De Bello Civili 3.72

BC 3.72.1Hīs rēbus tantum fīdūciae ac spīritūs Pompēiānīs accessit, ut nōn dē ratiōne bellī cōgitārent, sed vīcisse iam sibi vidērentur.

These events gave the Pompeians so much confidence and spirit that they did not think about the plan of the war, but seemed to themselves to have already won.

Note. tantum fīdūciae ac spīritūs: partitive genitives with tantum, 'so much confidence and spirit'. vīcisse iam sibi vidērentur: 'seemed to themselves to have won already'.

BC 3.72.2nōn illī paucitātem nostrōrum mīlitum, nōn inīquitātem locī atque angustiās praeoccupātīs castrīs et ancipitem terrōrem intrā extrāque mūnītiōnēs, nōn abscīsum in duās partēs exercitum, cum altera alterī auxilium ferre nōn posset, causae fuisse cōgitābant.

They did not reflect that the causes had been the small number of our soldiers, the unfavourable ground and the narrow space, with the camp seized beforehand and the double terror inside and outside the fortifications, and the army cut into two parts so that one could not bring help to the other.

Note. nōn … nōn … nōn: anaphora, listing the real causes of the defeat that the Pompeians ignored. cum altera alterī auxilium ferre nōn posset: 'since one part could not help the other'.

BC 3.72.3nōn ad haec addēbant nōn ex concursū ācrī factō, nōn proeliō dīmicātum, sibique ipsōs multitūdine atque angustiīs maius attulisse dētrīmentum quam ab hoste accēpissent.

They did not add to this that there had been no fighting in a fierce charge, no pitched battle, and that our men had done themselves more harm by their numbers and the narrow space than they had received from the enemy.

Note. nōn … dīmicātum: impersonal passive in indirect statement, 'that there had been no fighting'. sibique ipsōs … attulisse: 'that they had themselves brought (harm) on themselves'.

BC 3.72.4nōn dēnique commūnīs bellī cāsūs recordābantur, quam parvulae saepe causae vel falsae suspīciōnis vel terrōris repentīnī vel obiectae religiōnis magna dētrīmenta intulissent, quotiēns vel ducis vitiō vel culpā tribūnī in exercitū esset offēnsum.

Finally, they did not recall the common chances of war: how often very small causes, whether of a false suspicion, a sudden terror or a religious scruple presented, have brought great disasters, how often an army has met with a setback through the fault of its general or the mistake of a tribune.

Note. quam parvulae … causae: exclamatory indirect question, 'how very small causes'. vel … vel … vel: 'either … or … or'.

BC 3.72.4sed proinde ac sī virtūte vīcissent neque ūlla commūtātiō rērum posset accidere, per orbem terrārum fāmā ac litterīs victōriam eius diēī concelebrābant.

But just as if they had won by their courage and no change of fortune could happen, they celebrated the victory of that day through the whole world by report and by letters.

Note. proinde ac sī vīcissent: 'just as if they had won', conditional clause of comparison. per orbem terrārum: 'throughout the world'. Caesar is setting up the reversal at Pharsalus, which follows soon after.