Aquilifer

To spur on the troops, the aquilifer shouts out, so that all the soldiers can hear him, that despite the common lack of initiative, he would have fulfilled his office for both Julius Caesar, his general, and for the public (pūblicae) thing (reī) (i.e. for the republic); he then immediately jumps from the ship and makes his way to the shore with the eagle so that others may be inspired to follow him.

The text reads as such: "'Desilite', inquit, 'commilitiones, nisi vultis aquilam hostibus prodere; ego certe meum rei publicae atque imperatori officium praestitero'.

Hoc cum voce magna dixisset, se ex navi proiecit atque in hostes aquilam ferre coepit" (Mueller and Julius Caesar 2013).

Unfortunately for the Romans, chaos ensues as soldiers from different divisions group themselves to the closest standard rather than their assigned one, disturbing battle formation greatly (Julius Caesar 1994–2000).

The Latin text says "Ex quibus Lucius Petrosidius aquilifer, cum magna multitudine hostium premeretur, aquilam intra vallum proiecit; ipse pro castris fortissime pugnans occiditur" (Julius Caesar 1914, V:37), which translates to "From which Lucius Petrosidius, an Eagle-bearer, although hard pressed by a great multitude, threw the eagle behind the wall.