Sambre
(Caesar's
Romans vs the Belgians)
GAIUS JULIUS CAESAR
"MILITARY COMMENTARIES"
GALLIC WARS
Chapter 18 - 28:
The nature of the ground which our men had chosen for the camp was this: A hill,
declining evenly from the top, extending to the river Sambre, which we have
mentioned above: from this river there arose a [second] hill of like ascent, on
the other side and opposite to the former, and open for about 200 paces at the
lower part; but in the upper part, woody, (so much so) that it was not easy to
see through it into the interior. Within these woods the enemy kept themselves
in concealment; a few troops of horse-soldiers appeared on the open ground,
along the river. The depth of the river was about three feet.
Caesar, having sent his cavalry on before, followed close after them with all
his forces; but the plan and order of the march was different from that which
the Belgae had reported to the Nervii. For as he was approaching the enemy,
Caesar, according to his custom, led on [as the van six legions unencumbered by
baggage; behind them he had placed the baggage- trains of the whole army; then
the two legions which had been last raised closed the rear, and were a guard for
the baggage-train. Our horse, with the slingers and archers, having passed the
river, commenced action with the cavalry of the enemy. While they from time to
time betook themselves into the woods to their companions, and again made an
assault out of the wood upon our men, who did not dare to follow them in their
retreat further than the limit to which the plain and open parts extended, in
the mean time the six legions which had arrived first, having measured out the
work, began to fortify the camp. When the first part of the baggage train of our
army was seen by those who lay hid in the woods, which had been agreed on among
them as the time for commencing action, as soon as they had arranged their line
of battle and formed their ranks within the woods, and had encouraged one
another, they rushed out suddenly with all their forces and made an attack upon
our horse. The latter being easily routed and thrown into confusion, the Nervii
ran down to the river with such incredible speed that they seemed to be in the
woods, the river, and close upon us almost at the same time. And with the same
speed they hastened up the hill to our camp, and to those who were employed in
the works.
Caesar had every thing to do at one time: the standard to be displayed, which
was the sign when it was necessary to run to arms; the signal to be given by the
trumpet; the soldiers to be called off from the works; those who had proceeded
some distance for the purpose of seeking materials for the rampart, to be
summoned; the order of battle to be formed; the soldiers to be encouraged; the
watchword to be given. A great part of these arrangements was prevented by the
shortness of time and the sudden approach and charge of the enemy. Under these
difficulties two things proved of advantage; [first] the skill and experience of
the soldiers, because, having been trained by former engagements, they could
suggest to themselves what ought to be done, as conveniently as receive
information from others; and [secondly] that Caesar had forbidden his several
lieutenants to depart from the works and their respective legions, before the
camp was fortified. These, on account of the near approach and the speed of the
enemy, did not then wait for any command from Caesar, but of themselves executed
whatever appeared proper.
Caesar, having given the necessary orders, hastened to and fro into whatever quarter fortune carried him, to animate the troops, and came to the tenth legion. Having encouraged the soldiers with no further speech than that "they should keep up the remembrance of their wonted valor, and not be confused in mind, but valiantly sustain the assault of the enemy ;" as the latter were not further from them than the distance to which a dart could be cast, he gave the signal for commencing battle. And having gone to another quarter for the purpose of encouraging [the soldiers], he finds them fighting. Such was the shortness of the time, and so determined was the mind of the enemy on fighting, that time was wanting not only for affixing the military insignia, but even for putting on the helmets and drawing off the covers from the shields. To whatever part any one by chance came from the works (in which he had been employed), and whatever standards he saw first, at these he stood, lest in seeking his own company he should lose the time for fighting.
The army having been marshaled, rather as the nature of the ground and the
declivity of the hill and the exigency of the time, than as the method and order
of military matters required; while the legions in the different places were
withstanding the enemy, some in one quarter, some in another, and the view was
obstructed by the very thick hedges intervening, as we have before remarked,
neither could proper reserves be posted, nor could the necessary measures be
taken in each part, nor could all the commands be issued by one person.
Therefore, in such an unfavorable state of affairs, various events of fortune
followed.
The soldiers of the ninth and tenth legions, as they had been stationed on the
left part of the army, casting their weapons, speedily drove the Atrebates (for
that division had been opposed to them,) who were breathless with running and
fatigue, and worn out with wounds, from the higher ground into the river; and
following them as they were endeavoring to pass it, slew with their swords a
great part of them while impeded (therein). They themselves did not hesitate to
pass the river; and having advanced to a disadvantageous place, when the battle
was renewed, they [nevertheless] again put to flight the enemy, who had returned
and were opposing them. In like manner, in another quarter two different
legions, the eleventh and the eighth, having routed the Veromandui, with whom
they had engaged, were fighting from the higher ground upon the very banks of
the river. But, almost the whole camp on the front and on the left side being
then exposed, since the twelfth legion was posted in the right wing, and the
seventh at no great distance from it, all the Nervii, in a very close body, with
Boduognatus, who held the chief command, as their leader, hastened toward that
place; and part of them began to surround the legions on their unprotected
flank, part to make for the highest point of the encampment.
