De Bello Civili 3.44

BC 3.44.1Pompēius neque ā marī Dyrrachiōque discēdere volēbat, quod omnem adparātum bellī, tēla arma tormenta ibi collocāverat frūmentumque exercituī nāvibus subportābat, neque mūnītiōnēs Caesaris prohibēre poterat, nisi proeliō dēcertāre vellet;

Pompey did not want to leave the sea and Dyrrachium, because he had stored all his war material there, missiles, arms and artillery, and was bringing grain to his army by ship; nor could he stop Caesar's fortifications unless he were willing to fight a battle;

Note. Dyrrachiōque: Dyrrachium with -que, 'and from Dyrrachium'. adparātum: the edition's spelling of apparātum, 'equipment, stores'. nisi … vellet: subjunctive in a condition within Pompey's reasoning.

BC 3.44.1quod eō tempore statuerat faciendum nōn esse.

and that he had decided not to do at that time.

Note. quod: connecting relative, 'and this'. faciendum nōn esse: gerundive of obligation in indirect statement, 'that it should not be done'.

BC 3.44.2relinquēbātur, ut extrēmam ratiōnem bellī sequēns quam plūrimōs collēs occupāret et quam lātissimās regiōnēs praesidiīs tenēret Caesarisque cōpiās quam maximē posset distinēret;

What remained was to follow the last resort in war: to occupy as many hills as possible, to hold as wide an area as possible with garrisons, and to keep Caesar's forces spread out as much as he could;

Note. relinquēbātur, ut: 'it remained that', with a result clause. quam plūrimōs … quam lātissimās … quam maximē: quam with a superlative means 'as … as possible'. extrēmam ratiōnem bellī sequēns: 'following the last resort of war'.

BC 3.44.2idque accidit.

and so it turned out.

Note. idque accidit: 'and this happened', i.e. Pompey succeeded.

BC 3.44.3castellīs enim xxiv effectīs xv mīlia passuum circuitū amplexus hōc spatiō pābulābātur;

For by building twenty-four forts he took in a circuit of fifteen miles and foraged within this space;

Note. castellīs … xxiv effectīs: ablative absolute, 'twenty-four forts having been built'. xv mīlia passuum: accusative of extent, 'fifteen miles' (a Roman mile is a thousand paces, about 1.5 km). circuitū: ablative of means, 'by a circuit'. amplexus: deponent participle, 'having embraced, taken in'.

BC 3.44.3multaque erant intrā eum locum manū sata, quibus interim iūmenta pāsceret.

and inside that area there were many crops sown by hand, on which he could meanwhile feed his pack animals.

Note. manū sata: 'sown by hand', i.e. cultivated crops. quibus … pāsceret: relative clause of purpose, 'on which he could feed'.

BC 3.44.4atque ut nostrī perpetuās mūnītiōnēs perductās ex castellīs in proxima castella, nēquō locō ērumperent Pompēiānī ac nostrōs post tergum adorīrentur, ita illī interiōre spatiō perpetuās mūnītiōnēs efficiēbant, nēquem locum nostrī intrāre atque ipsōs ā tergō circumvenīre possent.

And just as our men had carried continuous fortifications from fort to fort, so that the Pompeians should not break out anywhere and attack our men from behind, so they were building continuous fortifications in the inner space, so that our men could not get in anywhere and surround them from behind.

Note. Two balanced clauses: ut nostrī … ita illī, 'just as our men … so they'. nē quō locō: 'so that in no place' (nē + quō, from quis). nē quem locum: 'so that no place'.

BC 3.44.5sed illī operibus vincēbant, quod et numerō mīlitum praestābant et interiōre spatiō minōrem circuitum habēbant.

But they were winning at the works, because they had more men and, being on the inside, had a shorter circuit.

Note. operibus vincēbant: 'they were winning in the works'. interiōre spatiō: being on the inside, they had a shorter line to build.

BC 3.44.6quae cum erant loca Caesarī capienda, etsī prohibēre Pompēius tōtīs cōpiīs et dīmicāre nōn cōnstituerat, tamen suīs locīs sagittāriōs funditōrēsque mittēbat, quōrum magnum habēbat numerum, multīque ex nostrīs vulnerābantur, magnusque incesserat timor sagittārum, atque omnēs ferē mīlitēs aut ex coāctīs aut ex centōnibus aut ex coriīs tunicās aut tegimenta fēcerant, quibus tēla vītārent.

Whenever Caesar had to take a position, Pompey, although he had decided not to block him with his whole army or to fight, still sent archers and slingers to suitable places (he had a great number of them), and many of our men were wounded; a great fear of arrows had come over them, and almost all the soldiers had made themselves tunics or coverings out of felt, patchwork or hides, to ward off the missiles.

Note. quae cum erant loca Caesarī capienda: 'whenever there were places that Caesar had to take' (cum with the indicative for repeated action; capienda is a gerundive of obligation with the dative of agent Caesarī). ex coāctīs aut ex centōnibus aut ex coriīs: 'from felt, patchwork or hides', improvised armour against arrows.