoste armātō condiciōnem: sī ab
16 armīs discēdere velint, sē adiūtōre ūtantur lēgātōsque ad Caesarem
17 mittant; spērāre prō eius iūstitiā, quae petierint, impetrātūrōs.

Cicero answered just one thing to these [words]: it was not the custom of the Roman people to receive an agreement from an armed enemy: if they wished to depart from arms, they might use [him] as a helper and send delegates to Caesar; that he hoped that they would obtain that which they sought in accordance with his justice.

1 Ab hāc spē repulsī Nerviī vāllō pedum IX et fossā pedum
2 XV hīberna cingunt. Haec et superiōrum annōrum cōnsuētūdine
3 ab nōbīs cognōverant et, quōs clam dē exercitū habēbant captivōs,
4 ab eīs docēbantur; sed nūllā ferrāmentōrum cōpiā quae esset ad
5 hunc ūsum idōnea, gladiīs caespitēs circumcīdere, manibus
6 sagulīsque terram exhaurīre vidēbantur.

The Nervii having been repulsed by this hope surround the winter quarters with the rampart of 9 feet and with the trench of 15 feet. They had learned these things both from us by the custom of previous years and were being taught by them whom they were secretly holding as captives from the army; but with there being no abundance of tools which were suitable for this use they seem to cut around the turf with swords, to empty the earth with their hands and cloaks.

7 Quā quidem ex rē hominum multitūdō cognōscī potuit: nam
8 minus hōrīs tribus mīlium pedum XV in circuitū mūnītiōnem
9 perfēcērunt reliquīsque diēbus turrēs ad altitūdinem vāllī, falcēs
10 testūdinēsque, quās īdem captīvī docuerant, parāre ac facere
11 coepērunt.

By which matter the large number of men was able to be learned: for in less than three hours they built a fortification of 15 thousands of feet in circumference and during the remaining days they began to prepare and make towers to the height of the ramparts and hooks and tortoises, which the same prisoners had taught [them].

1 Septimō oppugnātiōnis diē maximō coortō ventō
2 ferventēs fūsilī ex argillā glandēs fundīs et fervefacta iacula
3 in casās, quae mōre Gallicō strāmentīs erant tēctae, iacere
4 coepērunt. Hae celeriter ignem comprehendērunt et ventī
5 magnitūdine in omnem locum castrōrum distulērunt.

On the seventh day of the fight with a very great wind having arisen they began to throw slugs of lead glowing from molten clay with slings and heated javelins into the huts, which were covered by thatch in the Gallic custom. These [houses] quickly caught fire and the winds because of their size spread [the fire] into every place of the camp.

6 Hostēs maximō clāmōre sīcutī partā iam atque explōrātā victōriā
7 turrēs testūdinēsque agere et scālīs vāllum ascendere coepērunt.

The enemy, with a very great shout, just as with victory already having been gained and assured, began to advance the towers and testudos and to ascend the rampart with scaling ladders.

8 At tanta mīlitum virtūs atque ea praesentia animī fuit, ut,
9 cum undique flammā torrērentur maximāque tēlōrum
10 multitūdine premerentur suaque omnia impedīmenta atque
11 omnēs fortūnās cōnflagrāre intellegerent, nōn modo
12 dēmigrāndī causā dē vāllō dēcēderet nēmō, sed paene nē
13 respiceret quidem quisquam, ac tum omnēs ācerrimē
14 fortissimēque pugnārent.

But so great was the bravery of the soldiers and the presence of mind, that, although they were scorched on all sides by flame and pressed by the greatest number of weapons and understood that all their baggage and property were on fire, not only did no one leave from the rampart for the sake of abandoning [the fight], but almost not even anyone did look back, and then they all fought most fiercely and most bravely.

15 Hic diēs nostrīs longē gravissimus fuit; sed tamen hunc habuit
16 ēventum, ut eō diē maximus numerus hostium vulnerārētur
17 atque interficerētur, ut sē sub ipsō vallō cōnstīpāverant
18 recessumque prīmīs ultimī nōn dabant.

This day was most grievous by far for our men; but nevertheless it had this result, that on this day a very great number of the enemy was wounded and killed, when they pressed our men closely under the rampart itself and the last soldiers were not giving a way out for the first.

19 Paulum quidem intermissā flammā et quōdam locō turrī adāctā
20 et contingente vāllum tertiae cohortis centuriōnēs ex eō, quō
21 stābant, locō recessērunt suōsque omnēs remōvērunt, nūtū
22 vōcibusque hostēs, sī introīre vellent, vocāre coepērunt; quōrum
23 prōgredī ausus est nēmō. Tum ex omnī parte lapidibus coniectīs
24 dēturbātī, turrisque succēnsa est.

Indeed with the flame having been stopped slightly and with the tower having been driven up in a certain place and [with the tower] extending to the rampart, the centurions of the third cohort retreated from this place in which they were standing and removed all their own men, and began to call the enemy with a signal and voices, if they wanted to enter; of which no one dared to advance. Then [the enemy] was dislodged from each direction, with stones having been cast, and the tower was set on fire.