De Bello Civili 1.81

BC 1.81.1Tum vērō neque ad explōrandum idōneum locum castrīs neque ad prōgrediendum datā facultāte cōnsistunt necessāriō et procul ab aquā et nātūrā inīquō locō castra pōnunt.

Then, given no chance either to look for a suitable place for a camp or to advance, they are forced to halt and pitch camp on unfavourable ground, far from water.

Note. nātūrā inīquō locō: 'on ground unfavourable by nature'.

BC 1.81.2sed īsdem dē causīs Caesar, quae suprā sunt dēmōnstrātae, proeliō nōn lacessit.

But for the same reasons as were shown above, Caesar does not provoke them to battle.

Note. īsdem dē causīs, quae suprā sunt dēmōnstrātae: Caesar refers back to his reasons in chapter 72.

BC 1.81.2et eō diē tabernācula statuī passus nōn est, quō parātiōrēs essent ad īnsequendum omnēs, sīve noctū sīve interdiū ērumperent.

And that day he did not allow the tents to be put up, so that everyone would be readier to pursue them, whether they broke out by night or by day.

Note. quō parātiōrēs essent: quō with a comparative introduces a purpose clause, 'so that they might be readier'. ad īnsequendum: gerund of purpose.

BC 1.81.3illī animadversō vitiō castrōrum tōtā nocte mūnītiōnēs prōferunt castraque castrīs convertunt.

The Pompeians, noticing the defect of their camp, extend their fortifications all night and turn their camp to face ours.

Note. castra castrīs convertunt: 'turn their camp to face our camp'.

BC 1.81.3hoc idem posterō diē ā prīmā lūce faciunt tōtumque in eā rē diem cōnsūmunt.

They do the same next day from first light, and spend the whole day on this work.

BC 1.81.4sed quantum opere prōcesserant et castra prōtulerant, tantō aberant ab aquā longius, et praesentī malō aliīs malīs remedia dabantur.

But the further they had advanced their works and moved their camp forward, the further they were from water; and the present evil was being remedied by other evils.

Note. quantum … tantō …: 'the more … the more …'. praesentī malō aliīs malīs remedia dabantur: 'the present evil was cured by other evils'.

BC 1.81.5prīmā nocte aquandī causā nēmō ēgreditur ex castrīs;

On the first night no one goes out of the camp to fetch water;

Note. aquandī causā: gerund with causā.

BC 1.81.5proximō diē praesidiō in castrīs relictō ūniversās ad aquam cōpiās ēdūcunt, pābulātum ēmittitur nēmō.

the next day, leaving a guard in the camp, they lead all their forces out to the water; no one is sent out to forage.

Note. pābulātum: supine of purpose after a verb of motion, 'to forage'.

BC 1.81.6hīs eōs suppliciīs male habērī Caesar et necessāriam subīre dēditiōnem quam proeliō dēcertāre mālēbat.

Caesar preferred that they should be worn down by these hardships and forced into an unavoidable surrender, rather than fight it out in battle.

Note. eōs … male habērī: 'that they should be hard pressed'. quam … dēcertāre: after mālēbat, 'rather than fight it out'.

BC 1.81.6cōnātur tamen eōs vallō fossāque circummūnīre, ut quam maximē repentīnās eōrum ēruptiōnēs dēmorētur;

He tries all the same to surround them with a rampart and ditch, to hold up their sudden sallies as much as possible;

Note. quam maximē: 'as much as possible'.

BC 1.81.6quō necessāriō dēscēnsūrōs exīstimābat.

he thought that they would be forced to come down to that.

BC 1.81.7illī et inopiā pābulī adductī et quō essent ad iter expedītiōrēs, omnia sarcināria iūmenta interficī iubent.

The Pompeians, driven by lack of fodder and to be lighter for the march, order all the pack animals to be killed.

Note. quō essent … expedītiōrēs: quō + comparative, purpose clause. sarcināria iūmenta: 'pack animals'.