7. ut, how translated here? See [§ 501. 42].
8. The military tribune was a commissioned officer nearly corresponding to our rank of colonel. The tribunes were often inexperienced men, so Cæsar did not allow them much responsibility.
IMPEDIMENTA
HOW THE ROMANS MARCHED AND CAMPED
Exercitus quī in hostium fīnibus bellum genit multīs perīcuīs circumdatus est. 1Quae perīcula ut vītāret, Rōmāni summam cūram adhībēre solēbant. Adpropinquanteēs cōpiīs hostium agmen ita dispōnēbant 2ut imperātor ipse cum plāribus legiōnibus expedītīs3 prīmum agmen dūceret. Post eās cōpiās impedīmenta4 tōtīus exercitūs conlocābant. 5Tum legiōnēs quae proximē cōnscrīptae erant tōtum agmen claudēbant. Equitēs quoque in omnīs partīs dīmittēbantur quī loca explōrārent; et centuriōnēs praemittēbantur ut locum castrīs idōneum dēligerent. Locus habēbatur idōneus castrīs 6quī facile dēfendī posset et prope aquam esset. Quā dē causā castra7 in colle ab utrāque parte arduō, ā fronte lēniter dēclīvī saepe pōnēbantur; vel locus palūdibus cīnctus vel in flūminis rīpīs situs dēligēbātur. Ad locum postquam exercitus pervēnit, aliī mīlitum 8in armīs erant, aliī castra mūnīre incipiēbant. Nam 9quō tūtiōrēs ab hostibus mīlitēs essent, nēve incautī et imparātī opprimerentur, castra fossā lātā et vāllō altō mūniēbant. In castrīs portae quattuor erant ut ēruptiō mīlitum omnīs in partīs fierī posset. In angulīs castrōrum erant turrēs dē quibus tēla in hostīs coniciēbantur. 10Tālibus in castrīs quālia dēscrīpsimus Pūblius ā Caesare exceptus est.
1. Quae perīcula, object of vītārent. It is placed first to make a proper connection with the preceding sentence.
2. ut ... dūceret, [§ 501. 43].
3. expedītīs, i.e. without baggage and ready for action.
4. impedīmenta. Much of the baggage was carried in carts and on beasts of burden, as is shown above; but, besides this, each soldier (unless expedītus) carried a heavy pack. See also picture, [p. 159].