Bravery & Strategy in Battle

There were very brave men in that legion, centurions, who were approaching the first ranks, Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus. These men had ongoing disputes between themselves as to which should be preferred, and every year they were contending for the highest positions with quarrels. Of these two, when they were fighting very fiercely at the fortifications, Pullo said ‘Why do you hesitate, Vorenus? Or what place for the praise of your virtue do you see? This day will decide about our disputes’. When he had said this, he proceeded outside of the fortifications, and rushed into that area which seemed most crowded with the enemy. Not even Vorenus, keep himself within the rampart, but fearing the opinion of all, he followed. Then, with a moderate distance left, Pullo sent a javelin into the enemy and pierced one out of the multitude running forward; and this was having been man hit and made unconscious, with their shields they protected, and they threw their weapons at the enemy (Pullo) all together and did not give him the opportunity to retreat. Pullo’s shield was pierced through and a spear was thrust into his belt. This event knocked his scabbard out of position and delayed his right hand trying to draw out his sword, and the enemy surrounded the impeded man. His rival Vorenus ran to his aid and helped him as he worked. To this man the whole crowd turned itself immediately from Pullo, they thought that Pullo had been killed by the spear. Vorenus managed the matter with his sword at close quarters and after one had been killed, he drove the rest back a little. While he pressed on too greedily, having been thrown down, he slipped into a lower place. Pullo brought help to him having been surrounded again, and both retreated unharmed inside the fortifications with the highest praise, having killed several of the enemy. This fortune dealt with both men so that one enemy was a source of assistance and salvation to the other, and nor was it possible to decide which of the two seemed to be carried before the other of by his courage.

As much as the attack was more serious and rougher daily, and most of all because, after a large number of soldiers had been exhausted by wounds, the matter had come to a shortage of defenders, so more frequent letter and messengers were sent to Caesar; a number of these were killed by torture, having been caught in the view of our soldiers. There was a certain Nervian