Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 1
De Bello Civili 1.62
The ford across the Sicoris
Caesar, De Bello Civili I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 1.62.1Quā rē per explōrātōrēs cognitā summō labōre mīlitum Caesar continuātō diem noctemque opere in flūmine āvertendō hūc iam dēdūxerat rem, ut equitēs, etsī difficulter atque aegrē fīēbat, possent tamen atque audērent flūmen trānsīre, peditēs vērō tantummodo umerīs ac summō pectore extārent et cum altitūdine aquae tum etiam rapiditāte flūminis ad trānseundum impedīrentur.
When Caesar learned of this through scouts, by the soldiers' greatest effort and by working day and night without a break at diverting the river, he had by now brought things to the point that the cavalry, although it was done with difficulty and hardship, could and dared to cross the river, but the infantry stood out of it only to their shoulders and upper chest, and were hindered from crossing both by the depth of the water and by the swiftness of the river.
Note. A long sentence. continuātō diem noctemque opere: ablative absolute, 'the work continuing day and night'. huc iam dēdūxerat rem, ut …: 'had brought things to the point that …'. umerīs ac summō pectore extārent: 'stood out (of the water) only with their shoulders and the top of the chest'.
BC 1.62.3sed tamen eōdem ferē tempore pōns in Hibērō prope effectus nūntiābātur et in Sicorī vadum reperiēbātur.
But at about the same time it was reported that the bridge over the Ebro was nearly finished, and a ford was found in the Sicoris.
Note. in Hibērō: 'over the Ebro'. prope effectus: 'nearly finished'.
Vocabulary
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| per, prep, with ace. | through, by means of |
| explōrātor, -ōris, m. | explorer, scout, spy |
| cognōscō, -gnōscere, -gnōvī, -gnitus | find out, learn; in tenses of completed action, have found out, know |
| summus, -a, -um | uppermost, highest, greatest |
| labor, -ōris, m. | labor, toil |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| continuō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | join together, make continuous; join one house to another |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| nox, noctis, f. | night |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| opus, operis, n. | work, task |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| flūmen, -minis, n. | river |
| āvertō, -ere, āvertī, āversum | turn away, turn aside |
| hūc, adv. | to this place, hither |
| iam, adv. | now, already |
| dēdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead down or away, bring; nāvem dēdūcere, to draw down or launch a ship |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| eques, equitis m. | horseman; (pl.) cavalry |
| etsī, conj. | even if, although |
| difficulter (adv.) | with difficulty |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| aegrē, adv. | ill, with difficulty |
| fīō, fierī, factus sum | be done or made, become, happen |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| tamen, adv. | however, yet, nevertheless |
| audeō, audēre, ausus sum | dare |
| trānseō, -īre, -iī, -itus | go across or over, cross |
| pedes, peditis m. | foot soldier |
| vērō, adv. | in truth, indeed; however |
| tantummodo (adv.) | only, just |
| umerus, -ī, m. | shoulder |
| pectus, pectoris, n. | breast |
| exstō, -āre | stand out; appear, arise |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| altitūdō, -inis f. | height; depth |
| aqua, -ae, f. | water |
| tum, adv. | then, at that time |
| etiam, adv. | and now, also, too, even |
| rapiditās, -ātis f. | swiftness, rapid current |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| impediō, -pedīre, -pedīvī, -pedītus | hinder, prevent, impede |
| sed, conj. | but |
| īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron. | the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also |
| ferē, adv. | nearly, about, almost, for the most part |
| tempus, temporis, n. | time, season |
| pōns, pontis, m. | bridge |
| prope (adv. and prep. + acc.) | near, nearly |
| efficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | make or work out, accomplish, effect |
| nūntiō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | report, announce |
| vadum, -ī n. | ford, shallow place |
| reperiō, reperīre, repperī, repertus | find, discover |