De Bello Civili 1.71

BC 1.71.1Erat occāsiō bene gerendae reī.

There was a chance of winning a great success.

Note. The scene is near Ilerda in Spain, in summer 49 BC: Caesar has trapped Pompey's legates Afranius and Petreius. bene gerendae reī: gerundive in the genitive with occāsiō, 'a chance of the business being well done', i.e. of winning.

BC 1.71.1neque vērō id Caesarem fugiēbat tantō sub oculīs acceptō dētrīmentō perterritum exercitum sustinēre nōn posse, praesertim circumdatum undique equitātū, cum in locō aequō atque apertō cōnflīgerētur;

Nor did it escape Caesar that an army terrified by so great a loss suffered before its eyes could not hold out, especially when it was surrounded on every side by cavalry and the fighting was on level, open ground;

Note. id … fugiēbat: 'it did not escape Caesar that …'; the clause is the indirect statement exercitum … sustinēre nōn posse. tantō … acceptō dētrīmentō: ablative absolute, 'such a loss having been suffered'.

BC 1.71.1idque ex omnibus partibus ab eō flāgitābātur.

and this was demanded of him from all sides.

Note. id … flāgitābātur: the passive of flāgitō, 'this was demanded'; ab eō, 'from him'.

BC 1.71.2concurrēbant lēgātī, centuriōnēs tribūnīque mīlitum: ne dubitāret proelium committere.

Legates, centurions and military tribunes came running to him: he should not hesitate to join battle.

Note. nē dubitāret: the officers' demand in reported speech, 'that he should not hesitate'.

BC 1.71.3omnium esse mīlitum parātissimōs animōs.

The spirit of all the soldiers, they said, was entirely ready.

Note. Reported speech continues: the infinitive esse with the accusative animōs, 'the spirits were …'. parātissimōs: superlative of parātus.

BC 1.71.3Afrāniānōs contrā multīs rēbus suī timōris signa mīsisse: quod suīs nōn subvēnissent, quod dē colle nōn dēcēderent, quod vix equitum incursūs sustinērent collātīsque in ūnum locum signīs cōnfertī neque ōrdinēs neque signa servārent.

The Afranians, on the other hand, had shown signs of their fear in many ways: they had not come to the help of their own men, they were not coming down from the hill, they could scarcely withstand the charges of the cavalry, and with their standards brought together in one place they were crowded together and keeping neither their ranks nor their standards.

Note. Afrāniānōs … misisse: still the officers' words. The four quod-clauses give their reasons, with subjunctives because they are reported: subvēnissent, dēcēderent, sustinērent, servārent.

BC 1.71.4quodsī inīquitātem locī timēret, datum īrī tamen aliquō locō pugnandī facultātem, quod certē inde dēcēdendum esset Afrāniō nec sine aquā permanēre posset.

But if he was afraid of the unfavourable ground, a chance of fighting would still be given somewhere, because Afranius would certainly have to come down from there, and could not stay without water.

Note. datum īrī: future passive infinitive, made of the supine datum and īrī, 'would be given'. dēcēdendum esset Afrāniō: impersonal gerundive with the dative of the agent, 'Afranius would have to come down'.