Caesar Gallic Wars 5.32-34

[5.32-34]
1 At hostēs, posteāquam ex nocturnō fremitū vigiliīsque
2 dē profectiōne eōrum sēnsērunt, collocātīs īnsidiīs bipertītō in
3 silvīs opportūnō atque occultō locō ā mīlibus passuum circiter
4 duōbus Rōmānōrum adventum exspectābant, et cum sē maior
5 pars agminis in magnam convallem dēmīsisset, ex utrāque parte
6 eius vāllis subitō sē ostendērunt novissimōsque premere et
7 primōs prohibēre ascēnsū atque inīquissimō nostrīs locō proelium
8 committere coepērunt.

But the enemies, after they noticed about their departure from the noise at night and the wakefulness(es), with the ambushes having been set up on two fronts in the forest, in a hidden and advantageous place about two miles away, were awaiting the arrival of the Romans, and when the greater part of the army had descended into the great valley, suddenly they revealed themselves from each part of that valley, and began to press the rear and prevent the first men from climbing up, and to begin battle in a place very disadvantageous to our men.

1 Tum dēmum Titūrius, quī nihil ante prōvīdisset,
2 trepidāre et concursāre cohortēsque dispōnere, haec tamen
3 ipsa timidē atque ut eum omnia dēficere vidērentur; quod
4 plērumque eīs accidere cōnsuēvit, quī in ipsō negōtiō cōnsilium
5 capere cōguntur. At Cotta, quī cōgitāsset haec posse in itinere
6 accidere atque ob eam causam profectiōnis auctor nōn fuisset,

Then finally Titurius, who had foreseen nothing before, shook and ran about and distributed the cohorts, nevertheless he did fearfully these things themselves and with the result that all things seemed to fail him; which very often was accustomed to happen to them, who in the business itself are forced to seize upon a plan. But Cotta, since he had realized that these things are able to happen on the journey and because of this reason he had not been a promoter of the departure.

7 nūllā in rē commūnī salūtī deerat et in appellandīs
8 cohortandīsque mīlitibus imperātōris et in pugnā mīlitis
9 officia praestābat. Cum propter longitūdinem agminis
10 minus facile omnia per sē obire et, quid quōque locō faciendum
11 esset, prōvidēre possent, iussērunt prōnūntiāre, ut impedīmenta
12 relinquerent atque in orbem cōnsisterent.

In no matter was he lacking common safety and he was both exhibiting the duties of the general in calling and encouraging the soldiers and [he was exhibiting the duties] of a soldier in the fight. Because they were able to go towards everything by themselves less easily because of the length of the battle line and to foresee what also was to be done in each place, they ordered to announce, that they would leave behind the baggage and take a stand in a circle.

13 Quod cōnsilium etsī in eiusmodī cāsū reprehendendum nōn
14 est, tamen incommodē accidit: nam et nostrīs militibus spem
15 minuit et hostēs ad pugnam alacriōrēs effēcit, quod nōn sine
16 summō timōre et dēspērātiōne id factum vidēbātur. Praetereā
17 accidit, quod fierī necesse erat, ut vulgō militēs ab signīs
18 discēderent, quae quisque eōrum cārissima habēret, ab
19 impedīmentīs petere atque arripere properāret, clāmōre et
20 flētū omnia complērentur.

And although which plan must not be criticized in such misfortune, nevertheless it happens unfortunately: for it both diminished hope for our soldiers and rendered the enemies more eager towards battle, because not without greatest fear and despair did it seem that it was done. Furthermore it happened, which was necessary to happen, that the soldiers were departing commonly from the standards, which things each of them was considering very dear, he was hurrying to seek and to take from the baggage, everything was being filled with shouting and weeping.

1 At barbarīs cōnsilium nōn dēfuit. Nam ducēs eōrum
2 tōtā aciē prōnūntiāre iussērunt, nē quis ab locō discēderet:
3 illōrum esse praedam atque illīs reservārī quaecumque Rōmānī
4 relīquissent: proinde omnia in victōriā posita exīstimārent.

But for the barbarians a plan did not lack. For the leaders of the men ordered to announce throughout the whole battle line that no one should depart from his place; that the plunder was theirs and whatever things the Romans had left behind were reserved for those ones: therefore they should think that everything has been placed in victory.

5 Erant et virtūte et studiō pugnandī parēs; nostrī, tametsī ab
6 duce et ā fortūnā dēserēbantur, tamen omnem spem salūtis in
7 virtūte pōnēbant, et quotiēns quaeque cohors prōcurrerat, ab eā
8 parte magnus numerus hostium cadēbat.

They were equal with respect both to virtue and eagerness of fighting; our men, although they were being abandoned by their leader and by luck, nevertheless were placing their whole hope of safety in bravery and as many times as each cohort had charged, a great number of the enemy were falling from this direction.

9 Quā rē animadversā Ambiorīx prōnūntiārī iubet, ut procul tēla
10 coniciant neu propius accēdant et, quam in partem Rōmānī
11 impetum fēcerint, cēdant (levitāte armōrum et cotīdiānā
12 exercitātiōne nihil hīs nocērī posse), rūrsus sē ad signa recipientēs
13 īnsequantur.

With which matter having been noticed Ambiorix orders [it] to be commanded that they should throw spears from afar and not approach nearer, and, into which direction the Romans had made an attack, they should withdraw (it is possible in no way for these men to be harmed because of the lightness of their weapons and their daily exercise), [he ordered it to be commanded] that they should follow retreating to the standards again.