---
title: "Gallic War — Book I"
author: "Julius Caesar"
translator: "W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn"
languages: [la, en]
shelf: "Classical Latin"
section: 51 of 54
url: https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-i/51/
cite: "Julius Caesar, tr. W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn, Gallic War — Book I, section 51. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-i/51/"
---

# Gallic War — Book I

*Julius Caesar, tr. W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn*

## 51. Book I — Chapter 51

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-i/51/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-i/51/#p-N

[¶0] The day following, Caesar left what seemed sufficient as a guard for both camps; [and then] drew up all the auxiliaries in sight of the enemy, before the lesser camp, because he was not very powerful in the number of legionary soldiers, considering the number of the enemy; that [thereby] he might make use of his auxiliaries for appearance. He himself, having drawn up his army in three lines, advanced to the camp of the enemy.

> Latin: Postridie eius diei Caesar praesidio utrisque castris quod satis esse visum est reliquit, alarios omnes in conspectu hostium pro castris minoribus constituit, quod minus multitudine militum legionariorum pro hostium numero valebat, ut ad speciem alariis uteretur; ipse triplici instructa acie usque ad castra hostium accessit.

[¶1] Then at last of necessity the Germans drew their forces out of camp, and disposed them canton by canton, at equal distances, the Harudes, Marcomanni, Tribocci, Vangiones, Nemetes, Sedusii, Suevi; and surrounded their whole army with their chariots and wagons, that no hope might be left in flight.

> Latin: Tum demum necessario Germani suas copias castris eduxerunt generatimque constituerunt paribus intervallis, Harudes, Marcomanos, Tribocos, Vangiones, Nemetes, Sedusios, Suebos, omnemque aciem suam raedis et carris circumdederunt, ne qua spes in fuga relinqueretur.

[¶2] On these they placed their women, who, with disheveled hair and in tears, entreated the soldiers, as they went forward to battle, not to deliver them into slavery to the Romans.

> Latin: Eo mulieres imposuerunt, quae ad proelium proficiscentes milites passis manibus flentes implorabant ne se in servitutem Romanis traderent.