Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 1
De Bello Civili 1.47
Both sides claim the day
Caesar, De Bello Civili I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 1.47.1Sed haec eius diēī praefertur opīniō, ut sē utrīque superiōrēs discessisse exīstimārent;
But the view that prevails about that day is that each side thought it had come off the better:
Note. haec … opīniō: 'this view', explained by the ut clause. sē utrīque superiōrēs discessisse: 'that each side had come off the better'.
BC 1.47.2Afrāniānī, quod cum esse omnium iūdiciō īnferiōrēs vidērentur, comminus tamdiū stetissent et nostrōrum impetum sustinuissent et initiō locum tumulumque tenuissent, quae causa pugnandī fuerat, et nostrōs prīmō congressū terga vertere coēgissent;
the Afranians, because, though in everyone's judgement they seemed the weaker, they had stood their ground so long at close quarters and held off our men's attack, had held the position and the mound at the start, which had been the reason for the fighting, and had made our men turn their backs at the first encounter;
Note. quod … stetissent … sustinuissent … tenuissent … coēgissent: the subjunctives give the Afranians' own reasons. cum … vidērentur: concessive cum, 'though they seemed'.
BC 1.47.3nostrī autem, quod inīquō locō atque imparī congressī numerō quīnque hōrīs proelium sustinuissent, quod montem gladiīs dēstrictīs ascendissent, quod ex locō superiōre terga vertere adversāriōs coēgissent atque in oppidum compulissent.
our men, because on unfavourable ground and with unequal numbers they had kept up the fight for five hours, because they had climbed the hill with drawn swords, and because they had forced the enemy to turn their backs from higher ground and driven them into the town.
Note. Our men's reasons, again in the subjunctive after quod. The sentence leaves out the verb (they thought themselves superior), understood from the previous sentence.
BC 1.47.4illī eum tumulum, prō quō pugnātum est, magnīs operibus mūnīvērunt praesidiumque ibi posuērunt.
The enemy fortified the mound they had fought for with great works and put a garrison on it.
Note. illī: the Afranians. prō quō pugnātum est: impersonal passive, 'for which the fighting had been'.
Vocabulary
| sed, conj. | but |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| praeferō, -ferre, -tulī, -lātum | put before, prefer (sē praeferre: show oneself superior) |
| opīniō, -ōnis, f. | opinion, expectation; reputation |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| uterque, utraque, utrumque | each, either, both |
| superior, -ius, adj. | higher; former, previous, preceding |
| discēdō, -cēdere, -cessī, -cessus | go apart, withdraw, depart |
| exīstimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | consider, believe, think |
| Afrāniānus, -a, -um | of Afranius; Afrāniānī, -ōrum m. pl.: Afranius' men |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| iūdicium, -ī n. | trial, court; judgment |
| īnferus, -a, -um; comp. īnferior | below, lower; īnferior pars: the part downstream |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| comminus (adv.) | hand to hand, at close quarters |
| tamdiū (adv.) | so long, for so long a time |
| stō, stāre, stetī, status | stand |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| impetus, -ūs, m. | attack; impetum facere, to charge |
| sustineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold or bear up, sustain, withstand |
| initium, -ī, n. | beginning |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| tumulus, -ī m. | mound, hillock |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| teneō, -ēre, -uī, -tus | hold, keep; hold back, restrain, stop |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| causa, -ae, f. | cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of |
| pugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | fight |
| prīmus, -a, -um | first, foremost |
| congressus, -ūs m. | meeting; encounter, clash |
| tergum, -ī, n. | back |
| vertō, vertere, vertī, versus | turn |
| cōgō, cōgere, coēgī, coāctus | drive together, collect; compel |
| autem, conj. | moreover; but, however; now |
| inīquus, -a, -um | uneven; unfair |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| impār, imparis | unequal, ill-matched |
| congredior, -ī, -gressus sum | meet; come to grips, fight |
| numerus, -ī, m. | number |
| quīnque | five |
| hōra, -ae, f. | hour |
| proelium, -ī, n. | battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle |
| mōns, montis, m. | mountain |
| gladius, -ī, m. | sword |
| dēstringō, -ere, -strīnxī, -strictum | draw (a sword) |
| ascendō, -scendere, -scendī, -scēnsus | climb to, ascend, mount |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| adversārius, -ī m. | opponent, enemy |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| oppidum, -ī, n. | town |
| compellō, -pellere, -pulī, -pulsus | drive together, drive |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| prō, prep. with abl. | before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| opus, operis, n. | work, task |
| mūniō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | fortify |
| praesidium, -ī, n. | protection; guard, escort |
| ibi, adv. | in that place, there |
| pōnō, pōnere, posuī, positus | place, put; pōnī with in and abl., to be placed in, rest or depend on |