§5.9.1Caesar exposito exercitu et loco castris idoneo capto, ubi ex captivis cognovit quo in loco hostium copiae consedissent, cohortibus decem ad mare relictis et equitibus trecentis, qui praesidio navibus essent, de tertia vigilia ad hostes contendit, eo minus veritus navibus, quod in litore molli atque aperto deligatas ad ancoram relinquebat, §5.9.2et praesidio navibus Q. Atrium praefecit.
Caesar, having landed his army and chosen a suitable place for the camp, when he learned from the prisoners in what place the enemy's forces had taken position, left ten cohorts and three hundred cavalry by the sea to serve as a guard for the ships, and set out towards the enemy around the third watch, fearing the less for the ships because he was leaving them anchored on a soft and open shore, and he put Quintus Atrius in command of the guard for the ships.
Ipse noctu progressus milia passuum circiter XII hostium copias conspicatus est.
He himself, having advanced about twelve miles by night, caught sight of the enemy's forces.
§5.9.3Illi equitatu atque essedis ad flumen progressi ex loco superiore nostros prohibere et proelium committere coeperunt.
They, having advanced to the river with their cavalry and chariots, began to hinder our men from the higher ground and to join battle.
§5.9.4Repulsi ab equitatu se in silvas abdiderunt, locum nacti egregie et natura et opere munitum, quem domestici belli, ut videbantur, causa iam ante praeparaverant; §5.9.5nam crebris arboribus succisis omnes introitus erant praeclusi.
Repulsed by the cavalry, they hid themselves in the woods, having found a place excellently fortified both by nature and by art, which they had already prepared beforehand, as it seemed, for the sake of a domestic war; for all the entrances had been blocked by many felled trees.
§5.9.6Ipsi ex silvis rari propugnabant nostrosque intra munitiones ingredi prohibebant.
They themselves fought in scattered groups from the woods and prevented our men from entering within the fortifications.
§5.9.7At milites legionis septimae, testudine facta et aggere ad munitiones adiecto, locum ceperunt eosque ex silvis expulerunt paucis vulneribus acceptis.
But the soldiers of the seventh legion, having formed a testudo and thrown up a ramp against the fortifications, took the place and drove them out of the woods with few wounds received.
§5.9.8Sed eos fugientes longius Caesar prosequi vetuit, et quod loci naturam ignorabat, et quod magna parte diei consumpta munitioni castrorum tempus relinqui volebat.
But Caesar forbade pursuing them further as they fled, both because he was ignorant of the nature of the country, and because, a great part of the day being spent, he wished time to be left for the fortification of the camp.