Friday, September 24, 2010

de bello gallico, 4.32

While these things were being done, with one legion which was called the seventh out of custom having been sent to get grain, and not with any suspicion of war having been admitted at this time, when part of the men remained in the fields, part also were coming back and forth into camp, these men who were in post in front of the gates of the camp announced to Caesar that greater dust than custom bore was seen in this part into which part the legion had made a journey. Caesar, having suspected this which was, something of a new plan was begun by the barbarians, ordered the cohorts which were in posts to set out with him into this direction, from those left two cohorts to follow into post, the rest to be armed and immediately follow close after him. When he had proceeded farther by a little, he noticed that his men were attacked by the enemy and were scarcely holding up and, with the legion having been tightly packed, weapons were being thrown from all sides. For because, with all the grain having been harvested from the rest of the regions, one part was remaining, the enemy, having suspected that to this place our men would come, hid in the woods at night; then, having suddenly attacked our dispersed men, with weapons having been put aside occupied in harvesting, with a few having been killed they had thrown the rest into confusion with uncertain lines, at the same time they had surrounded with cavalry and war chariots.

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