42.
Alarmed at this calamity, the townsmen fill barrels with tallow, pitch, and dried
wood: these they set on fire, and roll down on our works. At the same time, they
fight most furiously, to deter the Romans, by the
engagement and danger, from extinguishing the flames. Instantly a great blaze
arose in the works. For whatever they threw down the precipice, striking against
the vineae and agger, communicated the fire to whatever was in the way. Our
soldiers on the other hand, though they were engaged in a perilous sort of
encounter, and laboring under the disadvantages of position, yet supported all
with very great presence of mind. For the action happened in an elevated
situation, and in sight of our army; and a great shout was raised on both sides;
therefore every man faced the weapons of the enemy and the flames in as
conspicuous a manner as he could, that his valor might be the better known and
attested.
C. Julius Caesar. Caesar's Gallic War. Translator. W. A. McDevitte. Translator. W. S. Bohn. 1st Edition. New York. Harper & Brothers. 1869. Harper's New Classical Library.
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