---
title: "Gallic War — Book V"
author: "Julius Caesar"
translator: "W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn"
languages: [la, en]
shelf: "Classical Latin"
section: 52 of 58
url: https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-v/52/
cite: "Julius Caesar, tr. W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn, Gallic War — Book V, section 52. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-v/52/"
---

# Gallic War — Book V

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

## 52. Book V — Chapter 52

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-v/52/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-v/52/#p-N

[¶0] Caesar, fearing to pursue them very far, because woods and morasses intervened, and also [because] he saw that they suffered no small loss in abandoning their position, reaches Cicero the same day with all his forces safe.

> Latin: Longius prosequi veritus, quod silvae paludesque intercedebant neque etiam parvulo detrimento illorum locum relinqui videbat, omnibus suis incolumibus copiis eodem die ad Ciceronem pervenit.

[¶1] He witnesses with surprise the towers, mantelets, and [other] fortifications belonging to the enemy: the legion having been drawn out, he finds that even every tenth soldier had not escaped without wounds.

> Latin: Institutas turres, testudines munitionesque hostium admiratur; legione producta cognoscit non decimum quemque esse reliquum militem sine vulnere:

[¶2] From all these things he judges with what danger and with what great courage matters had been conducted;

> Latin: ex his omnibus iudicat rebus, quanto cum periculo et quanta cum virtute res sint administratae.

[¶3] he commends Cicero according to his desert, and likewise the legion; he addresses individually the centurions and the tribunes of the soldiers, whose valor he had discovered to have been signal. He receives information of the death of Sabinus and Cotta from the prisoners.

> Latin: Ciceronem pro eius merito legionemque collaudat; centuriones singillatim tribunosque militum appellat, quorum egregiam fuisse virtutem testimonio Ciceronis cognoverat. De casu Sabini et Cottae certius ex captivis cognoscit.

[¶4] An assembly being held the following day, he states the occurrence; he consoles and encourages the soldiers;

> Latin: Postero die contione habita rem gestam proponit, milites consolatur et confirmat:

[¶5] he suggests, that the disaster, which had been occasioned by the misconduct and rashness of his lieutenant, should be borne with a patient mind, because by the favor of the immortal gods and their own valor, neither was lasting joy left to the enemy, nor very lasting grief to them.

> Latin: quod detrimentum culpa et temeritate legati sit acceptum, hoc aequiore animo ferendum docet, quod beneficio deorum immortalium et virtute eorum expiato incommodo neque hostibus diutina laetatio neque ipsis longior dolor relinquatur.