Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 1
De Bello Civili 1.73
The Pompeians cut off
Caesar, De Bello Civili I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 1.73.1Posterō diē ducēs adversāriōrum perturbātī, quod omnem reī frūmentāriae flūminisque Hibērī spem dīmīserant, dē reliquīs rēbus cōnsultābant.
The next day the opposing commanders, thrown into confusion because they had given up all hope of supplies and of the river Hiberus, were debating what remained.
Note. dīmīserant: 'had let go' of all hope. The digital text misprints imiserant. dē reliquīs rēbus: 'about what remained to do'.
BC 1.73.2dērat ūnum iter, Ilerdam sī revertī vellent, alterum, sī Tarracōnem peterent.
There was one route, if they wanted to go back to Ilerda, and another if they made for Tarraco.
Note. dērat: contracted from deerat. Ilerda (Lleida) and Tarraco (Tarragona) are the two refuges open to them.
BC 1.73.2haec cōnsiliantibus eīs nūntiantur aquātōrēs ab equitātū premī nostrō.
While they are deliberating on this, news comes that their water-carriers are being hard pressed by our cavalry.
Note. haec cōnsiliantibus eīs: dative with nūntiantur, 'it is reported to them as they deliberate'. aquātōrēs … premī: indirect statement.
BC 1.73.3quā rē cognitā crēbrās statiōnēs dispōnunt equitum et cohortium ālāriārum legiōnāriāsque intericiunt cohortīs vallumque ex castrīs ad aquam dūcere incipiunt, ut intrā mūnītiōnem et sine timōre et sine statiōnibus aquārī possent.
When they learn this, they post frequent pickets of cavalry and auxiliary cohorts, place legionary cohorts between them, and begin to build a rampart from the camp to the water, so that they could fetch water inside the fortification, without fear and without pickets.
Note. aquārī: deponent, 'to fetch water'. cohortium ālāriārum: auxiliary cohorts, originally posted on the wings (ālae).
BC 1.73.4id opus inter sē Petrēius atque Afrānius partiuntur ipsīque perficiendī operis causā longius prōgrediuntur.
Petreius and Afranius divide this work between them, and go some distance forward themselves to complete it.
Note. perficiendī operis causā: gerundive with causā, 'for the sake of completing the work'.
Vocabulary
| posterus, -a, -um | following, next |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| dux, ducis, m. and f. | leader, commander |
| adversārius, -ī m. | opponent, enemy |
| perturbō, -turbāre, -turbāvi, -turbātus | greatly disturb, disturb, agitate, throw into confusion |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| frūmentārius, -a, -um | of grain (rēs frūmentāria: grain supply) |
| flūmen, -minis, n. | river |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| spēs, speī, f. | hope |
| dīmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send different ways, send forth or away, despatch; let slip, lose |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| reliquus, -a, -um | left, the remaining, the other, the rest of |
| cōnsultō (adv.) | on purpose, deliberately |
| dēsum, deesse, dēfuī | be lacking, fail |
| ūnus, -a, -um | one; only, alone |
| iter, itineris, n. | a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march |
| sī, conj. | if |
| revertor, -vertī, -versus, perf. act. -vertī | turn back, return |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| alter, -era, -erum | one or the other (of two); another, second |
| petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītus | seek, ask; attack |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| cōnsilior, -ārī, -ātus sum | take counsel, deliberate |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| nūntiō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | report, announce |
| aquātor, -ōris m. | water-carrier, one who fetches water |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| equitātus, -ūs m. | cavalry |
| premō, premere, pressī, pressus | press, check, restrain |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| cognōscō, -gnōscere, -gnōvī, -gnitus | find out, learn; in tenses of completed action, have found out, know |
| crēber, -bra, -brum | frequent, numerous; close together |
| statiō, -ōnis f. | outpost, picket |
| dispōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positum | station here and there, post |
| eques, equitis m. | horseman; (pl.) cavalry |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| cohors, cohortis f. | cohort (a tenth of a legion); company |
| ālārius, -ī m. | auxiliary soldier (posted on the wings) |
| legiōnārius, -a, -um | of a legion, legionary |
| intericiō, -ere, -iēcī, -iectum | put between, interweave |
| vallum, -ī n. | rampart, palisade |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| aqua, -ae, f. | water |
| dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus | lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry |
| incipiō, -ere, incēpī, inceptum | begin |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| intrā, prep. with acc. | within |
| mūnītiō, -ōnis f. | fortification, defence works |
| sine, prep. with abl. | without |
| timor, -ōris, m. | fear |
| aquor, -ārī, -ātus sum | fetch water |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| opus, operis, n. | work, task |
| inter, prep, with acc. | among, between |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| partior, -īrī, partītus sum | share out, divide |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| perficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | do or make through, accomplish |
| causa, -ae, f. | cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of |
| longē, adv. | far |
| prōgredior, -gredī, -gressus | go forward, advance |