Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 1
De Bello Civili 1.59
The tide turns at Ilerda
Caesar, De Bello Civili I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 1.59.1Hoc cum prīmum Caesarī ad Ilerdam nūntiātur, simul perfectō ponte celeriter fortūna mūtātur.
As soon as this was reported to Caesar at Ilerda, fortune changed quickly once the bridge was finished.
Note. Hoc cum prīmum … nūntiātur: 'as soon as this was reported'. simul: 'at the same time'. perfectō ponte: ablative absolute.
BC 1.59.2illī perterritī virtūte equitum minus līberē, minus audācter vagābantur;
The enemy, terrified by the courage of our cavalry, roamed about less freely and less boldly;
Note. illī: Afranius' men. minus līberē, minus audācter: the repetition of minus underlines the change.
BC 1.59.2aliās nōn longō ā castrīs prōgressī spatiō, ut celerem receptum habērent, angustius pābulābantur, aliās longiōre circuitū custōdiās statiōnēsque equitum vītābant, aut aliquō acceptō dētrīmentō aut procul equitātū vīsō ex mediō itinere prōiectīs sarcinīs refugiēbant.
sometimes they foraged in a narrower area, not going far from the camp, so as to have a quick retreat; sometimes they avoided the cavalry's guards and outposts by a longer detour, or, after suffering some loss or catching sight of cavalry in the distance, threw away their packs halfway and fled back.
Note. aliās … aliās: 'sometimes … at other times'. angustius pābulābantur: 'foraged in a narrower area'. prōiectīs sarcinīs: 'throwing away their packs'.
BC 1.59.3postrēmō et plūrēs intermittere diēs et praeter cōnsuētūdinem omnium noctū cōnstituerant pābulārī.
In the end they had decided to let several days go by and, contrary to everyone's custom, to forage by night.
Note. intermittere diēs: 'to let days pass' without foraging. praeter cōnsuētūdinem omnium: foraging by night was unusual and dangerous.
Vocabulary
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| prīmum, adv. | first, in the first place |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| nūntiō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | report, announce |
| simul, adv. | at the same time; simul atque or ac, as soon as |
| perficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | do or make through, accomplish |
| pōns, pontis, m. | bridge |
| celeriter, adv. | swiftly, quickly |
| fortūna, -ae, f. | fortune |
| mūtō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | change |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| perterreō, -terrēre, -terrui, -territus | thoroughly frighten, terrify |
| virtūs, -tūtis, f. | manliness, courage, bravery |
| eques, equitis m. | horseman; (pl.) cavalry |
| minus, comp. adv. | less |
| līberē (adv.; comp. līberius) | freely, frankly |
| audācter (adv.; comp. audācius) | boldly |
| vagor, -ārī, -ātus sum | wander, roam |
| aliās (adv.) | at another time (aliās … aliās: sometimes … sometimes) |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| longus, -a, -um | long; tedious |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| prōgredior, -gredī, -gressus | go forward, advance |
| spatium, -ī, n. | space, interval; space of time, time |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| celer, celeris, celere | swift, quick |
| receptus, -ūs m. | retreat; place of retreat |
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |
| angustē (adv.; comp. angustius) | closely, tightly, in a narrow space |
| pābulor, -ārī, -ātus sum | gather fodder, forage |
| circuitus, -ūs m. | way around, circuit |
| custōdia, -ae f. | guard, protection |
| statiō, -ōnis f. | outpost, picket |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| vītō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | avoid, escape |
| aut, conj. | or; aut ... aut, either ... or |
| aliquis, -quid, indef. pron. | someone, any one, something, anything, some, any |
| accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | take to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer |
| dētrīmentum, -ī n. | loss, harm |
| procul, adv. | at or from a distance, far |
| equitātus, -ūs m. | cavalry |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| medius, -a, -um | mid, middle |
| iter, itineris, n. | a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march |
| prōiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus | throw forth or down, cast away, throw |
| sarcina, -ae f. | pack; (pl.) soldiers' kit |
| refugiō, -fugere, -fūgī | flee back, run away, retreat |
| postrēmō (adv.) | finally, at last |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| multus, -a, -um | much, great; plur., many |
| intermittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | leave off, interrupt; let pass; pass., be left between, intervene, elapse |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| praeter, prep. with acc. | before, past, by; besides, except |
| cōnsuētūdō, -inis f. | custom, habit; way of life |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| noctū, adv. | at or by night |
| cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | set together or up; appoint; determine |