De Bello Gallico 5.34

5.34.1At barbarīs cōnsilium nōn dēfuit.But the barbarians did not lack a plan. 5.34.1Nam ducēs eōrum tōtā aciē prōnūntiāre iussērunt, nē quis ab locō discēderet: illōrum esse praedam atque illīs reservārī quaecumque Rōmānī relīquissent: proinde omnia in victōriā posita exīstimārent.For their leaders ordered word to be passed along the whole line that no one should leave his place: the booty was theirs and whatever the Romans left was being kept for them; so they should consider that everything depended on victory.Note. illōrum esse praedam: predicate genitive of possession, 'the booty was theirs'. 5.34.2Erant et virtūte et studiō pugnandī parēs;They were equal both in courage and in eagerness to fight; 5.34.2nostrī, tametsī ab duce et ā fortūnā dēserēbantur, tamen omnem spem salūtis in virtūte pōnēbant, et quotiēns quaeque cohors prōcurrerat, ab eā parte magnus numerus hostium cadēbat.our men, although they were deserted by their commander and by fortune, still placed all their hope of safety in their courage, and whenever any cohort charged out, a great number of the enemy fell on that side. 5.34.3Quā rē animadversā Ambiorīx prōnūntiārī iubet, ut procul tēla coniciant neu propius accēdant et, quam in partem Rōmānī impetum fēcerint, cēdant (levitāte armōrum et cōtīdiānā exercitātiōne nihil eīs nocērī posse), rūrsus sē ad signa recipientēs īnsequantur.When he noticed this, Ambiorix orders word to be passed that they should throw their weapons from a distance and not come closer, and that wherever the Romans made a charge they should give way (with their light armour and daily training no harm could be done to them), and follow them again as they fell back to the standards.Note. neu = et nē. levitāte armōrum … nihil eīs nocērī posse: impersonal passive of noceō, 'no harm could be done to them'.