Caesar Gallic Wars 5.46-48

[5.46-48]
1 Caesar acceptīs litterīs hōrā circiter XI diēī statim nūntium
2 in Bellovacōs ad Marcum Crassum quaestōrem mittit, cuius
3 hīberna aberant ab eō mīlia passuum XXV; iubet mediā nocte
4 legiōnem proficīscī celeriterque ad sē venīre. Exit cum nūntiō
5 Crassus. Alterum ad Gāium Fabium lēgātum mittit, ut in
6 Atrebātium fīnēs legiōnem addūcat, quā sibi iter faciendum
7 sciēbat.

Caesar, with the letters having been received, at around the eleventh hour of the day, sends the messenger into the Bellovaci to quaestor Marcus Crassus, whose winter quarters was twenty five miles away from him; he orders the legion to set out in the middle of the night and to come to him quickly. Crassus leaves with the messenger. He sends the other to legate Gaius Fabius to lead the legion into the territory of the Atrebates, where he knew that the journey must be made by him.

8 Scrībit Labiēnō, sī reī pūblicae commodō facere posset,
9 cum legiōne ad fīnēs Nerviōrum veniat. Reliquam partem exercitūs,
10 quod paulō aberat longius, nōn putat exspectandam; equitēs
11 circiter quadringentōs ex proximīs hībernīs colligit.

He writes to Labienus if he can do something for the interest of the republic, that he should come to the territory of the Nervii with the legion. He thinks that the remaining part of the army should not be awaited, because it was somewhat further away; he collects around four hundred cavalrymen from the nearest winter quarters.

1 Hōrā circiter tertiā ab antecursōribus dē Crassī
2 adventū certior factus eō diē mīlia passuum XX prōcēdit.
3 Crassum Samarobrīvae praeficit legiōnemque attribuit,
4 quod ibi impedīmenta exercitūs, obsidēs cīvitātum, litterās
5 pūblicās frūmentumque omne quod eō tolerandae hiemis causā
6 dēvexerat relinquēbat. Fabius, ut imperātum erat, nōn ita
7 multum morātus in itinere cum legiōne occurrit.

Around the third hour, having been made more certain about the arrival of Crassus from the vanguards, he advances twenty miles on that day. He puts Crassus in command at Samarobriva, and assigns a legion [to him], because he was leaving the baggage trains of the army there, the hostages of the states, the public letters, and all grain which he had brought to this place for the sake of enduring the winter. Fabius, as it had been ordered, having delayed not much on his journey, thus meets with his legion.

8 Labiēnus interitū Sabīnī et caede cohortium cognitā, cum omnēs
9 ad eum Trēverōrum cōpiae vēnissent, veritus nē, sī ex hībernīs
10 fugae similem profectiōnem fēcisset, hostium impetum sustinēre
11 nōn posset, praesertim quōs recentī victōriā efferrī scīret, litterās
12 Caesarī remittit, quantō cum perīculō legiōnem ex hībernīs
13 ēductūrus esset; rem gestam in Eburōnibus perscrībit; docet
14 omnēs equitātūs peditātūsque cōpiās Trēverōrum tria mīlia
15 passuum longē ab suīs castrīs cōnsēdisse.

Labienus, with the death of Sabinus and the slaughter of the cohorts having been known, when all troops of the Treveri had come to him, having feared that if he had made a departure from the winter quarters, similar to escape, he would not be able to endure the attack of the enemies, whom he particularly was knowing to be elated by the recent victory, sends back the letters to Caesar, with how much danger he would lead out the legion from the winter quarters; he reports the matter having been done among the Eburones; he shows that all the troops of the cavalry and the infantry of the Treveri had taken a position three miles away from their camp.

1 Caesar cōnsiliō eius probātō, etsī opīniōne trium
2 legiōnum dēiectus ad duās redierat, tamen ūnum commūnis
3 salūtis auxilium in celeritāte pōnēbat. Venit magnīs itineribus
4 in Nerviōrum fīnēs. Ibi ex captīvīs cognōscit, quae apud
5 Cicerōnem gerantur, quantōque in perīculō rēs sit. Tum cuidam
6 ex equitibus Gallīs magnīs praemiīs persuādet utī ad Cicerōnem
7 epistolam dēferat.

Caesar, with his plan having been demonstrated, even if disappointed from the expectation of three legions, he had returned to two, nevertheless he was depending on one aid of common safety on swiftness. He came into the territory of the Nervii by forced marches. There he learns from the captives what [things] are done in the presence of Cicero, in how much danger the matter is. Then he persuades a certain one from the Gallic equestrians with great rewards, that he should take a letter to Cicero.

8 Hanc Graecīs cōnscrīptam litterīs mittit, nē interceptā
9 epistolā nostra ab hostibus cōnsilia cognōscantur. Sī adīre nōn
10 possit, monet ut trāgulam cum epistolā ad āmentum dēligātā
11 intrā mūnītiōnem castrōrum abiciat. In litterīs scrībit sē cum
12 legiōnibus profectum celeriter adfore; hortātur ut prīstinam
13 virtūtem retineat. Gallus perīculum veritus, ut erat praeceptum,
14 trāgulam mittit.

He sends this, written in Greek characters, lest with the letter having been intercepted our plans are known by the enemy. If he is not able to approach, he advises to throw the javelin with the letter tied to the thong within the fortifications of the camp. He writes in the letters that he having set out with the legions will quickly be present; he encourages [him] to retain former bravery. The Gaul, having feared danger, as it had been instructed, sends the spear.

15 Haec cāsū ad turrim adhaesit neque ab nostrīs bīduō
16 animadversa tertiō diē ā quōdam mīlite cōnspicitur, dēmpta
17 ad Cicerōnem dēfertur. Ille perlēctam in conventū mīlitum
18 recitat maximāque omnēs laetitiā adficit. Tum fūmī
19 incendiōrum procul vidēbantur; quae rēs omnem dubitātiōnem
20 adventūs legiōnum expulit.

This [javelin] stuck to a tower by chance, and having not been noticed by our men for two days, is discerned by a certain soldier on the third day, removed, it is taken to Cicero. That one reads [it], having been read through, in a meeting of the soldiers, and it fills all with the greatest joy. Then the smoke[s] of fires were being seen in the distance; a matter which expelled all doubt of the arrival of the legions.