Bellum Hispaniense 2

B. Hisp. 2.1C. Caesar dictātor tertiō, dēsignātus dictātor quārtō multīs iterante diēbus coniectīs cum celerī festīnātiōne ad bellum cōnficiendum in Hispāniam cum vēnisset, lēgātīque Cordubēnsium, quī ā Cn. Pompēiō discessissent, Caesarī obviam vēnissent, ā quibus nūntiābātur nocturnō tempore oppidum Cordubam capī posse, quod necopīnantibus adversāriīs eius prōvinciae potītus esset, simulque quod tabellāriīs, quī ā Cn. Pompēiō dispositī omnibus locīs essent, quī certiōrem Cn. Pompēium dē Caesaris adventū facerent… multa praetereā vērīsimilia prōpōnēbant.

Gaius Caesar, dictator for the third time and designated dictator for the fourth, after spending many days on the journey, came into Spain in great haste to finish the war; and envoys of the people of Corduba, who had deserted Gnaeus Pompeius, came to meet Caesar; they reported that the town of Corduba could be taken by night, since he had made himself master of that province while his opponents were off guard, and also because the couriers whom Gnaeus Pompeius had posted everywhere to inform Gnaeus Pompeius of Caesar's arrival … they put forward many other plausible points besides.

Note. A long, loosely built sentence typical of this author: two cum-clauses (cum vēnisset … lēgātīque … vēnissent) lead to a relative clause and a reported message, then a gap, and finally a new main verb prōpōnēbant. dictātor tertiō, dēsignātus dictātor quārtō: adverbs, 'for the third … fourth time'; Caesar's third dictatorship was in 46 BC. multīs iterante diēbus coniectīs: Kübler marks this as corrupt; the sense seems to be that the journey took many days (in fact Caesar reached Spain remarkably fast). obviam vēnissent: 'had come to meet', with the dative Caesarī. necopīnantibus adversāriīs: ablative absolute, 'while his opponents were off guard'. certiōrem … facerent: certiōrem facere, 'to inform'.

B. Hisp. 2.2Quibus rēbus adductus, quōs lēgātōs ante exercituī praefēcerat, Q. Pedium et Q. Fabium Maxumum dē suō adventū facit certiōrēs, utque sibi equitātus, quī ex prōvinciā fuisset, praesidiō esset.

Moved by these considerations, he informed Quintus Pedius and Quintus Fabius Maximus, whom he had earlier put in command of the army as his legates, of his arrival, and told them that the cavalry raised from the province should serve as his escort.

Note. Quibus rēbus adductus: connecting relative. quōs lēgātōs … praefēcerat: the relative clause comes before its antecedents, Q. Pedium et Q. Fabium Maxumum. Maxumum is the old spelling of Maximum. Quintus Pedius was Caesar's great-nephew. certiōrēs facit: 'informs', here followed by two things: dē suō adventū and an indirect command utque … esset. sibi … praesidiō: a double dative, 'as a protection for himself'. ex prōvinciā: 'raised from the province'.

B. Hisp. 2.3Ad quōs celerius, quam ipsī opīnātī sunt, adpropinquāvit neque, ut ipse voluit, equitātum sibi praesidiō habuit.

He came up to them more quickly than they themselves had expected, and did not have the cavalry for his escort, as he had wished.

Note. celerius quam ipsī opīnātī sunt: 'more quickly than they themselves had expected'. adpropinquāvit: the older spelling of appropinquāvit. equitātum sibi praesidiō habuit: again a double dative.