Texte grec :
| [14,10] Ἡ μὲν οὖν τῶν βαρβάρων μάχη πολὺ τὸ
θηριῶδες καὶ μανικὸν ἔχουσα πλημμελής τις ἦν καὶ
σοφίας τῆς ἐν ὅπλοις ἄμοιρος. τοτὲ μὲν γὰρ ἀνατείνοντες
ἄνω τὰς μαχαίρας τὸν ἄγριον τρόπον ἔπαιον
ὅλοις συνεμπίπτοντες τοῖς ἑαυτῶν σώμασιν, ὥσπερ
ὑλοτόμοι τινὲς ἢ σκαπανεῖς, τοτὲ δ´ ἐκ τῶν πλαγίων
ἀστοχάστους πληγὰς ἐξέφερον, ὡς αὐτοῖς σκεπαστηρίοις
ὅλα διακόψοντες τὰ σώματα τῶν ἀντιπολέμων·
ἔπειτα τὰς ἀκμὰς τῶν σιδήρων ἀπέστρεφον. Ἡ
δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀλκὴ καὶ πρὸς τὸ βάρβαρον αὐτῶν
ἀντιτέχνησις εὐπαίδευτος τε ἦν καὶ πολὺ τὸ ἀσφαλὲς
ἔχουσα. ἔτι γὰρ αὐτῶν ἀναιρομένων τὰς μαχαίρας
ὑποδύνοντες ὑπὸ τοὺς βραχίονας καὶ τοὺς θυρεοὺς
εἰς ὕψος ἀνατείνοντες, ἔπειτα γυροὶ καὶ βραχεῖς γινόμενοι,
τὰς μὲν ἐκείνων πληγὰς ὑπερπετεῖς γινομένας
ἀπράκτους καὶ κενὰς ἐποίουν, αὐτοὶ δὲ ὀρθὰ τὰ ξίφη
φέροντες βουβῶνάς τε αὐτῶν ἔπαιον καὶ λαγόνας διῄρουν
καὶ διὰ στέρνων ἐπὶ τὰ σπλάγχνα τὰς πληγὰς
ἐξέτεινον· ὅσους δὲ ταῦτα τὰ μέρη διὰ φυλακῆς ἔχοντας
αἴσθοιντο, γονάτων ἢ σφυρῶν νεῦρα διακείροντες
ἐξέχεον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν βεβρυχότας καὶ τοὺς θυρεοὺς
ὀδακτίζοντας καὶ βοὴν ὠρυγῇ παραπλησίαν ὥσπερ τὰ
θηρία προϊεμένους. Ἥ τε δύναμις ὑπέλειπε πολλοὺς
τῶν βαρβάρων ἐκλυομένων τῶν μελῶν ὑπὸ κόπων
καὶ τῶν ὅπλων τὰ μὲν ἀπεστόμωτο, τὰ δὲ συνετέθραυστο,
τὰ δ´ οὐκέτι προσωφελεῖν δυνατὰ ἦν·
χωρὶς γὰρ τοῦ καταρρέοντος ἐκ τῶν τραυμάτων αἵματος
οἱ δι´ ὅλων ἐκχεόμενοι τῶν σωμάτων ἱδρῶτες οὔτε
τὰς μαχαίρας εἴων κρατεῖν οὔτε τοὺς θυρεοὺς κατέχειν,
περιολισθανόντων ταῖς λαβαῖς τῶν δυκτύλων καὶ τὰς
ἁφὰς οὐκέτι κραταιὰς ἐχόντων. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ πολλῶν
ἐθάδες ὄντες πόνων διὰ τὰς ἀτρύτους καὶ συνεχεῖς
στρατείας ἅπαντα τὰ δεινὰ γενναίως ἀνέφερον.
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Traduction française :
| [14,10] (p275) Now the barbarians' manner of fighting, being in large measure that
of wild beasts and frenzied, was an erratic procedure, quite lacking in military
science. Thus, at one moment they would raise their swords aloft and smite after
the manner of wild boars, throwing the whole weight of their bodies into the
blow like hewers of wood or men digging with mattocks, and again they would
deliver crosswise blows aimed at no target, as if they intended to cut to pieces
the entire bodies of their adversaries, protective armour and all; then they
would turn the edges of their swords away from the foe. 2 On the other
hand, the Romans' defence and counter-manoeuvring against the barbarians was
steadfast and afforded great safety. For while their foes were still raising
their swords aloft, they would duck under their arms, holding up their shields,
and then, stooping and crouching low, they would render vain and useless the
blows of the others, which were aimed too high, while for their own part,
holding their swords straight out, they would strike their opponents in the
groins, pierce their sides, and drive their blows through their breasts into
their vitals. And if they saw any of them keeping these parts of their bodies
protected, they would cut the tendons of their knees or ankles and topple them
to the ground roaring and biting their shields and uttering cries resembling the
howling of wild beasts. 3 Not only did their strength desert many of the
barbarians as their limbs failed them through weariness, but their weapons also
were either blunted or broken or no longer serviceable. (p277) For besides the
blood that flowed from their wounds, the sweat pouring out over their whole
bodies would not let them either grasp their swords or hold their shields
firmly, since their fingers slipped on the handles and no longer kept a firm
hold. The Romans, however, being accustomed to many toils by reason of their
unabating and continuous warfare, continued to meet every peril in noble fashion.
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