§38.21.1Galli ab duobus lateribus satis fidentes invia esse, ab ea parte, quae in meridiem vergeret, ut armis clauderent viam, quattuor milia fere armatorum ad tumulum imminentem viae minus mille passuum a castris occupandum mittunt, §38.21.2eo se rati veluti castello iter impedituros.
The Gauls, being sufficiently confident that the terrain was impassable on two sides, sent about four thousand armed men from the side facing south, in order to block the road with arms, to occupy a hill overhanging the road, less than a mile from the camp, thinking that from there they would obstruct the march as if from a fortress.
quod ubi Romani viderunt, expediunt sese ad pugnam.
When the Romans saw this, they prepared themselves for battle.
ante signa modico intervallo velites eunt et ab Attalo Cretenses sagittarii et funditores et Tralli et Thraeces; §38.21.3signa peditum, ut per arduum, leni gradu ducuntur, §38.21.4ita prae se habentium scuta, ut missilia tantum vitarent, pede collato non viderentur pugnaturi.
The light-armed troops went a moderate distance in front of the standards, as well as the Cretan archers and slingers sent by Attalus, and the Trallians and Thracians; the standards of the infantry, as is natural through a steep place, were led at a gentle pace, holding their shields in front of them in such a way that they merely avoided the missiles and did not seem about to fight hand-to-hand.
missilibus ex intervallo loci proelium commissum est, primo par, Gallos loco adiuvante, Romanos varietate et copia telorum; procedente certamine nihil iam aequi erat.
The battle was joined with missiles from a distance; at first it was equal, with the terrain helping the Gauls, and the variety and abundance of weapons helping the Romans; but as the fight proceeded, there was no longer any equality.
scuta longa ceterum ad amplitudinem corporum parum lata, et ea ipsa plana, male tegebant Gallos.
The long shields, which moreover were too narrow for the size of their bodies and were flat in themselves, poorly protected the Gauls.
§38.21.5nec tela iam alia habebant praeter gladios, quorum, cum manum hostis non consereret, nullus usus erat.
Nor did they now have any other weapons besides their swords, which, since the enemy did not join hand-to-hand combat, were of no use.
§38.21.6saxis nec modicis, ut quae non praeparassent, sed quod cuique temere trepidanti ad manum venisset, et ut insueti, nec arte nec viribus adiuvantes ictum, utebantur.
They used stones, and not moderate-sized ones, since they had not prepared them, but whatever came to the hand of each man in his blind panic, and, being unaccustomed to it, helping the blow neither with skill nor with strength.
§38.21.7sagittis glande iaculis incauti ab omni parte configebantur nec, quid agerent, ira et pavore occaecatis animis cernebant, et erant deprensi genere pugnae, in quod minime apti sunt.
Unwary, they were pierced from all sides by arrows, sling-bullets, and javelins, nor did they perceive what they should do, their minds being blinded by anger and fear, and they were caught in a kind of fighting for which they are least suited.
§38.21.8nam quemadmodum comminus, ubi in vicem pati et inferre vulnera licet, accendit ira animos eorum, ita, ubi ex occulto et procul levibus telis vulnerantur, nec, quo ruant caeco impetu, habent, velut ferae transfixae in suos temere incurrunt.
For just as hand-to-hand, where it is permitted to receive and inflict wounds in turn, anger inflames their minds, so, when they are wounded from ambush and from afar by light missiles, and have no place to rush with blind force, they run blindly into their own men like transfixed beasts.
§38.21.9detegebat vulnera eorum, quod nudi pugnant, et sunt fusa et candida corpora, ut quae numquam nisi in pugna nudentur; ita et plus sanguinis ex multa carne fundebatur, et foediores patebant plagae, et candor corporum magis sanguine atro maculabatur.
The fact that they fight naked exposed their wounds; and their bodies are large and white, since they are never naked except in battle; thus both more blood was poured out from the abundant flesh, and the wounds opened more hideously, and the whiteness of their bodies was more stained with dark blood.
§38.21.10sed non tam patentibus plagis moventur; interdum insecta cute, ubi latior quam altior plaga est, etiam gloriosius se pugnare putant; §38.21.11iidem, cum aculeus sagittae aut glandis abditae introrsus tenui vulnere in speciem urit, et scrutantis, qua evellant, telum non sequitur, tum in rabiem et pudorem tam parvae perimentis versi pestis prosternunt corpora humi, sicut tum passim procumbebant; §38.21.12alii ruentes in hostem undique configebantur et, cum comminus venerant, gladiis a velitibus trucidabantur.
But they are not so much moved by open wounds; sometimes when the skin is cut, where the wound is wider than it is deep, they even think that they fight more gloriously; these same men, when the barb of an arrow or a sling-bullet hidden deep inside burns with what seems a slight wound, and the weapon does not follow when they search for where to pull it out, then, turned to madness and shame at so small a pest destroying them, they throw their bodies on the ground, just as they were then falling here and there; others, rushing at the enemy, were pierced from all sides and, when they had come hand-to-hand, were slaughtered with swords by the light-armed troops.
§38.21.13hic miles tripedalem parmam habet et in dextera hastas, quibus eminus utitur; gladio Hispaniensi est cinctus; quodsi pede collato pugnandum est, translatis in laevam hastis stringit gladium.
This soldier has a three-foot round shield and in his right hand spears, which he uses from a distance; he is girt with a Spanish sword; but if he must fight hand-to-hand, having transferred the spears to his left hand, he draws his sword.
§38.21.14pauci iam supererant Gallorum, qui, postquam ab levi armatura superatos se viderunt et instare legionum signa, effusa fuga castra repetunt pavoris et tumultus iam plena, ut ubi feminae puerique et alia imbellis turba permixta esset.
Now few of the Gauls survived, who, after they saw themselves defeated by the light infantry and the standards of the legions pressing on, returned to their camp in headlong flight, which was already full of fear and confusion, as is natural where women, children, and other non-combatant crowds were mingled.
§38.21.15Romanos victores deserti fuga hostium acceperunt tumuli.
The hills, deserted by the flight of the enemy, received the victorious Romans.