 125. Curio’s Army is Annihilated |
129-130. An Episode from the Civil War  |
PROSE AUTHORS
Though disconcerted for the time being by Caesar's decisive victory over the Nervii (Lesson 115), the Treveri subsequently more than once threatened the winter camp of Labienus (cf. Lessons 112 and 116, and see the map on page 124).
Dum haec ā Caesare geruntur, Trēverī magnīs coāctīs peditātūs equitātūsque cōpiīs Labiēnum cum ūnā legiōne, quae in eoōrum fīnibus hiemābat, adorīrī parābant; iamque ab eō nōn longius bīdui viā aberant, cum duās vēnisse legiōnēs missū Caesaris cōgnōscunt. Positis castrīs ā mīlibus passuum xv, auxilia Germānōrum exspectāre constituunt.
Labiēnus, hostium cōgnitō cōnsiliō, spērāns temeritāte eorum fore aliquam dīmicandī facultātem, praesidiō quīnque cohortium impedīmentīs relictō, cum xxv cohortibus magnōque equitātū contrā hostem proficīscitur, et mīlle passuum intermissō spatiō castra commūnit. Erat inter Labiēnum atque hostem difficilī trānsitū flūmen rīpīsque praeruptīs. Hoc neque ipse trānsīre habēbat in animō neque hostēs trānsitūrōs existimābat. Augebātur auxiliōrum cotīdiē spēs. Loquitur in cōnsiliō palam, quoniam Germānī appropinquāre dīcantur, sēsē suās exercitūsque fortūnās in dubium nōn dēvocātūrum, et posterō diē prīmā lūce castra mōtūrum. Celeriter haec ad hostēs dēferuntur, ut ex magnō Gallōrum equitātūs numerō nōnnūllōs Gallicīs rēbus favēre nātūra cōgēbat.
Labiēnus noctū tribūnīs mīlitum prīmīsque ōrdinibus convocātīs, quid suī sit cōnsilī, prōpōnit et, quō facilius hostibus timōris det susplciōnem, maiōre strepitū et tumultū, quam populī Rōmānī fert cōnsuētūdō, castra movērī iubet. Hīs rēbus fugae similem profectiōnem efficit. Haec quoque per explōrātōrēs ante lūcem in tantā propinquitāte castrōrum ad hostēs dēferuntur.
Vix agmen novissimum extrā mūnītiōnēs prōcesserat, cum Gallī cohortātī inter sē, nē spērātam praedam ex manibus dīmitterent —— longum esse, perterritīs Rōmānīs, Germānōrum auxilium exspectāre, neque suam patī dignitātem ut tantīs cōpiīs tam exiguam manum, praesertim fugientem atque impeditam, adorīrī nōn audeant —— flūmen transīre et inīquō locō committere proelium non dubitant. Quae fore suspicātus Labiēnus, ut omnēs citrā flūmen ēliceret, eādem ūsus simulātiōne itineris placidē prōgrediēbātur.Tum praemissīs paulum impedīments atque in tumulō quōdam collocātis, “Habētis,” inquit, “mīlitēs, quam petīstis facultātem; hostem impedītō atque inīquō locō tenētis; praestāte eandem nōbīs ducibus virtūtem, quam saepenumerō imperātōrī praestitistis, atque illum adesse et haec cōram cernere existimāte." Simul signa ad hostem convertī aciemque dērigī iubet; paucīs turmīs praesidiō ad impedīmenta dīmissīs reliquōs equitēs ad latera dispōnit.
Celeriter nostrī clāmōre sublātō pīla in hostēs inmittunt. Illī ubi praeter spem, quōs modō fugere crēdēbant, īnfestīs sīgnīs ad sē ire vidērunt, impetum ferre nōn potuērunt, ac prīmō concursū in fugam coniectī proximās silvās petivērunt. Quōs Labiēnus equitātū cōnsectātus, magnō numerō interfectō, complūribus captīs, paucīs post diebus civitātem recēpit. Nam Germānī, quī auxiliō veniēbant, perceptā Trēverōrum fugā, sēsē domum receperunt.
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With these standards compare those shown in the illustrations on page 132. Flags (vēxilla) were used for giving signals, and to differentiate small bodies of troops. In the matter of inspiring loyalty among the men, their effect was in general very slight as compared with that of the flag in modern armies.