Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 3
De Bello Civili 3.70
What saved the army
Caesar, De Bello Civili III. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 3.70.1Hīs tantīs malīs haec subsidia succurrēbant, quōminus omnis dēlērētur exercitus, quod Pompēius īnsidiās timēns, crēdō quod haec praeter spem acciderant eius quī paulō ante ex castrīs fugientīs suōs cōnspexerat, mūnītiōnibus adpropinquāre aliquamdiū nōn audēbat, equitēsque eius angustiīs atque hīs ā Caesaris mīlitibus occupātīs, ad īnsequendum tardābantur.
Amid these great disasters, the following things helped to keep the whole army from being destroyed: Pompey, fearing an ambush (because, I suppose, these things had happened beyond the hopes of one who a little before had seen his men fleeing from the camp), for some time did not dare to approach the fortifications, and his cavalry were slowed down in pursuit because the narrow ways and the fortifications were held by Caesar's soldiers.
Note. quōminus … dēlērētur: 'so that the army was not destroyed', after a verb of preventing. crēdō: Caesar's own aside, 'I suppose'. eius quī … cōnspexerat: 'of one who had seen'.
BC 3.70.1ita parvae rēs magnum in utramque partem mōmentum habuērunt.
So small things had great weight in either direction.
Note. in utramque partem: 'in either direction': small things helped Pompey and also saved Caesar.
BC 3.70.1mūnītiōnēs enim ā castrīs ad flūmen perductae expugnātīs iam castrīs Pompēī prope iam expedītam Caesaris victōriam interpellāvērunt, eadem rēs celeritāte īnsequentium tardātā nostrīs salūtem attulit.
For the fortifications carried from the camp to the river, after Pompey's camp had already been taken, stopped Caesar's victory when it was almost won; the same thing, by slowing the speed of the pursuers, brought our men safety.
Note. expugnātīs iam castrīs: ablative absolute. The same river wall that confused Caesar's men also blocked Pompey's pursuit.
Vocabulary
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| tantus, -a, -um | so great or much |
| malum, -ī, n. | evil, mischief |
| subsidium, -ī, n. | reserve, reinforcement, support, help |
| succurrō, -ere, -currī, -cursum | run to help, aid |
| sī quō minus (adv. phrase) | if it were otherwise, if not |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| dēleō, -ēre, dēlēvī, dēlētum | destroy, wipe out |
| exercitus, -ūs, m. | army |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| īnsidiae, -ārum, f. plur. | ambush; plot, stratagem |
| timeō, -ēre, -uī | fear |
| crēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditus | believe |
| praeter, prep. with acc. | before, past, by; besides, except |
| spēs, speī, f. | hope |
| accidō, -cidere, -cidī | fall to or upon; befall, happen |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| paulō, adv. | by a little, a little, somewhat |
| ante, prep, with acc. and adv. | before |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrus | flee, run away |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| cōnspiciō, -spicere, -spēxī, -spectus | behold, perceive, see |
| mūnītiō, -ōnis f. | fortification, defence works |
| appropinquō, -propinquāre, -propinquāvī, -propinquātus | approach to, approach |
| aliquam diū (adv.) | for some time |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| audeō, audēre, ausus sum | dare |
| eques, equitis m. | horseman; (pl.) cavalry |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| angustia, -ae f. | narrowness; (pl.) a narrow place, straits |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| occupō, -cupāre, -cupāvī, -cupātus | seize; fill |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| īnsequor, -sequī, -secūtus | follow upon or up, pursue |
| tardō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | slow down, check |
| ita, adv. | in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as |
| parvus, -a, -um | little, small |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| uterque, utraque, utrumque | each, either, both |
| pars, partis, f. | part, side, direction |
| mōmentum, -ī n. | weight, importance; levī mōmentō: as a slight matter |
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |
| enim, conj. | for |
| flūmen, -minis, n. | river |
| perdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead or bring through, lead, bring |
| expugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | take by storm, capture |
| iam, adv. | now, already |
| prope (adv. and prep. + acc.) | near, nearly |
| expedītus, -a, -um | unobstructed, easy; lightly equipped |
| victōria, -ae, f. | victory |
| interpellō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | interrupt, hinder |
| īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron. | the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also |
| celeritās, -tātis, f. | swiftness, quickness, speed |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| salūs, salūtis, f. | safety, deliverance, escape |
| afferō, afferre, attulī, allātum | bring, bring to; cause |