De Bello Civili 2.42

BC 2.42.1Cūriō ubi perterritīs omnibus neque cohortātiōnēs suās neque precēs audīrī intellegit, ūnam ut in miserīs rēbus spem reliquam salūtis esse arbitrātus proximōs collēs capere ūniversōs atque eō signa īnferrī iubet.

When Curio realized that in the general terror neither his encouragement nor his pleas were being heard, he judged that the one hope of safety left in their wretched situation was for them all to take the nearest hills, and he ordered the standards carried there.

Note. ūnam … spem reliquam salūtis esse: indirect statement after arbitrātus. ut in miserīs rēbus: 'as far as possible in their desperate situation'. eō signa īnferrī: 'the standards to be carried there'.

BC 2.42.1hōs quoque praeoccupat missus ā Saburrā equitātus.

Cavalry sent by Saburra seized these hills first as well.

Note. hōs: the hills. praeoccupat: 'seizes first'.

BC 2.42.2tum vērō ad summam dēspērātiōnem nostrī perveniunt et partim fugientēs ab equitātū interficiuntur, partim integrī prōcumbunt.

Then indeed our men reached the depths of despair: some were killed by the cavalry as they fled, some, unhurt, fell to the ground.

Note. partim … partim: 'some … others'. integrī prōcumbunt: 'they fell to the ground unhurt', giving up the fight.

BC 2.42.3hortātur Cūriōnem Cn. Domitius praefectus equitum, cum paucīs equitibus circumsistēns, ut fugā salūtem petat atque in castra contendat, et sē ab eō nōn discessūrum pollicētur.

Gnaeus Domitius, the commander of the cavalry, stood round Curio with a few horsemen and urged him to seek safety in flight and make for the camp, and promised that he would not leave him.

Note. Cn. Domitius: not L. Domitius Ahenobarbus of Corfinium, but the commander of Curio's cavalry. circumsistēns: standing around him to protect him. ut … petat atque … contendat: indirect commands after hortātur. sē … nōn discessūrum: indirect statement after pollicētur.

BC 2.42.4at Cūriō numquam sē āmissō exercitū, quem ā Caesare fideī commissum accēperit, in eius cōnspectum reversūrum cōnfirmat atque ita proeliāns interficitur.

But Curio declared that, having lost the army that Caesar had entrusted to his loyalty, he would never go back into his sight, and so he died fighting.

Note. sē … reversūrum: indirect statement after cōnfirmat: 'that he would never return'. āmissō exercitū: ablative absolute. fideī commissum: 'entrusted to his care'. Curio's death is told in Caesar's plainest style: ita proeliāns interficitur.

BC 2.42.5equitēs ex proeliō perpaucī sē recipiunt;

Very few of the cavalry got away from the battle;

Note. perpaucī: 'very few'.

BC 2.42.5sed iī quōs ad novissimum agmen equōrum reficiendōrum causā substitisse dēmōnstrātum est, fugā tōtīus exercitūs procul animadversā sēsē incolumēs in castra cōnferunt.

but those who, as was mentioned, had stopped at the rear of the column to rest their horses saw from a distance that the whole army was in flight and made their way safely back to camp.

Note. quōs … substitisse dēmōnstrātum est: 'who, as was shown, had stopped'. equōrum reficiendōrum causā: gerundive with causā, 'to rest the horses'. fugā … animadversā: ablative absolute.

BC 2.42.5mīlitēs ad ūnum omnēs interficiuntur.

The infantry were killed to a man.

Note. ad ūnum omnēs: 'all to a man'.