§7.36.1Caesar ex eo loco quintis castris Gergoviam pervenit equestrique eo die proelio levi facto perspecto urbis situ, quae posita in altissimo monte omnes aditus difficiles habebat, de expugnatione desperavit, de obsessione non prius agendum constituit, quam rem frumentariam expedisset.
Caesar, arriving at Gergovia from that place on the fifth day's march, and having engaged in a light cavalry skirmish on that day, and reconnoitered the situation of the city, which, being situated on a very high mountain, had all its approaches difficult, despaired of taking it by storm, and decided that he ought not to take measures for a blockade until he had secured his grain supply.
§7.36.2At Vercingetorix castris, prope oppidum positis, mediocribus circum se intervallis separatim singularum civitatium copias collocaverat atque omnibus eius iugi collibus occupatis, qua despici poterat, §7.36.3horribilem speciem praebebat;
But Vercingetorix, having pitched his camp near the town, had disposed the forces of each state separately at short intervals around himself; and having occupied all the hills of that ridge from which a view could be commanded, he presented a formidable appearance.
principesque earum civitatium, quos sibi ad consilium capiendum delegerat, prima luce cotidie ad se convenire iubebat, seu quid communicandum, seu quid administrandum videretur; §7.36.4neque ullum fere diem intermittebat quin equestri proelio interiectis sagittariis, quid in quoque esset animi ac virtutis suorum perspiceret.
He ordered the chiefs of those states whom he had selected to form a council with him, to convene before him daily at dawn, in case there should appear to be anything to be communicated or administered; nor did he let almost any day pass without testing, by a cavalry skirmish with archers interspersed, what spirit and courage there was in each of his men.
§7.36.5Erat e regione oppidi collis sub ipsis radicibus montis, egregie munitus atque ex omni parte circumcisus; quem si tenerent nostri, et aquae magna parte et pabulatione libera prohibituri hostes videbantur; §7.36.6sed is locus praesidio ab his non nimis firmo tenebatur;
Opposite the town, at the very foot of the mountain, there was a hill remarkably well fortified and cliff-like on every side; which if our men could secure, they seemed likely to exclude the enemy from a great part of their water and from free foraging; but this place was held by them with a guard not very strong.
§7.36.7tamen silentio noctis Caesar ex castris egressus, priusquam subsidio ex oppido veniri posset, deiecto praesidio potitus loco duas ibi legiones collocavit fossamque duplicem duodenum pedum a maioribus castris ad minora perduxit, ut tuto ab repentino hostium incursu etiam singuli commeare possent.
Nevertheless, Caesar, setting out from the camp in the silence of the night, before assistance could come from the town, dislodged the guard, secured the position, and stationed two legions there; and he drew a double ditch of twelve feet from the larger camp to the smaller, so that even single soldiers could pass to and fro in safety from any sudden inroad of the enemy.