§2.6.1Ab his castris oppidum Remorum nomine Bibrax aberat milia passuum VIII. Id ex itinere magno impetu Belgae oppugnare coeperunt.
From this camp, a town of the Remi called Bibrax was eight miles distant. The Belgae began to assault it with great violence straight from their march.
Aegre eo die sustentatum est. §2.6.2Gallorum eadem atque Belgarum oppugnatio est haec: ubi circumiecta multitudine hominum totis moenibus undique in murum lapides iaci coepti sunt murusque defensoribus nudatus est, testudine facta portas succedunt murumque subruunt.
On that day, the defense was maintained with difficulty.\n The method of attacking a town is the same with the Gauls as with the Belgae: when a large multitude of men has been cast all around the entire fortifications, and stones begin to be thrown from all sides against the wall, and the wall has been stripped of its defenders, they form a testudo (tortoise), advance under the gates, and undermine the wall.
Quod tum facile fiebat. §2.6.3Nam cum tanta multitudo lapides ac tela coicerent, in muro consistendi potestas erat nulli. §2.6.4Cum finem oppugnandi nox fecisset, Iccius Remus, summa nobilitate et gratia inter suos, qui tum oppido praeerat, unus ex iis qui legati de pace ad Caesarem venerant, nuntium ad eum mittit, nisi subsidium sibi submittatur, sese diutius sustinere non posse.
This was then easily done.\n For when so great a multitude were throwing stones and missiles, no one had the power of standing on the wall.\n When night had put an end to the assault, Iccius, a Reman of the highest nobility and influence among his people, who was then in command of the town, being one of those who had come as ambassadors to Caesar to treat for peace, sent a messenger to him to say that unless reinforcement were sent to him, he could not hold out any longer.