---
title: "Gallic War — Book VIII"
author: "Aulus Hirtius"
translator: "W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn"
languages: [la, en]
shelf: "Classical Latin"
section: 29 of 56
url: https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-viii/29/
cite: "Aulus Hirtius, tr. W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn, Gallic War — Book VIII, section 29. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-viii/29/"
---

# Gallic War — Book VIII

*Aulus Hirtius, tr. W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn*

## 29. Book VIII — Chapter 28 · Aulus Hirtius

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-viii/29/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/caesar-gallic-war-book-viii/29/#p-N

[¶0] The night following, Fabius sent his horse before him, with orders to engage the enemy, and delay their march till he himself should come up.

> Latin: Insequenti nocte Fabius equites praemittit sic paratos ut confligerent atque omne agmen morarentur, dum consequeretur ipse.

[¶1] That his orders might be faithfully performed, Quintus Atius Varus, general of the horse, a man of uncommon spirit and skill, encouraged his men, and pursuing the enemy, disposed some of his troops in convenient places, and with the rest gave battle to the enemy.

> Latin: Cuius praeceptis ut res gereretur, Quintus Atius Varus, praefectus equitum, singularis et animi et prudentiae vir, suos hortatur agmenque hostium consecutus turmas partim idoneis locis disponit, parte equitum proelium committit.

[¶2] The enemy's cavalry made a bold stand, the foot relieving each other, and making a general halt, to assist their horse against ours. The battle was warmly contested.

> Latin: Confligit audacius equitatus hostium succedentibus sibi peditibus, qui toto agmine subsistentes equitibus suis contra nostros ferunt auxilium. Fit proelium acri certamine.

[¶3] For our men, despising the enemy whom they had conquered the day before, and knowing that the legions were following them, animated both by the disgrace of retreating, and a desire of concluding the battle expeditiously by their own courage, fought most valiantly against the foot:

> Latin: Namque nostri contemptis pridie superatis hostibus, cum subsequi legiones meminissent, et pudore cedendi et cupiditate per se conficiendi proeli fortissime contra pedites proeliantur,

[¶4] and the enemy, imagining that no more forces would come against them, as they had experienced the day before, thought they had got a favorable opportunity of destroying our whole cavalry.

> Latin: hostesque nihil amplius copiarum accessurum credentes, ut pridie cognoverant, delendi equitatus nostri nacti occasionem videbantur.