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Julius Caesar · Gallic War §3.26.1-3.26.6

Surprise Attack via the Rear Gate and Enemy Rout

Passage 115 of 404 · Latin

Summary

Crassus ordered the fresh cohorts to launch a surprise attack on the enemy camp through the vulnerable decuman gate and capture it. The surrounded enemy fled, and the Roman cavalry pursued and destroyed most of them.

§3.26.1Crassus equitum praefectos cohortatus, ut magnis praemiis pollicitationibusque suos excitarent, quid fieri vellet ostendit.
Crassus, having encouraged the commanders of the cavalry to rouse their men with great rewards and promises, showed them what he wished to be done.
§3.26.2Illi, ut erat imperatum, eductis iis cohortibus quae praesidio castris relictae intritae ab labore erant, et longiore itinere circumductis, ne ex hostium castris conspici possent, omnium oculis mentibusque ad pugnam intentis celeriter ad eas quas diximus munitiones pervenerunt §3.26.3atque his prorutis prius in hostium castris constiterunt quam plane ab his videri aut quid rei gereretur cognosci posset.
They, as had been ordered, having led out those cohorts which had been left as a guard for the camp and were fresh from labor, and having led them around by a longer route so that they could not be seen from the enemy's camp, while the eyes and minds of all were intent on the battle, quickly arrived at those fortifications which we have mentioned; and having demolished these, they established themselves in the enemy's camp before they could be clearly seen by them or it could be known what was being done.
§3.26.4Tum vero clamore ab ea parte audito nostri redintegratis viribus, quod plerumque in spe victoriae accidere consuevit, acrius impugnare coeperunt.
Then indeed, when the shouting was heard from that quarter, our men, with renewed strength, which usually happens when there is hope of victory, began to assault more fiercely.
§3.26.5Hostes undique circumventi desperatis omnibus rebus se per munitiones deicere et fuga salutem petere contenderunt.
The enemy, surrounded on all sides, despairing of everything, hastened to cast themselves down over the fortifications and to seek safety in flight.
§3.26.6Quos equitatus apertissimis campis consectatus ex milium L numero, quae ex Aquitania Cantabrisque convenisse constabat, vix quarta parte relicta, multa nocte se in castra recepit.
The cavalry pursued them in the very open plains, and out of the number of fifty thousand, which it was known had assembled from Aquitania and the Cantabri, leaving scarcely a fourth part, returned to the camp late at night.

Notes

  1. 3.26.2praesidio castris — Double dative construction, consisting of 'praesidio' (dative of purpose) and 'castris' (dative of reference/interest), meaning 'as a guard for the camp'.
  2. 3.26.3prius ... quam ... posset — The conjunction 'priusquam' (before) is split into 'prius' and 'quam'. The subjunctive 'posset' is used to imply anticipation or prevention rather than a mere chronological sequence.
  3. 3.26.6Quos — Relative connection (qui at the beginning of a sentence), referring back to 'hostes' in the preceding sentence to ensure a smooth transition. Translated as a demonstrative pronoun ('them').

Cite this passage

Julius Caesar, Gallic War §3.26.1-3.26.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0448.phi001.humanitext-lat2:3.26.1-3.26.6

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