Bellum Hispaniense 14

B. Hisp. 14.1Eius praeteritī temporis Pompēius trāns flūmen Salsum castellum cōnstituit neque ā nostrīs prohibitus falsāque illā opīniōne glōriātus est, quod prope in nostrīs partibus locum tenuisset.

After that time Pompeius set up a fort across the river Salsum without being stopped by our men, and boasted, in that false belief, that he had held a position almost in our territory.

Note. Eius praeteritī temporis: 'after that time'; a genitive of time, an oddity of this author. falsā … opīniōne glōriātus est: 'boasted in a false belief'. quod … tenuisset: subjunctive giving his reason, 'that (as he claimed) he had held'.

B. Hisp. 14.2Item īnsequentī diē eādem cōnsuētūdine dum longius prōsequitur, quō locō equitēs nostrī statiōnem habuerant, aliquot turmae cum levī armātūrā impetū factō locō sunt dēiectī et propter paucitātem nostrōrum equitum simul cum levī armātūrā inter turmās adversāriōrum prōtrītī.

Likewise the next day, while in the same way he pursued too far, at the place where our cavalry had had their post, several troops of horse with light-armed men were driven from their position by a charge, and because of the small number of our cavalry they were crushed, along with the light-armed men, among the enemy's squadrons.

Note. Īnsequentī diē: 'the next day'. dum longius prōsequitur: the subject is Pompeius, or his cavalry; the sentence then switches to our men. quō locō … habuerant: 'at the place where'. aliquot turmae: troops of about thirty horsemen. prōtrītī: supply sunt, 'were crushed'.

B. Hisp. 14.3Hoc in cōnspectū utrōrumque castrōrum gerēbātur, et maiōre Pompēiānī exultābant glōriā, longius quod nostrīs cēdentibus prōsequī coepissent.

This happened in sight of both camps, and the Pompeians boasted with all the greater glory because they had begun to pursue farther as our men gave way.

Note. maiōre … glōriā: the words are spread out for emphasis. exultābant: 'exulted'. quod … coepissent: subjunctive giving their reason.

B. Hisp. 14.4Quī cum aequō locō ā nostrīs receptī essent, ut cōnsuēssent, ex similī virtūte clāmōre factō āversātī sunt proelium facere.

When they had been met by our men on level ground, raising a shout with their usual courage, as they had been accustomed, they shrank from giving battle.

Note. ut cōnsuēssent: 'as they had been accustomed'; cōnsuēssent = cōnsuēvissent. āversātī sunt proelium facere: 'they shrank from giving battle'; āversor, a deponent, takes the infinitive.