De Bello Civili 3.37

BC 3.37.1Scīpiō bīduum castrīs statīvīs morātus ad flūmen, quod inter eum et Domitī castra fluēbat, Haliacmonem, tertiō diē prīmā lūce exercitum vadō trādūcit et castrīs positīs posterō diē māne cōpiās ante frontem castrōrum struit.

Scipio stayed for two days in a standing camp by the river Haliacmon, which flowed between him and Domitius' camp; on the third day at first light he led his army across by a ford, pitched camp, and early on the next day drew up his forces in front of the camp.

Note. bīduum: accusative of duration, 'for two days'. quod … fluēbat: the relative clause comes before its noun Haliacmonem, which is in apposition to flūmen. vadō: 'by a ford'.

BC 3.37.2Domitius tum quoque sibi dubitandum nōn putāvit quīn prōductīs legiōnibus proeliō dēcertāret.

Domitius then too thought he should not hesitate to bring out his legions and fight it out.

Note. sibi dubitandum nōn putāvit quīn … dēcertāret: 'he thought he should not hesitate to fight it out'; dubitō quīn with the subjunctive.

BC 3.37.2sed cum esset inter bīna castra campus circiter mīlium passuum iii, Domitius castrīs Scīpiōnis aciem suam subiēcit, ille ā vallō nōn discēdere persevērāvit.

But although there was a plain about three miles wide between the two camps, and Domitius brought his line right up under Scipio's camp, Scipio kept stubbornly to his rampart.

Note. bīna castra: distributive numeral, used with nouns that are plural in form, 'the two camps'. castrīs … subiēcit: 'brought up close under the camp' (dative with sub- compound). ille: Scipio.

BC 3.37.3ac tamen aegrē retentīs Domitiānīs mīlitibus est factum, nē proeliō contenderētur, et maximē quod rīvus difficilibus rīpīs subiectus castrīs Scīpiōnis prōgressūs nostrōrum impediēbat.

And even so, with Domitius' soldiers held back with difficulty, it came about that there was no battle, above all because a stream with steep banks, below Scipio's camp, stopped our men's advance.

Note. est factum, nē … contenderētur: 'it came about that there was no fighting'. prōgressūs nostrōrum: 'our men's advance' (accusative plural of the noun prōgressus).

BC 3.37.4quōrum studium alacritātemque pugnandī cum cognōvisset Scīpiō, suspicātus fore ut posterō diē aut invītus dīmicāre cōgerētur, aut magnā cum īnfāmiā castrīs sē continēret, quī magnā exspectātiōne vēnisset, temerē prōgressus turpem habuit exitum et noctū nē conclāmātīs quidem vāsīs flūmen trānsit atque in eandem partem, ex quā vēnerat, redit, ibique prope flūmen ēditō nātūrā locō castra posuit.

When Scipio saw their eagerness and keenness to fight, he suspected that on the next day he would either be forced to fight against his will or, having come amid great expectation, would keep himself in camp in great disgrace; his rash advance had a shameful end: by night, without even giving the signal to pack up, he crossed the river, went back to the same side from which he had come, and pitched camp there near the river on a naturally high place.

Note. Long sentence: suspicātus fore ut … cōgerētur aut … continēret: 'suspecting that it would happen that he would either be forced … or keep himself'. quī … vēnisset: causal relative, 'since he had come'. nē conclāmātīs quidem vāsīs: 'without even giving the signal to pack up' (the conclāmātiō vāsōrum was the order to pack before breaking camp).

BC 3.37.5paucīs diēbus interpositīs noctū īnsidiās equitum collocāvit, quō in locō superiōribus ferē diēbus nostrī pābulārī cōnsuēverant;

After a few days he set an ambush of cavalry by night at a place where our men had usually foraged on the previous days;

Note. quō in locō: 'in the place where'. pābulārī: deponent infinitive, 'to forage'.

BC 3.37.5et cum cōtīdiānā cōnsuētūdine Q. Vārus, praefectus equitum Domitī, vēnisset, subitō illī ex īnsidiīs cōnsurrēxērunt.

and when Quintus Varus, the commander of Domitius' cavalry, came there as usual, they suddenly rose up from the ambush.

Note. cum … vēnisset: 'when he had come' as usual (cōtīdiānā cōnsuētūdine). illī: the Pompeian cavalry in ambush.

BC 3.37.6sed nostrī fortiter impetum eōrum tulērunt, celeriterque ad suōs quisque ōrdinēs redit, atque ultrō ūniversī in hostēs impetum fēcērunt.

But our men bore their attack bravely, each quickly went back to his own ranks, and all together they in turn charged the enemy.

Note. ad suōs quisque ōrdinēs: quisque with a plural verb sense: 'each to his own ranks'. ultrō: 'in their turn', taking the attack to the enemy.

BC 3.37.7ex hīs circiter lxxx interfectīs, reliquīs in fugam coniectīs, duōbus āmissīs in castra sē recēpērunt.

About eighty of the enemy were killed and the rest put to flight; with the loss of two men they withdrew to camp.

Note. Three ablatives absolute in a row give the result briefly: about 80 killed, the rest routed, two lost.