Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 3
De Bello Civili 3.95
The storming of Pompey's camp
Caesar, De Bello Civili III. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
Tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and track your reading.
Read in LectitōBC 3.95.1Caesar Pompēiānīs ex fugā intrā vallum conpulsīs nūllum spatium perterritīs darī oportēre exīstimāns mīlitēs cohortātus est, ut beneficiō fortūnae ūterentur castraque oppugnārent.
When the Pompeians had been driven inside the rampart in their flight, Caesar, thinking that the terrified men must be given no breathing space, urged his soldiers to make use of fortune's kindness and to storm the camp.
Note. Pompeiānīs … conpulsīs: ablative absolute. nūllum spatium … darī oportēre: indirect statement, 'that no breathing space ought to be given'. beneficiō fortūnae: 'the kindness of fortune'.
BC 3.95.2quī etsī magnō aestū fatīgātī— nam ad merīdiem rēs erat perducta— tamen ad omnem labōrem animō parātī imperiō pāruērunt.
Although they were worn out by the great heat (for the action had gone on until midday), yet, ready in spirit for any toil, they obeyed the order.
Note. ad merīdiem: the battle had lasted from morning until noon in the August heat.
BC 3.95.3castra ā cohortibus, quae ibi praesidiō erant relictae, industriē dēfendēbantur, multō etiam ācrius ā Thrācibus barbarīsque auxiliīs.
The camp was defended energetically by the cohorts which had been left there as a guard, and much more fiercely still by the Thracians and the barbarian auxiliaries.
Note. industriē: 'energetically'. Thrācibus: Thracian auxiliaries, foreign troops serving Pompey.
BC 3.95.4nam quī aciē refūgerant mīlitēs, et animō perterritī et lassitūdine cōnfectī, missīs plērīque armīs signīsque mīlitāribus magis dē reliquā fugā quam dē castrōrum dēfēnsiōne cōgitābant.
For the soldiers who had fled from the battle line, both terrified in spirit and exhausted by fatigue, most of them having thrown away their arms and military standards, were thinking more about further flight than about defending the camp.
Note. missīs … armīs: ablative absolute, 'having thrown away their arms'. dē reliquā fugā: 'about further flight'.
BC 3.95.5neque vērō diūtius, quī in vallō cōnstiterant, multitūdinem tēlōrum sustinēre potuērunt, sed cōnfectī vulneribus locum relīquērunt, prōtinusque omnēs ducibus ūsī centuriōnibus tribūnīsque mīlitum in altissimōs montīs, quī ad castra pertinēbant, cōnfūgērunt.
Nor could those who had taken their stand on the rampart withstand the mass of missiles any longer, but, worn out by wounds, they left their position, and at once all, led by their centurions and military tribunes, fled for refuge to the very high hills that reached up to the camp.
Note. ducibus ūsī centuriōnibus: 'using their centurions as leaders'; ūtor takes the ablative.
Vocabulary
| Pompeiānus, -a, -um | of Pompey, Pompeian; Pompeiānī, -ōrum m. pl.: Pompey's men |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| fuga, -ae, f. | flight |
| intrā, prep. with acc. | within |
| vallum, -ī n. | rampart, palisade |
| compellō, -pellere, -pulī, -pulsus | drive together, drive |
| nūllus, -a, -um | not any, none, no |
| spatium, -ī, n. | space, interval; space of time, time |
| perterreō, -terrēre, -terrui, -territus | thoroughly frighten, terrify |
| dō, dare, dedī, datus | give |
| oportet, -ēre, oportuit (impersonal) | it is right, it is necessary |
| exīstimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | consider, believe, think |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| cohortor, -hortārī, -hortātus | encourage, exhort |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| beneficium, -ī, n. | well-doing, kindness, service, benefit |
| fortūna, -ae, f. | fortune |
| ūtor, ūtī, ūsus | use |
| castra, -ōrum, n. plur. | camp |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| oppugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | attack, besiege |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| etsī, conj. | even if, although |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| aestus, -ūs m. | heat; tide |
| fatīgō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | tire, wear out |
| nam, conj. | for |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| merīdiēs, -ēī, m. | midday, noon; south |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| perdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead or bring through, lead, bring |
| tamen, adv. | however, yet, nevertheless |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| labor, -ōris, m. | labor, toil |
| animus, -ī, m. | mind; heart; spirit, courage |
| parātus, -a, -um | prepared, equipped, ready |
| imperium, -ī, n. | command; sway, rule |
| pāreō, -ēre, -uī | obey |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| cohors, cohortis f. | cohort (a tenth of a legion); company |
| ibi, adv. | in that place, there |
| praesidium, -ī, n. | protection; guard, escort |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| industrius, -a, -um | active, diligent, hard-working |
| dēfendō, -fendere, -fendī, -fēnsus | ward off; defend |
| multō, adv. | by much or far, much, far |
| etiam, adv. | and now, also, too, even |
| ācriter, adv. | sharply, fiercely |
| barbarus, -a, -um | barbarian |
| auxilium, -ī, n. | help, aid |
| aciēs, -ēī, f. | line of battle |
| refugiō, -fugere, -fūgī | flee back, run away, retreat |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| lassitūdō, -inis, f. | weariness |
| cōnficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | make or do completely, complete, finish, accomplish, make; wear out |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| plērīque, plēraeque, plēraque | most, very many |
| arma, -ōrum, n. plur. | arms, weapons |
| signum, -ī, n. | sign, signal |
| mīlitāris, -e | military, warlike; rēs mīlitāris, art of war, warfare |
| magis, comp. adv. | more, rather |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| reliquus, -a, -um | left, the remaining, the other, the rest of |
| quam, adv. | how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible |
| dēfēnsiō, -ōnis f. | defence |
| cōgitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | consider, think over |
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| vērō, adv. | in truth, indeed; however |
| diū, adv. | for a long time, a long time or while, long; comp |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| cōnsistō, -sistere, -stitī, -stitus | station oneself, take one's stand; consist |
| multitūdō, -tūdinis, f. | multitude |
| tēlum, -ī, n. | missile, spear, weapon |
| sustineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold or bear up, sustain, withstand |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| sed, conj. | but |
| vulnus, vulneris, n. | wound |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| prōtinus (adv.) | straight on; at once |
| dux, ducis, m. and f. | leader, commander |
| centuriō, -ōnis m. | centurion (officer commanding about 80 men) |
| tribūnus, -ī m. | tribune (tribūnus mīlitum: senior officer of a legion) |
| altus, -a, -um | high, deep; altum, -ī, n., the deep |
| mōns, montis, m. | mountain |
| pertineō, -ēre, -uī | extend, reach; tend toward, concern |
| cōnfugiō, -fugere, -fūgī | flee for refuge |