§8.23.1Nocte insequenti legati responsa ad suos referunt, obsides conficiunt.
On the following night, the ambassadors carry back the answers to their people and prepare the hostages.
Concurrunt reliquarum civitatium legati, quae Bellovacorum speculabantur eventum; §8.23.2obsides dant, imperata faciunt excepto Commio, quem timor prohibebat cuiusquam fidei suam committere salutem.
The ambassadors of the remaining states, who were watching the outcome of the Bellovaci, flock together; they give hostages and execute the orders, with the exception of Commius, whom fear prevented from committing his safety to anyone’s protection.
§8.23.3Nam superiore anno Titus Labienus, Caesare in Gallia citeriore ius dicente, cum Commium comperisset sollicitare civitates et coniurationem contra Caesarem facere, infidelitatem eius sine ulla perfidia iudicavit comprimi posse.
For in the preceding year, while Caesar was administering justice in Cisalpine Gaul, Titus Labienus, having discovered that Commius was soliciting the states and forming a conspiracy against Caesar, judged that his infidelity could be suppressed without any perfidy on his own part.
§8.23.4Quem quia non arbitrabatur vocatum in castra venturum, ne temptando cautiorem faceret, Gaium Volusenum Quadratum misit, qui eum per simulationem colloqui curaret interficiendum.
Because he did not think that he, if summoned, would come to the camp, lest by making the attempt he should make him more cautious, he sent Gaius Volusenus Quadratus to see to his killing under the pretense of a conference.
Ad eam rem delectos idoneos ei tradit centuriones.
For this purpose, he assigns to him selected and suitable centurions.
§8.23.5Cum in colloquium ventum esset, et, ut convenerat, manum Commi Volusenus arripuisset, centurio vel insueta re permotus vel celeriter a familiaribus prohibitus Commi conficere hominem non potuit; graviter tamen primo ictu gladio caput percussit.
When they had come to the conference, and Volusenus, as had been agreed, had seized the hand of Commius, a centurion, either deeply moved by the unusual task or quickly prevented by the companions of Commius, was unable to dispatch the man; yet with his first blow he struck his head severely with his sword.
§8.23.6Cum utrimque gladii destricti essent, non tam pugnandi quam diffugiendi fuit utrorumque consilium: nostrorum, quod mortifero vulnere Commium credebant adfectum; Gallorum, quod insidiis cognitis plura quam videbant extimescebant.
When swords were drawn on both sides, the design of both was not so much to fight as to flee: of our men, because they believed Commius was afflicted with a mortal wound; of the Gauls, because, having recognized the ambush, they feared more than they saw.
Quo facto statuisse Commius dicebatur numquam in conspectum cuiusquam Romani venire.
After this event, it was said that Commius resolved never to come into the sight of any Roman.