Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 3
De Bello Civili 3.52
Fighting at two more forts
Caesar, De Bello Civili III. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
Tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and track your reading.
Read in LectitōBC 3.52.1Eōdem tempore duōbus praetereā locīs pugnātum est;
At the same time there was fighting in two other places as well;
Note. pugnātum est: impersonal passive, 'there was fighting'.
BC 3.52.1nam plūra castella Pompēius pariter distinendae manūs causā temptāverat, ne ex proximīs praesidiīs succurrī posset.
for Pompey had attacked several forts at once in order to divide our forces, so that help could not be brought from the nearest posts.
Note. distinendae manūs causā: gerundive with causā, 'for the sake of dividing our force'. nē … succurrī posset: impersonal passive, 'so that help could not be given'.
BC 3.52.2ūnō locō Volcācius Tullus impetum legiōnis sustinuit cohortibus tribus atque eam locō dēpulit;
In one place Volcacius Tullus held off the attack of a legion with three cohorts and drove it from its position;
Note. Lucius Volcacius Tullus was a young officer of Caesar's.
BC 3.52.2alterō Germānī mūnītiōnēs nostrās ēgressī complūribus interfectīs sēsē ad suōs incolumēs recēpērunt.
in the other the Germans went out beyond our fortifications, killed a good many of the enemy, and got back safely to their own men.
Note. Germānī: German cavalry and infantry in Caesar's army. compluribus interfectīs: ablative absolute.
Vocabulary
| īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron. | the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also |
| tempus, temporis, n. | time, season |
| duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj. | two |
| praetereā, adv. | besides this, besides, moreover |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| pugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | fight |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| nam, conj. | for |
| multus, -a, -um | much, great; plur., many |
| castellum, -ī n. | fort, redoubt |
| pariter (adv.) | equally, alike; at the same time |
| distineō, -ēre, -tinuī, -tentum | keep apart, keep divided |
| manus, -ūs, f. | hand |
| causa, -ae, f. | cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of |
| temptō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | try, attempt |
| ne, enclitic introducing a question | untranslatable |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| proximus, -a, -um | nearest, next |
| praesidium, -ī, n. | protection; guard, escort |
| succurrō, -ere, -currī, -cursum | run to help, aid |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| ūnus, -a, -um | one; only, alone |
| impetus, -ūs, m. | attack; impetum facere, to charge |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| sustineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold or bear up, sustain, withstand |
| cohors, cohortis f. | cohort (a tenth of a legion); company |
| trēs, tria, plur. adj. | three |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| dēpellō, -pellere, -pulī, -pulsus | drive off or away, drive |
| alter, -era, -erum | one or the other (of two); another, second |
| mūnītiō, -ōnis f. | fortification, defence works |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| ēgredior, -gredī, -gressus | go out or forth, go ashore, disembark |
| complūrēs, -plūra, plur. adj. | several, many |
| interficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | put out of the way, kill |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| incolumis, -e | unhurt, safe |
| recipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | take or get back, recover; sē recipere, to betake oneself, withdraw; to collect oneself, recover |