De Bello Civili 3.69

BC 3.69.1Interim Pompēius hāc satis longā interiectā morā et rē nūntiātā v legiōnēs ab opere dēductās subsidiō suīs dūxit.

Meanwhile Pompey, after a fairly long delay had intervened and the matter had been reported to him, withdrew five legions from the works and led them to help his men.

Note. hāc satis longā interiectā morā: ablative absolute, 'this fairly long delay having passed'. suīs: 'to his own men'.

BC 3.69.1eōdemque tempore equitātus eius nostrīs equitibus adpropinquābat, et aciēs īnstrūcta ā nostrīs, quī castra occupāverant, cernēbātur, omniaque sunt subitō mūtāta.

And at the same time his cavalry was approaching our cavalry, and his battle line, drawn up, was seen by our men who had taken the camp, and everything suddenly changed.

Note. omniaque … subitō mūtāta: the turning point: Pompey's relief force appears and the attackers become the trapped.

BC 3.69.2Pompēiāna legiō celeris spē subsidiī cōnfirmāta ab decumānā portā resistere cōnābātur atque ultrō in nostrōs impetum faciēbat.

Pompey's legion, encouraged by the hope of quick support, tried to resist at the rear gate and even made an attack on our men.

Note. Pompeiāna legiō: the legion Caesar had attacked. celeris spē subsidiī: 'by the hope of quick help'. ab decumānā portā: at the rear gate of the camp.

BC 3.69.2equitātus Caesaris, quod angustō itinere per aggerēs ascendēbat, receptuī suō timēns initium fugae faciēbat.

Caesar's cavalry, because it was climbing up over the earthworks by a narrow path, fearing for its retreat, began the flight.

Note. receptuī suō timēns: 'fearing for its retreat'; receptuī is dative with timeō. initium fugae faciēbat: Caesar candidly says his cavalry began the rout.

BC 3.69.3dextrum cornū, quod erat ā sinistrō sēclūsum, terrōre equitum animadversō, ne intrā mūnītiōnem opprimerētur, eā parte, quam prōruerat, sēsē recipiēbat, ac plērīque ex hīs, ne in angustiās inciderent, x pedum mūnītiōne sē in fossās praecipitābant, prīmīsque oppressīs reliquī per hōrum corpora salūtem sibi atque exitum pariēbant.

The right wing, which was cut off from the left, noticing the terror of the cavalry, was retreating by the part it had broken down, so as not to be overwhelmed inside the fortification; and most of them, so as not to be caught in the narrow ground, threw themselves from the ten-foot rampart into the ditches, and when the first had been crushed, the rest made a way to safety and escape over their bodies.

Note. nē … opprimerētur: 'so as not to be overwhelmed'. x pedum mūnītiōne: 'from the ten-foot wall', ablative of separation. prīmīs … oppressīs: ablative absolute: the first men were crushed and the rest escaped over them.

BC 3.69.4sinistrō cornū mīlitēs cum ex vallō Pompēium adesse et suōs fugere cernerent, veritī ne angustiīs interclūderentur, cum extrā et intus hostem habērent, eōdem quō vēnerant receptū sibi cōnsulēbant, omniaque erant tumultus timōris fugae plēna, adeō ut, cum Caesar signa fugientium manū prēnderet et cōnsistere iubēret, aliī dīmissīs equīs eundem cursum cōnfugerent, aliī ex metū etiam signa dīmitterent, neque quisquam omnīnō cōnsisteret.

On the left wing, when the soldiers saw from the rampart that Pompey was at hand and their own men were fleeing, fearing to be cut off in the narrow ground, since they had the enemy both outside and inside, they looked to their own safety by retreating the same way they had come; and everything was full of confusion, fear and flight, so much so that when Caesar seized the standards of men in flight with his hand and ordered them to halt, some let go of their horses and fled on the same course, others in their fear even let go of the standards, and no one at all stood firm.

Note. veritī: deponent participle, 'fearing'. cum Caesar signa … prenderet: Caesar tried in person to stop the flight by grabbing the standards. aliī … aliī: 'some … others'.