C. Iulius Caesar, De Bello Gallico 5.37

Sabinus goes out to the conference with the officers he has around him. The passage covers the parley itself, the fighting at the Roman camp, and the eagle-bearer L. Petrosidius, who appears here for the first time, along with the winter quarters of T. Labienus.

 

Tier 1

Sabīnus tribūnōs mīlitum et centuriōnēs prīmōrum ōrdinum, quōs circum sē habēbat, vocāvit. tum ad Ambiorīgem accessit. Ambiorīx eī dīxit: "arma abice!" Sabīnus arma abiēcit et suīs mīlitibus imperāvit: "vōs quoque idem facite!"

 

interim Sabīnus et Ambiorīx dē pāce agēbant. sed Ambiorīx multa verba dīcēbat: nam mīlitēs suī interim Sabīnum circumveniēbant. tum Gallī Sabīnum interfēcērunt.

 

tum Gallī, mōre suō, vīctōriam clāmāvērunt et magnum clāmōrem sustulērunt. deinde in nostrōs impetum fēcērunt et ōrdinēs Rōmānōs turbāvērunt. ibi L. Cotta fortiter pugnābat, sed hostēs eum interfēcērunt cum maximā parte mīlitum.

 

reliquī mīlitēs in castra fūgērunt, unde ēgressī erant. inter eōs erat L. Petrosīdius, mīles quī aquilam portābat. magna multitūdō hostium eum premēbat. itaque aquilam intrā mūrum castrōrum iēcit. ipse prō castrīs fortissimē pugnābat, et ibi cecidit.

 

illī Rōmānī quī in castrīs erant hostēs aegrē prohibēbant usque ad noctem. tum omnēs dīxērunt: "nēmō nōs iam servābit." itaque nocte sē ipsī interfēcērunt: nēmō relictus est.

 

paucī tamen ex proeliō fūgerant. per silvās longē errāvērunt et tandem ad castra T. Labiēnī lēgātī vēnērunt. ibi Labiēnō omnia dīxērunt.

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