§6.34.1Erat, ut supra demonstravimus, manus certa nulla, non oppidum, non praesidium, quod se armis defenderet, sed in omnes partes dispersa multitudo.
There was, as we have shown above, no fixed force, no town, no garrison which could defend itself with arms, but a multitude dispersed in all directions.
§6.34.2Vbi cuique aut valles abdita aut locus silvestris aut palus impedita spem praesidi aut salutis aliquam offerebat, consederat.
Wherever an obscure valley, or a woody spot, or a difficult morass offered to any one any hope of protection or safety, there he had settled down.
§6.34.3Haec loca vicinitatibus erant nota, magnamque res diligentiam requirebat non in summa exercitus tuenda (nullum enim poterat universis a perterritis ac dispersis periculum accidere), sed in singulis militibus conservandis; quae tamen ex parte res ad salutem exercitus pertinebat.
These places were known to those in the neighborhood, and the circumstance required great vigilance, not in defending the main body of the army (for no danger could happen to the whole body from enemies who were terrified and dispersed), but in preserving individual soldiers; which matter, however, in part related to the safety of the army.
§6.34.4Nam et praedae cupiditas multos longius evocabat, et silvae incertis occultisque itineribus confertos adire prohibebant.
For both the desire for plunder called many too far away, and the woods, with their uncertain and hidden paths, prevented them from entering in close array.
§6.34.5Si negotium confici stirpemque hominum sceleratorum interfici vellet, dimittendae plures manus diducendique erant milites; §6.34.6si continere ad signa manipulos vellet, ut instituta ratio et consuetudo exercitus Romani postulabat, locus ipse erat praesidio barbaris, neque ex occulto insidiandi et dispersos circumveniendi singulis deerat audacia.
If he wished the business to be completed and the race of those infamous men to be cut off, more detachments had to be sent out and the soldiers dispersed; if he wished to keep the maniples at their standards, as the established practice and custom of the Roman army required, the location itself was a defense to the barbarians, nor did individual enemies lack the boldness to lie in ambush from secret places and surround dispersed soldiers.
§6.34.7Vt in eiusmodi difficultatibus, quantum diligentia provideri poterat providebatur, ut potius in nocendo aliquid praetermitteretur, etsi omnium animi ad ulciscendum ardebant, quam cum aliquo militum detrimento noceretur.
As was to be expected in difficulties of this kind, as much precaution as could be provided by diligence was taken, so that they might rather omit something in doing harm to the enemy, although the minds of all were burning for revenge, than do harm with some loss of soldiers.
§6.34.8Dimittit ad finitimas civitates nuntios Caesar: omnes ad se vocat spe praedae ad diripiendos Eburones, ut potius in silvis Gallorum vita quam legionarius miles periclitetur, simul ut magna multitudine circumfusa pro tali facinore stirps ac nomen civitatis tollatur.
Caesar sends messengers to the neighboring states: he invites them all to him by the hope of plunder, to pillage the Eburones, so that the lives of the Gauls might rather be hazarded in the woods than those of the legionary soldiers, and at the same time that, a vast multitude being gathered around them, the stock and name of that state might be wiped out for such an outrage.
§6.34.9Magnus undique numerus celeriter convenit.
A great number quickly assembles from all sides.