De Bello Civili 3.58

BC 3.58.1Caesar quō facilius equitātum Pompēiānum ad Dyrrachium continēret et pābulātiōne prohibēret, aditūs duōs, quōs esse angustōs dēmōnstrāvimus, magnīs operibus praemūnīvit castellaque hīs locīs posuit.

Caesar, so that he might more easily hold Pompey's cavalry in at Dyrrachium and keep it from foraging, fortified the two approaches, which we have shown to be narrow, with great works and placed forts at these points.

Note. Summer 48 BC: Caesar is besieging Pompey's much larger army inside a ring of earthworks near Dyrrachium on the Adriatic coast. quō facilius … continēret: a purpose clause with quō because it contains a comparative ('so that … more easily'). dēmōnstrāvimus: Caesar's 'we' of the author.

BC 3.58.2Pompēius ubi nihil prōficī equitātū cognōvit, paucīs intermissīs diēbus rūrsus eum nāvibus ad sē intrā mūnītiōnēs recēpit.

When Pompey learned that nothing was being achieved with his cavalry, after a few days had passed he took it back again by ship inside his fortifications.

Note. ubi … cognōvit: 'when he learned'. nihil prōficī: impersonal passive infinitive, 'that nothing was being achieved'. paucīs intermissīs diēbus: ablative absolute, 'a few days having passed'.

BC 3.58.3erat summa inopia pābulī, adeō ut foliīs ex arboribus strictīs et tenerīs harundinum rādīcibus contūsīs equōs alerent;

There was the greatest shortage of fodder, so much so that they fed the horses on leaves stripped from the trees and on the soft roots of reeds, pounded;

Note. adeō ut … alerent: result clause, 'so much so that they fed'. foliīs … strictīs and rādīcibus contūsīs: ablatives of means, each with its participle.

BC 3.58.3frūmenta enim, quae fuerant intrā mūnītiōnēs sata, cōnsūmpserant.

for they had used up the grain which had been sown inside the fortifications.

Note. frūmenta … sata: 'the crops which had been sown' (sata from serō, 'sow'). The besieged Pompeians had grown grain inside their lines.

BC 3.58.4et cōgēbantur Corcȳrā atque Acarnāniā longō interiectō nāvigātiōnis spatiō pābulum subportāre, quodque erat eius reī minor cōpia, hordeō adaugēre atque hīs ratiōnibus equitātum tolerāre.

And they were forced to bring in fodder from Corcyra and Acarnania across a long stretch of sea, and, because there was too little of it, to eke it out with barley, and by these means to keep the cavalry going.

Note. Corcȳrā atque Acarnāniā: ablative of place from which, without a preposition. longō interiectō nāvigātiōnis spatiō: ablative absolute, 'a long stretch of sailing lying between'. quodque = et quod, 'and because'.

BC 3.58.5sed postquam nōn modo hordeum pābulumque omnibus locīs herbaeque dēsectae, sed etiam frōns ex arboribus dēficiēbat, corruptīs equīs maciē cōnandum sibi aliquid Pompēius dē ēruptiōne exīstimāvit.

But after not only the barley and fodder everywhere and the grass had been cut, but even the leaves on the trees were giving out, and the horses were wasted by starvation, Pompey thought he must attempt some kind of break-out.

Note. postquam … dēficiēbat: the verb agrees with the nearest subject, frōns. corruptīs equīs maciē: ablative absolute, 'the horses being ruined by leanness'. cōnandum sibi aliquid: gerundive of obligation in indirect statement, 'that something must be attempted by him'.