§6.43.1Caesar rursus ad vexandos hostes profectus magno coacto numero ex finitimis civitatibus in omnes partes dimittit.
Caesar, having set out again to harass the enemy, sent out in all directions a great number of men collected from the neighboring states.
§6.43.2Omnes vici atque omnia aedificia quae quisque conspexerat incendebantur; praeda ex omnibus locis agebatur; §6.43.3frumenta non solum tanta multitudine iumentorum atque hominum consumebantur, sed etiam anni tempore atque imbribus procubuerant ut, si qui etiam in praesentia se occultassent, tamen his deducto exercitu rerum omnium inopia pereundum videretur.
All the villages and all the buildings which anyone had descried were set on fire; booty was driven off from all quarters; the corn was not only consumed by so great a multitude of beasts of burden and men, but had also been laid flat by the season of the year and the rains, so that, even if any had concealed themselves for the present, yet it seemed that they must perish from the scarcity of all things after the army was withdrawn.
§6.43.4Ac saepe in eum locum ventum est tanto in omnes partes diviso equitatu, ut modo visum ab se Ambiorigem in fuga circumspicerent captivi nec plane etiam abisse ex conspectu contenderent, ut spe consequendi illata atque infinito labore suscepto, §6.43.5qui se summam ab Caesare gratiam inituros putarent, paene naturam studio vincerent, semperque paulum ad summam felicitatem defuisse videretur, §6.43.6atque ille latebris aut saltibus se eriperet et noctu occultatus alias regiones partesque peteret non maiore equitum praesidio quam quattuor, quibus solis vitam suam committere audebat.
And often things came to such a pass, with the cavalry divided so widely into all parts, that the captives would look around for Ambiorix, whom they declared they had just seen in flight, and maintain that he had not even quite gone out of sight, so that, a hope of overtaking him being inspired and infinite labor being undertaken, those who thought they would acquire the highest favor with Caesar almost overcame nature by their zeal, and it always seemed that only a little was wanting to complete success, while he would rescue himself by means of hiding-places or forests, and, concealed by night, seek other regions and parts with no greater guard of cavalry than four, to whom alone he dared to commit his life.