§44.33.1conferre, postremo sequi se utrarios ad mare, quod minus trecentos passus aberat, iussit et in litore alios alibi modicis intervallis fodere.
...to collect [wood], and finally ordered the water-carriers to follow him to the sea, which was less than three hundred paces away, and ordered others to dig on the shore here and there at moderate intervals.
§44.33.2montes ingentis altitudinis spem faciebant, eo magis quia nullos apertos emergerent rivos, occultos contineri latices, quorum venae in mare permanantes undae miscerentur.
Mountains of immense height gave hope of water, all the more because they poured out no open streams, and it was believed that hidden waters were contained within, whose veins, trickling down into the sea, mingled with the waves.
§44.33.3vix diducta summa harena erat, cum scaturrigines turbidae primo et tenues emicare, dein liquidam multamque fundere aquam velut deum dono coeperunt.
Scarcely had the surface sand been scraped away, when at first muddy and thin springs began to spout, and then to pour out clear and abundant water, as if by a gift of the gods.
§44.33.4aliquantum ea quoque res duci famae et auctoritatis apud milites adicit.
This event also added considerably to the general's reputation and authority among the soldiers.
iussis deinde militibus expedire arma ipse cum tribunis primisque ordinibus ad contemplandos transitus processit, qua descensus facilis armatis, qua in ulteriorem ripam minime inicus ascensus esset.
Then, having ordered the soldiers to get their arms ready, he himself, with the tribunes and the centurions of the first rank, went forward to examine the crossings, where the descent would be easy for armed men, and where the ascent to the opposite bank would be least difficult.
§44.33.5his satis exploratis illa quoque novavit; primum, ut ordine ac sine tumultu omnia in agmine ad nutum imperiumque ducis fierent, providit:
Having sufficiently reconnoitered these, he also reformed the following practices; first, he provided that in the line of march all things should be done in order and without tumult at the nod and command of the general.
§44.33.6ubi omnibus simul pronuntiaretur, quid fieret, neque omnes exaudirent, incerto imperio accepto alios ab se adicientes plus eo, quod imperatum sit, alios minus facere; clamores deinde dissonos oriri omnibus locis, et prius hostes quam ipsos, quid paretur, scire.
For when orders were announced to all at the same time, and not everyone heard them clearly, they, having received an uncertain command, did some more than what was ordered, adding to it themselves, and others less; then discordant shouts arose in all places, and the enemy knew what was being prepared before they themselves did.
§44.33.7placere igitur tribunum militum primo pilo legionis secretum edere imperium, illum et dein singulos proximo cuique in ordine centurioni dicere, quid opus facto sit, sive a primis signis ad novissimum agmen, sive ab extremis a d primos perferundum imperium sit.
He decided, therefore, that the military tribune should give the order secretly to the chief centurion of the legion, and he, and then each centurion in turn, should tell the next centurion in line what needed to be done, whether the order had to be passed from the front banners to the rear of the column, or from the rear to the front.
§44.33.8vigiles etiam novo more scutum in vigiliam ferre vetuit: non enim in pugnam vigilem ire, ut armis utatur, sed ad vigilandum, ut, cum senserit hostium adventum, recipiat se excitetque ad arma alios.
He also forbade the sentries, by a new regulation, to carry a shield on guard duty; for a sentry, he said, did not go to battle to use weapons, but to watch, so that, when he perceived the approach of the enemy, he might retreat and rouse the others to arms.
§44.33.9scuto prae se erecto stare galeatos; deinde, ubi fessi sint, innixos pilo, capite super marginem scuti posito, sopitos stare, ut fulgentibus armis procul conspici ab hoste possint, ipsi nihil provideant.
Previously, helmeted soldiers stood with their shields erected in front of them; then, when they were tired, leaning on their spears, with their heads placed on the rim of the shield, they stood half-asleep, so that they could be seen from afar by the enemy because of their glittering arms, while they themselves foresaw nothing.
§44.33.10stationum quoque morem mutavit.
He also changed the custom of the outposts.
armati omnes, et frenatis equis equites, diem totum perstabant; id cum aestivis diebus urente adsiduo sole fieret, tot horarum aestu et languore ipsos equosque fessos integri saepe adorti hostes vel pauci plures vexabant.
All armed men, and cavalry with bridled horses, used to stand all day long; when this was done on summer days under a burning and constant sun, they and their horses were exhausted by so many hours of heat and languor, and the enemy, fresh and often few in number, harassed them, though they were more numerous.
§44.33.11itaque ex matutina statione ad meridiem decedi et in postmeridianam succedero alios iussit; ita numquam fatigatos recens hostis adgredi poterat.
Therefore, he ordered that the morning guard should withdraw at noon and others should succeed them for the afternoon; thus, the enemy, being fresh, could never attack them when they were fatigued.