48.
The same day he moved his camp forward and pitched under a hill six miles from
Caesar's camp. The day following he led his forces
past Caesar's camp, and encamped two miles beyond him;
with this design that he might cut off Caesar from the
corn and provisions, which might be conveyed to him from the
Sequani and the Aedui. For five successive days
from that day, Caesar drew out his forces before the
camp, and put them in battle order, that, if Ariovistus should be
willing to engage in battle, an opportunity might not be wanting to him.
Ariovistus all this time kept his army in camp: but engaged
daily in cavalry skirmishes. The method of battle in which the Germans had practiced themselves was this. There were
6,000 horse, and as many very active and courageous foot, one of whom each of
the horse selected out of the whole army for his own protection. By these [foot]
they were constantly accompanied in their engagements; to these the horse
retired; these on any emergency rushed forward; if any one, upon receiving a
very severe wound, had fallen from his horse, they stood around him: if it was
necessary to advance further than usual, or to retreat more rapidly, so great,
from practice, was their swiftness, that, supported by the manes of the horses,
they could keep pace with their speed.
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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