At the same time our horsemen, and light-armed infantry, who had been with
those, who, as I have related, were routed by the first assault of the enemy, as
they were betaking themselves into the camp, met the enemy face to face, and
again sought flight into another quarter; and the camp-followers who from the
Decuman Gate, and from the highest ridge of the hill had seen our men pass the
river as victors, when, after going out for the purposes of plundering, they
looked back and saw the enemy parading in our camp, committed themselves
precipitately to flight; at the same time there arose the cry and shout of those
who came with the baggage-train: and they (affrighted), were carried some one
way, some another. By all these circumstances the cavalry of the Treviri were
much alarmed, (whose reputation for courage is extraordinary among the Gauls,
and who had come to Caesar, being sent by their state as auxiliaries), and, when
they saw our camp filled with a large number of the enemy, the legions hard
pressed and almost held surrounded, the camp-retainers, horsemen, slingers, and
Numidians fleeing on all sides divided and scattered, they, despairing of our
affairs, hastened home, and related to their state that the Romans were routed
and conquered, [and] that the enemy were in possession of their camp and
baggage-train.
Caesar proceeded, after encouraging the tenth legion, to the right wing; where
he perceived that his men were hard pressed, and that in consequence of the
standards of the twelfth legion being collected together in one place, the
crowded soldiers were a hinderance to themselves in the fight; that all the
centurions of the fourth cohort were slain, and the standard- bearer killed, the
standard itself lost, almost all the centurions of the other cohorts either
wounded or slain, and among them the chief centurion of the legion P. Sextius
Baculus, a very valiant man, who was so exhausted by many and severe wounds,
that he was already unable to support himself; he likewise perceived that the
rest were slackening their efforts, and that some, deserted by those in the
rear, were retiring from the battle and avoiding the weapons; that the enemy [on
the other hand] though advancing from the lower ground, were not relaxing in
front, and were [at the same time] pressing hard on both flanks; he also
perceived that the affair was at a crisis, and that there was not any reserve
which could be brought up, having therefore snatched a shield from one of the
soldiers in the rear (for he himself had come without a shield), he advanced to
the front of the line, and addressing the centurions by name, and encouraging
the rest of the soldiers, he ordered them to carry forward the standards, and
extend the companies, that they might the more easily use their swords. On his
arrival, as hope was brought to the soldiers and their courage restored, while
every one for his own part, in the sight of his general, desired to exert his
utmost energy, the impetuosity of the enemy was a little checked.
Caesar, when he perceived that the seventh legion, which stood close by him, was also hard pressed by the enemy, directed the tribunes of the soldiers to effect a junction of the legions gradually, and make their charge upon the enemy with a double front; which having been done, since they brought assistance the one to the other, nor feared lest their rear should be surrounded by the enemy, they began to stand their ground more boldly, and to fight more courageously. In the mean time, the soldiers of the two legions which had been in the rear of the army, as a guard for the baggage-train, upon the battle being reported to them, quickened their pace, and were seen by the enemy on the top of the hill; and Titus Labienus, having gained possession of the camp of the enemy, and observed from the higher ground what was going on in our camp, sent the tenth legion as a relief to our men, who, when they had learned from the flight of the horse and the sutlers in what position the affair was, and in how great danger the camp and the legion and the commander were involved, left undone nothing [which tended] to dispatch.
By their arrival, so great a change of matters was made, that our men, even
those who had fallen down exhausted with wounds, leaned on their shields, and
renewed the fight: then the camp-retainers, though unarmed, seeing the enemy
completely dismayed, attacked [them though] armed; the horsemen too, that they
might by their valor blot the disgrace of their flight, thrust themselves before
the legionary soldiers in all parts of the battle. But the enemy, even in the
last hope of safety, displayed such great courage, that when the foremost of
them had fallen, the next stood upon them prostrate, and fought from their
bodies; when these were overthrown, and their corpses heaped up together, those
who survived cast their weapons against our men [thence], as from a mound, and
returned our darts which had fallen short between [the armies]; so that it ought
not to be concluded, that men of such great courage had injudiciously dared to
pass a very broad river, ascend very high banks, and come up to a very
disadvantageous place; since their greatness of spirit had rendered these
actions easy, although in themselves very difficult.
This battle being ended, and the nation and name of the Nervii being almost
reduced to annihilation, their old men, whom together with the boys and women we
have stated to have been collected together in the fenny places and marshes, on
this battle having been reported to them, since they were convinced that nothing
was an obstacle to the conquerors, and nothing safe to the conquered, sent
embassadors to Caesar by the consent of all who remained, and surrendered
themselves to him; and in recounting the calamity of their state, said that
their senators were reduced from 600 to three; that from 60,000 men they [were
reduced] to scarcely 500 who could bear arms; whom Caesar, that he might appear
to use compassion toward the wretched and the suppliant, most carefully spared;
and ordered them to enjoy their own territories and towns, and commanded their
neighbors that they should restrain themselves and their dependents from
offering injury or outrage [to them].
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