De Bello Civili 3.75

BC 3.75.1Itaque nūllā interpositā morā sauciōrum modo et aegrōrum habitā ratiōne impedīmenta omnia silentiō prīmā nocte ex castrīs Apollōniam praemīsit ac conquiēscere ante iter cōnfectum vetuit.

So without any delay, taking thought only for the wounded and the sick, he sent all the baggage on ahead from the camp to Apollonia in silence at nightfall, and forbade it to halt before the march was finished.

Note. habitā ratiōne: 'taking account of'. prīmā nocte: 'at nightfall'. ante iter cōnfectum: 'before the march was completed' — the participle construction carries the main idea.

BC 3.75.1hīs ūna legiō missa praesidiō est.

One legion was sent to guard it.

Note. praesidiō: dative of purpose, 'as a guard'.

BC 3.75.2hīs explicitīs rēbus duās in castrīs legiōnēs retinuit, reliquās dē quārta vigiliā complūribus portīs ēductās eōdem itinere praemīsit parvōque spatiō intermissō, ut et mīlitāre īnstitūtum servārētur et quam sērissimē eius profectiō cognōscerētur, conclāmārī iussit, statimque ēgressus et novissimum agmen cōnsecūtus celeriter ex cōnspectū castrōrum discessit.

When this was arranged he kept two legions in camp and sent the rest ahead by the same route at the fourth watch, marching them out by several gates; then, after a short interval, so that military custom would be kept and his departure noticed as late as possible, he ordered the signal for breaking camp to be given, went out at once, caught up with the rear of the column, and quickly passed out of sight of the camp.

Note. dē quārtā vigiliā: in the fourth watch, the last quarter of the night before dawn. conclāmārī iussit: 'ordered the call (to pack up) to be raised'; Caesar sounds it late so that Pompey learns of his departure as late as possible. quam sērissimē: 'as late as possible'.

BC 3.75.3neque vērō Pompēius cognitō cōnsiliō eius moram ūllam ad īnsequendum intulit, sed eadem spectāns, sī itinere impedītō perterritōs dēprehendere posset, exercitum ē castrīs ēdūxit equitātumque praemīsit ad novissimum agmen dēmorandum, neque cōnsequī potuit, quod multum expedītō itinere antecesserat Caesar.

Pompey, for his part, as soon as he learned Caesar's plan, made no delay in pursuing him: with the same aim, in the hope of catching them frightened and encumbered on the march, he led his army out of camp and sent the cavalry ahead to hold up the rear of the column; but he could not catch up, because Caesar, marching light, had got far ahead.

Note. eadem spectāns: 'with the same aim'. sī … posset: 'in case he could', a conditional clause expressing a hope. ad … agmen dēmorandum: gerundive of purpose.

BC 3.75.4sed cum ventum esset ad flūmen Genusum, quod rīpīs erat inpedītīs, cōnsecūtus equitātus novissimōs proeliō dētinēbat.

But when they had reached the river Genusus, which had difficult banks, the cavalry overtook them and engaged the rearmost in battle.

Note. cum ventum esset: impersonal passive, 'when they had come'. ripīs … impedītīs: ablative of description, 'with difficult banks'.

BC 3.75.5huic suōs Caesar equitēs opposuit expedītōsque antesignānōs admiscuit cccc, quī tantum prōfēcērunt, ut equestrī proeliō commissō pellerent omnēs complūrēsque interficerent ipsīque incolumēs sē ad agmen reciperent.

Caesar set his own cavalry against them and mixed in with them four hundred lightly armed front-line infantry, who did so well that in the cavalry battle they routed the whole force, killed a good many, and got back to the column themselves unharmed.

Note. antesignānōs: soldiers who fought in front of the standards; here picked infantry mixed in with the cavalry, a tactic Caesar uses again at Pharsalus. CCCC: 400.