9. cōnantis, pres. part. agreeing with eius.
10. eī labōrantī, indir. obj. of dat.
11. ā Pullōne, from Pullo, abl. of separation.
12. cupidius, too eagerly.
13. pede sē fallente, lit. the foot deceiving itself; in our idiom, his foot slipping.
[LXXI.] THE ENEMY BESIEGING THE CAMP ARE REPULSED
Cum iam sex hōrās pugnatum esset1 ac nōn sōlum vīrēs sed etiam tēla Rōmānōs dēficerent1, atque hostēs ācrius instārent,1 et vāllum scindere fossamque complēre incēpissent,1 Caesar, vir reī mīlitāris perītissimus, suīs imperāvit ut proelium paulisper intermitterent,2 et, signō datō, ex castrīs ērumperent.2 3Quod iussī sunt faciunt, et subitō ex omnibus portīs ērumpunt. Atque tam celeriter mīlitēs concurrērunt et tam propinquī erant hostēs4 ut spatium pīla coniciendī5 nōn darētur. Itaque reiectīs pīlīs 6comminus gladiīs pugnātum est. Diū et audācter hostēs restitērunt et in extrēmā spē salūtis tantam virtūtem praestitērunt ut ā dextrō cornū vehementer 7multitūdine suōrum aciem Rōmanam premerent. 8Id imperātor cum animadvertisset, Pūblium adulēscentem cum equitātū mīsit quī labōrantibus9 auxilium daret. Eius impetum sustinēre nōn potuērunt hostēs10 et omnēs terga vertērunt. Eōs in fugam datōs Pūblius subsecūtus est ūsque ad flūmen Rhēnum, quod ab eō locō quīnque mīlia passuum aberat. Ibi paucī salūtem sibi repperērunt. Omnibus reliquīs interfectīs, Pūblius et equitēs in castra sēsē recēpērunt. Dē hāc calamitāte fīnitimae gentēs cum certiōrēs factae essent, ad Caesarem lēgātōs mīsērunt et sē suaque omnia dēdidērunt.
1. pugnātum esset, dēficerent, īnstārent, incēpissent. These are all subjunctives with cum. Cf. [§ 501. 46].
2. intermitterent, ērumperent. What use of the subjunctive?
3. Quod, etc., they do as ordered. The antecedent of quod is id understood, which would be the object of faciunt.