Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 1
De Bello Civili 1.63
The Pompeians cross the river
Caesar, De Bello Civili I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 1.63.1Iam vērō eō magis illī mātūrandum iter exīstimābant.
Now indeed they thought all the more that they must hurry their march.
Note. eō magis: 'all the more' (eō is an ablative of degree). mātūrandum iter: supply esse, 'that the march must be hurried'.
BC 1.63.1itaque duābus auxiliāribus cohortibus Ilerdae praesidiō relictīs omnibus cōpiīs Sicorim trānseunt et cum duābus legiōnibus, quās superiōribus diēbus trādūxerant, castra coniungunt.
So, leaving two auxiliary cohorts as a garrison at Ilerda, they crossed the Sicoris with all their forces and joined their camp with the two legions they had taken across on earlier days.
Note. duābus … cohortibus … relictīs: ablative absolute. Ilerdae: locative, 'at Ilerda'. praesidiō: dative of purpose, 'as a garrison'.
BC 1.63.2relinquēbātur Caesarī nihil, nisi utī equitātū agmen adversāriōrum male habēret et carperet.
Nothing was left for Caesar except to harass and pick at the enemy's column with his cavalry.
Note. nihil nisi utī …: 'nothing except that …'; utī = ut. male habēret: 'harass'. carperet: 'pick at, nibble at'.
BC 1.63.2pōns enim ipsīus magnum circuitum habēbat, ut multō breviōre itinere illī ad Hibērum pervenīre possent.
For his own bridge involved a long detour, so that they could reach the Ebro by a much shorter route.
Note. ipsīus: 'his own', Caesar's. multō breviōre itinere: 'by a much shorter route'.
BC 1.63.3equitēs ab eō missī flūmen trānseunt, et, cum dē tertiā vigiliā Petrēius atque Afrānius castra mōvissent, repente sēsē ad novissimum agmen ostendunt, et magnā multitūdine circumfūsā morārī atque iter impedīre incipiunt.
The horsemen sent by him crossed the river, and when Petreius and Afranius had moved camp in the third watch, they suddenly showed themselves at the rear of the column, poured round it in great numbers, and began to delay them and hinder their march.
Note. dē tertiā vigiliā: 'in the third watch', after midnight. circumfūsā: 'pouring round them'. morārī: deponent infinitive, 'to delay'.
Vocabulary
| iam, adv. | now, already |
| vērō, adv. | in truth, indeed; however |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| magis, comp. adv. | more, rather |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| mātūrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | ripen; hasten |
| iter, itineris, n. | a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march |
| exīstimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | consider, believe, think |
| itaque, adv. | and so, accordingly, therefore |
| duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj. | two |
| auxiliāris, -e; as noun, -is m. | auxiliary; (pl.) auxiliary troops |
| cohors, cohortis f. | cohort (a tenth of a legion); company |
| praesidium, -ī, n. | protection; guard, escort |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| cōpia, -ae, f. | supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops |
| trānseō, -īre, -iī, -itus | go across or over, cross |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| superior, -ius, adj. | higher; former, previous, preceding |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| trādūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead across |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| coniungō, -iungere, -iūnxī, -iūnctus | join together, join |
| nihil, n., indecl. | nothing |
| nisi, conj. | if not, unless |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| equitātus, -ūs m. | cavalry |
| agmen, -minis, n. | band, column |
| adversārius, -ī m. | opponent, enemy |
| male, adv. | badly, ill |
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |
| carpō, -ere, -sī, -tus | pluck |
| pōns, pontis, m. | bridge |
| enim, conj. | for |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| circuitus, -ūs m. | way around, circuit |
| multō, adv. | by much or far, much, far |
| brevis, -e | short |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| perveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus | come through, come, arrive, reach |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| eques, equitis m. | horseman; (pl.) cavalry |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| flūmen, -minis, n. | river |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| tertius, -a, -um | third |
| vigilia, -ae, f. | watch |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| moveō, movēre, mōvī, mōtus | move |
| repente (adv.) | suddenly |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| novissimus, -a, -um | last (novissimum agmen: the rear) |
| ostendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch out before, show, explain |
| multitūdō, -tūdinis, f. | multitude |
| circumfundō, -ere, -fūdī, -fūsus | pour around; (passive) crowd around, surround |
| moror, -ārī, -ātus | delay, linger, stay |
| impediō, -pedīre, -pedīvī, -pedītus | hinder, prevent, impede |
| incipiō, -ere, incēpī, inceptum | begin |