This is an idiom that means these were particularly good soldiers. AT: "well-trained soldier" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
# disaster was close to them
Here immanent disaster is spoken of as if it was standing very close by them. AT: "they would soon be completely defeated" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
# 25,100 men
"twenty-five thousand one hundred men" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-numbers]])