De Bello Civili 3.66

BC 3.66.1Quā perfectā mūnītiōne animadversum est ab speculātōribus Caesaris, cohortēs quāsdam, quod īnstar legiōnis vidērētur, esse post silvam et in vetera castra dūcī.

When this fortification was finished, Caesar's scouts noticed that some cohorts, which seemed about the size of a legion, were behind a wood and were being led into an old camp.

Note. īnstar legiōnis: 'the size of a legion'; īnstar is an indeclinable noun taking the genitive.

BC 3.66.2castrōrum hic situs erat: superiōribus diēbus nōna Caesaris legiō cum sē obiēcisset Pompēiānīs cōpiīs atque opere, ut dēmōnstrāvimus, circummūnīret, castra eō locō posuit.

The position of the camp was this: in the preceding days Caesar's ninth legion, when it had confronted Pompey's forces and was walling them in with works, as we have shown, had pitched a camp at that place.

Note. castrōrum hic situs erat: Caesar pauses to describe the ground, a common habit in his narrative. situs here is the noun 'position'.

BC 3.66.3haec silvam quandam contingēbant neque longius ā marī passibus ccc aberant.

This camp touched a certain wood and was not more than three hundred paces from the sea.

Note. passibus ccc: ablative of degree of difference with longius, 'not more than three hundred paces'. A pace (passus) is about five Roman feet.

BC 3.66.4post mūtātō cōnsiliō quibusdam dē causīs Caesar paulō ultrā eum locum castra trānstulit, paucīsque intermissīs diēbus eadem haec Pompēius occupāverat, et, quod eō locō plūrēs erat legiōnēs habitūrus, relictō interiōre vallō maiōrem adiēcerat mūnītiōnem.

Later, having changed his plan for certain reasons, Caesar moved his camp a little beyond that place, and a few days later Pompey had occupied this same camp; and because he was going to have more legions in that place, he had left the inner rampart and added a larger fortification.

Note. plūrēs … legiōnēs habitūrus: future participle, 'being about to have more legions'. relictō interiōre vallō: ablative absolute: the old smaller camp stayed inside the new, larger rampart.

BC 3.66.5ita minōra castra inclūsa maiōribus castellī atque arcis locum obtinēbant.

So the smaller camp, enclosed in the larger one, served as a fort and citadel.

Note. castellī atque arcis locum obtinēbant: 'served as a fort and citadel', literally 'held the place of a fort'.

BC 3.66.6item ab angulō castrōrum sinistrō mūnītiōnem ad flūmen perdūxerat circiter passūs cccc, quō līberius ac sine perīculō mīlitēs aquārentur.

He had also carried a fortification from the left corner of the camp to the river, about four hundred paces, so that his soldiers could fetch water more freely and without danger.

Note. quō līberius … aquārentur: purpose clause with quō and a comparative. aquor (deponent): 'fetch water'.

BC 3.66.7sed is quoque mūtātō cōnsiliō quibusdam dē causīs, quās commemorārī necesse nōn est, eō locō excesserat.

But he too, having changed his plan for certain reasons which there is no need to relate, had left that place.

Note. quās commemorārī necesse nōn est: Caesar does not explain Pompey's reasons.

BC 3.66.7ita conplūrēs diēs mānserant castra;

So the camp had stood empty for several days;

Note. complūrēs diēs: accusative of duration of time. mānserant: 'had remained (empty)'.

BC 3.66.7mūnītiōnēs quidem omnēs integrae erant.

the fortifications, however, were all intact.

Note. quidem: 'indeed', stressing that the works, though empty, were complete: which matters in the next chapters.