Bellum Hispaniense 12

B. Hisp. 12.1Posterō diē ex legiōne vernāculā mīlitēs sunt captī ab equitibus nostrīs duo, quī dīxērunt sē servōs esse.

The next day two soldiers from the native legion were captured by our cavalry; they said that they were slaves.

Note. ex legiōne vernāculā: one of the native legions. sē servōs esse: reported speech; perhaps they hoped to be treated as runaway slaves rather than as deserters.

B. Hisp. 12.2Cum venīrent, cognitī sunt ā mīlitibus, quī anteā cum Fabiō et Pediō fuerant, quod ā Trebōniō trānsfūgerant.

When they came in, they were recognised by soldiers who had previously been with Fabius and Pedius, because they had deserted from Trebonius.

Note. quī … cum Fabiō et Pediō fuerant: Caesar's legates (see 7). quod ā Trebōniō trānsfūgerant: their real crime was desertion from Caesar's governor.

B. Hisp. 12.2Eīs ad ignōscendum nūlla facultās est data, et ā mīlitibus nostrīs interfectī sunt.

They were given no chance of pardon, and were killed by our soldiers.

Note. ad ignōscendum: 'for pardon'; ignōscō is intransitive, so the gerund stands without an object.

B. Hisp. 12.3Idem temporis captī tabellāriī, quī ā Cordubā ad Pompēium missī erant perperamque ad nostra castra pervēnerant, praecīsīs manibus missī sunt factī.

At the same time couriers were captured who had been sent from Corduba to Pompeius and had come by mistake to our camp; their hands were cut off and they were let go.

Note. Idem temporis: see 9. perperamque: 'and by mistake'. praecīsīs manibus: ablative absolute; cutting off the hands of captured couriers was a brutal warning to others. missī sunt factī: an odd doubling of missī factī sunt, from missum facere, 'to let go'.

B. Hisp. 12.4Parī cōnsuētūdine vigiliā secundā ex oppidō ignem multum tēlōrumque multitūdinem iactandō bene magnum tempus cōnsūmpsērunt complūrēsque vulneribus adfēcērunt.

In the same way, in the second watch, the townsmen spent a good long time throwing a great deal of fire and a mass of missiles from the town, and wounded several of our men.

Note. Parī cōnsuētūdine: 'in the same way'. iactandō: ablative of the gerund, 'by throwing', with objects ignem and multitūdinem. bene magnum tempus: 'a good long time'.

B. Hisp. 12.5Praeteritō noctis tempore ēruptiōnem ad legiōnem VI fēcērunt, cum in opere nostrī distentī essent, ācriterque pugnāre coepērunt;

When part of the night had passed, they made a sortie against the sixth legion while our men were busy with the siege-works, and began to fight fiercely;

Note. Praeteritō noctis tempore: 'when part of the night had passed'. ad legiōnem VI: 'against the sixth legion'. in opere … distentī: 'busy with the siege-works'.

B. Hisp. 12.5quōrum vīs repressa ā nostrīs, etsī oppidānī superiōre locō dēfendēbantur.

their attack was beaten back by our men, although the townsmen were defending themselves from higher ground.

Note. Kübler deletes the next clause (Hī cum ēruptiōnem …) as an intrusion; the transcription leaves it out. etsī … dēfendēbantur: 'although they were defending themselves'.

B. Hisp. 12.6repulsī adversāriī bene multīs vulneribus adfectī in oppidum sē contulērunt.

The enemy were driven back and, with a great many wounds, took themselves back into the town.

Note. bene multīs: 'very many'. sē contulērunt: 'took themselves'.