De Bello Civili 2.1

BC 2.1.1Dum haec in Hispāniā geruntur, C. Trebōnius lēgātus, quī ad oppugnātiōnem Massiliae relictus erat, duābus ex partibus aggerem, vīneās turrēsque ad oppidum agere īnstituit.

While these things were being done in Spain, the legate Gaius Trebonius, who had been left behind to besiege Massilia, began to move a siege ramp, mantlets and towers up to the town from two directions.

Note. Book II opens in 49 BC: Caesar is fighting Pompey's legates in Spain, and the Greek city of Massilia (Marseille), which had shut its gates against him, is under siege. Dum … geruntur: dum with the present indicative, 'while … were being done'. agger: the siege ramp, a sloping mound of earth and timber built up towards the wall; vīneae: movable sheds that protected the men building it; turrēs: siege towers. agere: 'to move forward', the usual verb for pushing siege works towards a town.

BC 2.1.2ūna erat proxima portū nāvālibusque, altera ad portam, quā est aditus ex Galliā atque Hispāniā, ad id mare, quod adiacet ad ōstium Rhodanī.

One was next to the harbour and the dockyards, the other near the gate by which there is an approach from Gaul and Spain, towards that part of the sea which lies by the mouth of the Rhone.

Note. ūna … altera: 'one (approach) … the other'. proxima portū nāvālibusque: proximus takes the dative, 'next to the harbour and the dockyards'. quā: relative adverb, 'by which (way)'. ad ōstium Rhodanī: the mouths of the Rhone lie west of the city.

BC 2.1.3Massilia enim ferē tribus ex oppidī partibus marī alluitur;

For Massilia is washed by the sea on roughly three sides of the town;

Note. tribus ex oppidī partibus: 'on three sides of the town'. alluitur: 'is washed', from alluō.

BC 2.1.3reliqua quārta est, quae aditum habeat ab terrā.

the remaining fourth side is the one which has an approach by land.

Note. quae … habeat: a relative clause of characteristic, 'the side which has'.

BC 2.1.3huius quoque spatiī pars ea quae ad arcem pertinet, locī nātūrā et valle altissimā mūnīta longam et difficilem habet oppugnātiōnem.

Of this stretch too, the part that reaches up to the citadel, protected by the nature of the ground and by a very deep valley, means a long and difficult siege.

Note. pars ea quae ad arcem pertinet: 'the part that stretches to the citadel'. locī nātūrā et valle altissimā mūnīta: an ablative of means with the participle, 'protected by the nature of the ground and a very deep valley'. longam … habet oppugnātiōnem: 'involves a long siege'.

BC 2.1.4ad ea perficienda opera C. Trebōnius magnam iūmentōrum atque hominum multitūdinem ex omnī prōvinciā vocat, vīmina māteriamque comportārī iubet.

To complete these works Gaius Trebonius calls up a great number of pack animals and men from the whole province, and orders osiers and timber to be brought together.

Note. ad ea perficienda opera: gerundive of purpose, 'for completing those works'. vīmina: 'osiers', pliant willow rods woven into the sides of sheds and hurdles. comportārī: present passive infinitive after iubet.

BC 2.1.4quibus conparātīs rēbus aggerem in altitūdinem pedum lxxx exstruit.

When these things had been collected, he builds a ramp eighty feet high.

Note. quibus comparātīs rēbus: a linking relative in an ablative absolute, 'when these things had been collected'. pedum lxxx: genitive of measure, 'of eighty feet'. Caesar reports numbers in Roman numerals; the reader can read them as words (octōgintā).