At barbarīs cōnsilium nōn dēfuit. Nam ducēs eōrum tōtā aciē prōnūntiāre iussērunt, nē quis ab locō discēderet, illōrum esse praedam atque illīs reservārī quaecumque Rōmānī relīquissent: proinde omnia in vīctōriā posita exīstimārent. Erant et virtūte et studio pūgnandī parēs. Nostrī, tametsī ab duce et ā fōrtūnā dēserēbantur, tamen omnem spem salūtis in virtūte pōnēbant, et quotiēns quaeque cohors prōcurrerat, ab eā parte māgnus numerus hostium cadēbat. Quā rē animadversā, Ambiorīx prōnūntiārī iubet ut procul tēla cōniciant neu propius accēdant et quam in partem Rōmānī impetum fēcerint cēdant: levitāte armōrum et cotīdiānā exercitātiōne nihil hīs nocērī posse: rūrsus sē ad sīgna recipientēs īnsequantur.

    Ambiorix's forces attack the column in a defile.

    ne quis: 'that no one' (Gaisser) ( A&G 310.a).

    studio pugnandi: 'in eagerness for fighting'. This incorporates the emendation of Davies for the manuscripts' reading, 'numero pugnandi', which makes no sense and is obelized in the OCT.

    quotiens... procurrerat... cadebat: a general condition referring to past time. ( A&G 518.b)

    levitate…posse: a declarative sentence in indirect discourse, inserted parenthetically. The dative his refers to the Eburones (vobis in the mouth of Ambiorix). (Hodges) ( A&G 580)

    Qua re animadversa: ablative absolute. Qua is a connecting relative (Gaisser) ( A&G 308.f).

    propius: 'closer,' i.e., 'too close' (Gaisser) ( A&G 291.a).

    levitate armorum, &c.: 'that from the lightness of their arms, &c., it must result that no harm would be done them'. (Moberly). noceri is impersonal passive and nihil is adverbial: '[Ambiorix said] that it was not at all possible that injury be done to them ...'

    ad signa recipientes: the standards were fixed in the ground, thus indicating the alignment of the circle. (Allen & Judson)

    rursus…insequantur: 'and that they should follow them when they again fell back (se recipientes) to their standards'. (Hodges)

    prōnuntǐo, -āre: state publicly, declare; give out orders

    rěservō, -āre, -āvi, -ātum: to keep back, save up, reserve

    prŏindē adv.: therefore

    tămetsi conj.: although, even though

    prōcurro, -ĕre, -curri, -cursum: run, run forward; dart forward; charge

    cădo, -ĕre, cĕcĭdi, cāsum: fall

    ănĭmadverto, -ĕre, -ti, -sum: notice, observe

    cōnĭcĭo, -ĕre, -iēci, -iectum: hurl; drive; put, place; direct, construct

    prōprǐus, -a, -um: not common with others; particular

    cōtīdǐānus, -a, -um: every day, daily

    exercĭtātĭo, -ōnis f.: training

    insĕquor, -i, -cūtus: follow up, pursue

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    Christopher Francese, Caesar: Selections from the Gallic War. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2011, revised and enlarged 2018. ISBN: 978-1-947822-02-3. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/caesar/book-5/chapter-5-34