De Bello Gallico 4.30

4.30.1Quibus rēbus cognitīs, prīncipēs Britanniae, quī post proelium ad Caesarem convēnerant, inter sē conlocūtī, cum et equitēs et nāvēs et frūmentum Rōmānīs dēesse intellegerent et paucitātem mīlitum ex castrōrum exiguitāte cognōscerent, quae hōc erant etiam angustiōra quod sine impedīmentīs Caesar legiōnēs trānsportāverat, optimum factū esse dūxērunt rebelliōne factā frūmentō commeātūque nostrōs prohibēre et rem in hiemem prōdūcere, quod hīs superātīs aut reditū interclūsīs nēminem posteā bellī īnferendī causā in Britanniam trānsitūrum cōnfīdēbant.

When they learned this, the chiefs of Britain who had gathered at Caesar's camp after the battle conferred with one another; since they saw that the Romans lacked cavalry, ships and grain, and judged the small number of soldiers from the small size of the camp, which was all the more cramped because Caesar had brought the legions across without baggage, they thought the best thing to do was to rebel, cut our men off from grain and supplies, and drag the business out into the winter, because they were confident that if these men were defeated or cut off from returning, no one would afterwards cross into Britain to make war.

Note. optimum factū: supine in -ū, 'best to do'. rem in hiemem prōdūcere: 'to drag the business out into winter'. nēminem … trānsitūrum (esse): indirect statement after cōnfīdēbant.

4.30.3Itaque rūrsus coniūrātiōne factā paulātim ex castrīs discēdere et suōs clam ex agrīs dēdūcere coepērunt.

And so they formed a conspiracy again and began gradually to leave the camp and to bring their people out of the fields in secret.