De Bello Civili 3.49

BC 3.49.1Iamque frūmenta mātūrēscere incipiēbant atque ipsa spēs inopiam sustentābat, quod celeriter sē habitūrōs cōpiam cōnfīdēbant.

And now the crops were beginning to ripen, and hope itself sustained them in their want, because they were confident they would soon have plenty.

Note. sē habitūrōs (esse) cōpiam: future infinitive in indirect statement, 'that they would have plenty'.

BC 3.49.1crēbraeque vōcēs mīlitum in vigiliīs colloquiīsque audiēbantur prius sē cortice ex arboribus vīctūrōs, quam Pompēium ē manibus dīmissūrōs.

And in the night watches and in conversations the soldiers were often heard to say that they would live on bark from the trees before they let Pompey slip from their hands.

Note. prius … quam: 'sooner … than'. sē cortice … vīctūrōs: 'that they would live on bark', future infinitive of vīvō. ē manibus dīmissūrōs: 'let go from their hands'.

BC 3.49.2libenter etiam ex perfugīs cognōscēbant equōs eōrum tolerārī, reliqua vērō iūmenta interīsse;

They were glad, too, to learn from deserters that the enemy's horses were barely being kept alive and that the rest of their pack animals had died;

Note. tolerārī: 'were barely kept alive'. reliqua … iūmenta interīsse: perfect infinitive of intereō, 'had died'.

BC 3.49.2utī autem ipsōs valētūdine nōn bonā cum angustiīs locī et odōre taetrō ex multitūdine cadāverum et cōtīdiānīs labōribus, īnsuētōs operum, tum aquae summā inopiā adfectōs.

and that the men themselves were in poor health, both from the cramped space, the foul stench of the many corpses and their daily labours, since they were unused to such work, and from a severe shortage of water.

Note. The indirect statement continues: (they learned) ipsōs ūtī valētūdine nōn bonā, 'that the men themselves were in poor health'. utī is the infinitive of ūtor here, not ut. cum … tum: 'both … and especially'. īnsuētōs operum: 'unaccustomed to (such) work'.

BC 3.49.3omnia enim flūmina atque omnēs rīvōs, quī ad mare pertinēbant, Caesar aut āverterat aut magnīs operibus obstrūxerat, atque ut erant loca montuōsa et ad specūs angustiae vallium, hās sublicīs in terram dēmissīs praesēpserat terramque adgesserat, ut aquam continērent.

For Caesar had either diverted all the rivers and streams that ran to the sea or blocked them with great works; and since the country was mountainous and the valleys were narrow like caves, he had closed them off by driving stakes into the ground and had heaped up earth against them to hold back the water.

Note. Caesar dammed or diverted the streams that ran to the sea through Pompey's lines. ut erant loca montuōsa: 'since the country was mountainous'. ad specūs: 'like caves'. praesēpserat: pluperfect of praesaepiō, 'had blocked up'. adgesserat: from adgerō (aggerō), 'had heaped up (earth)'.

BC 3.49.4ita illī necessāriō loca sequī dēmissa ac palūstria et puteōs fodere cōgēbantur atque hunc labōrem ad cōtīdiāna opera addēbant;

So the enemy were forced to seek out low and marshy places and dig wells, and they added this labour to their daily works;

Note. loca … dēmissa ac palūstria: 'low-lying and marshy places'. necessāriō: 'of necessity'.

BC 3.49.4quī tamen fontēs ā quibusdam praesidiīs aberant longius et celeriter aestibus exārēscēbant.

and these springs were rather far from some of their posts and quickly dried up in the heat.

Note. quī … fontēs: 'and these springs'.

BC 3.49.5at Caesaris exercitus optimā valētūdine summāque aquae cōpiā ūtēbātur, tum commeātūs omnī genere praeter frūmentum abundābat;

But Caesar's army enjoyed excellent health and a plentiful supply of water, and had plenty of every kind of supply except grain;

Note. optimā valētūdine: ablative with ūtēbātur, 'enjoyed excellent health'. commeātūs omnī genere: 'every kind of supply'.

BC 3.49.5quibus cōtīdiē melius tempus maiōremque spem mātūritāte frūmentōrum prōpōnī vidēbant.

and they saw that with the ripening of the crops a better time and greater hope were being held out to them every day.

Note. quibus: 'to whom' (Caesar's men). proponī: 'were being held out (to them)'.