Bellum Hispaniense 13

B. Hisp. 13.1Posterō diē Pompēius ex castrīs suīs brachium dūcere coepit ad flūmen Salsum;

The next day Pompeius began to run a line of fortification from his camp to the river Salsum;

Note. brachium dūcere: see 31.

B. Hisp. 13.1et cum nostrī equitēs paucī in statiōne fuissent ā plūribus repertī, dē statiōne sunt dēiectī et occīsī trēs.

and when a few of our cavalry on outpost duty were found by a larger force, they were driven from their post and three were killed.

Note. in statiōne: 'on outpost duty'. ā plūribus repertī: 'found by a larger force'. occīsī trēs: supply sunt.

B. Hisp. 13.2Eō diē A. Valgius, senātōris fīlius, cuius frāter in castrīs Pompēī fuisset, omnibus suīs rēbus relictīs equum cōnscendit et fūgit.

On that day Aulus Valgius, a senator's son, whose brother had been in Pompeius' camp, left all his belongings behind, mounted his horse and fled.

Note. A. Valgius: a senator's son who deserted from Caesar to join his brother in Pompeius' camp. fuisset: subjunctive in a relative clause, perhaps giving the reason. equum cōnscendit: 'mounted his horse'.

B. Hisp. 13.3Speculātor dē legiōne II Pompēiānā captus ā mīlitibus et interfectus est;

A scout from Pompeius' second legion was captured by the soldiers and killed;

Note. Speculātor: 'a scout'. dē legiōne II Pompeiāna: 'from Pompeius' second legion'.

B. Hisp. 13.3idemque temporis glāns missa est īnscrīpta: quō diē ad oppidum capiundum accēderent, sē scūtum esse positūrum.

and at the same time a sling-bullet was shot in with an inscription: on the day they advanced to take the town, he would lay down his shield.

Note. glāns missa est īnscrīpta: lead sling-bullets often carried short inscriptions; here a message was fired into Caesar's camp. quō diē … accēderent, sē scūtum esse positūrum: reported speech, 'on the day they came up to take the town, he would lay down his shield', i.e. surrender. capiundum: older spelling of capiendum.

B. Hisp. 13.4Quā spē nōnnūllī, dum sine perīculō mūrum ascendere et oppidō potīrī posse sē spērant, posterō diē ad mūrum opus facere coepērunt, et bene magnā priōris mūrī parte dēiectā… Quō factō ab oppidānīs, ac sī suārum partium essent, cōnservātī… missōs facere lōrīcātōs, quī praesidiī causā praepositī oppidō ā Pompēiō essent, ōrābant.

In this hope some men, while they hoped they could climb the wall and get possession of the town without danger, began work at the wall the next day, and when a very large part of the outer wall had been thrown down … When this was done, as though they were of their party, they were spared by the townsmen … they kept begging him to let go the armoured men whom Pompeius had placed in the town as a garrison.

Note. Two gaps leave the sentence in pieces. Quā spē: 'in this hope'. sē posse … spērant: present after dum, 'while they hoped'. bene magnā … parte dēiectā: ablative absolute, 'when a very large part had been thrown down'. ac sī suārum partium essent: 'as if they were of their party'. missōs facere: 'to let go', as in 79; the subject of ōrābant seems to be the townspeople, begging Caesar to let Pompeius' armoured garrison leave safely.

B. Hisp. 13.5Quibus respondit Caesar sē condiciōnēs dare, nōn accipere cōnsuēvisse.

Caesar answered them that he was accustomed to give terms, not to accept them.

Note. Caesar's reply is a fine soldierly epigram: sē condiciōnēs dare, nōn accipere cōnsuēvisse, 'he was accustomed to give terms, not to accept them'.

B. Hisp. 13.6Illī cum in oppidum revertissent, relātō respōnsō clāmōre sublātō omnī genere tēlōrum ēmissō pugnāre prō mūrō tōtō coepērunt;

When they had returned into the town and the answer had been reported, they raised a shout, discharged every kind of missile and began to fight along the whole wall;

Note. A string of ablatives absolute: relātō respōnsō, clāmōre sublātō, omnī genere tēlōrum ēmissō. sublātō is from tollō.

B. Hisp. 13.6propter quod ferē magna pars hominum, quī in castrīs nostrīs essent, nōn dubitārunt, quīn ēruptiōnem eō diē essent factūrī.

because of this almost all the men in our camp had no doubt that they would make a sortie that day.

Note. propter quod: 'because of which'. magna pars … dubitārunt: a collective noun with a plural verb; dubitārunt = dubitāvērunt. quīn … essent factūrī: after nōn dubitō, 'had no doubt that they would make'.

B. Hisp. 13.7Ita corōnā circumdatā pugnātum est aliquamdiū vehementissimē, simulque ballista missa ā nostrīs turrem dēiēcit, quā adversāriōrum, quī in eā turre fuerant, quīnque dēiectī sunt et puer, quī ballistam solitus erat observāre.

So, the town being surrounded by a ring of men, there was very fierce fighting for some time, and at the same time a ballista-bolt shot by our men brought down a tower, by which five of the enemy who had been in that tower were thrown down, and a boy who used to watch the ballista.

Note. corōnā circumdatā: 'the town being ringed by men', a corona is a ring of soldiers round a town. aliquamdiū: 'for some time'. ballista missā: 'a ballista-bolt', the missile, not the machine. quā: 'by which (bolt)'. puer, quī ballistam solitus erat observāre: a slave boy who tended the enemy's ballista on the tower.