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IT was a great hinderance to the Galles in their fight,* 1.1 that many of their Targets were struck through, and tied together with one fall of a Pile: for so it happened that it could neither be
THE BATTEL WHICH CAESAR HAD WITH THE HELVETIANS.
led out, by reason of the bowing of the Iron, nor could they use their left hand for the defence of themselves. Whereby it fell out that many of them (after a wearisome toil) did cast away their targets, and fought naked and unarmed. At length, fainting with wounds, they began to give place, and retreated to a Hill a mile off.
The Hill being taken, and the Legions fol∣lowing on to drive them from thence, the Boii and ••ulingi, to the number of fifteen thousand, being in the Rere of the Enemy, to guard the lag of their Army, setting on our men as they were in pursuit of the rest, did charge them up∣on the open side, and began to inclose them about: which the Helvetians that had got the Hill per∣ceiving began again to fall upon our men, and renewed the battel. The Romans dividing themselves, turned their Ensignes two wayes; the first and second Army fought against the Helvetians that returned from the Hill; and the third battel took charge of them that stood ready to inclose them about. And here the fight was doubtfull and furious for a long time; un∣till at length they were no longer able to endure the violence of the legionary souldiers: and so one part betook themselves as at the first to the Hill; and the other, to the place where their Carts and baggage were lodged.
And hitherto there was not one man seen to have turned his back in all this conflict; although the fight continued from the seventh hour untill the evening.
COncerning the Ensignes of the Romans,* 1.2 we are to understand that the chiefest Ensigne of every Legion was an Eagle, which alwayes attended upon the Primipile or chief Centurion of the said Legion. The Ensigne of a Maniple was either a Hand or a Dragon, a Wolf or a Sphinx; as it appeareth (besides the testimony of history) by the Column of Trajan in Rome, wherein the Ensignes are figured with such pour∣traitures: so that these Ensignes resembling the proportions of living creatures, had their fore∣parts alwayes carried that way which the legious were to march, or where they were to fight. And therefore in this history by the aspect and carry∣ing of the Ensignes, the front of the Army was commonly noted: as in this place it is said, that the Ensignes of the first and second battel were carried towards the hill, whither the Helvetians had made their retreat; and the Ensignes of the third battel looked another way, towards the Boii and Tulingi, which stood on the foot of the hill. By which is signified how the legions were divided to resist the brunt of the double incoun∣ter.
COncerning the time of the day, we are to un∣derstand that the Romans used not the same division of the day as we commonly do:* 1.3 for they divided their artificiall (which is the space be∣tween sun-rising and setting) into twelve equall parts, which the Astronomers called unequall or planetary houres. The first houre of the day began alwayes at sun-rising; the sixth houre was alwayes high noon; and the twelfth houre was sun-setting. And as the day waxed longer or shorter, so these houres were either greater or lesse: neither did they agree with equall or equi∣noctiall houres, such as are now used, but only at the Aequinoctium: so that by this manner of reckoning, Ab hora septima ad vesperum is meant, the battel began about one of the clock according to our Computation, and continued untill the evening. The like we must understand throughout this whole history, as often as there is mention made of the circumstance of time.
Caesar.
The En∣signes of the Romans.
The divisi∣on of their day.