Bellum Hispaniense 22

B. Hisp. 22.1Hōc praeteritō tempore, quī in oppidō Ategua Ursaonēnsēs captī sunt, lēgātī profectī sunt cum nostrīs, utī rem gestam Ursaonēnsibus referrent, quid spērārent dē Cn. Pompēiō, cum vidērent hospitēs iugulārī;

After this time, the men of Urso who had been captured in the town of Ategua set out as envoys with our men, to report to the people of Urso what had happened, and what they could hope for from Gnaeus Pompey when they saw their hosts having their throats cut;

Note. quī … Ursaonēnsēs captī sunt: the antecedent is held back: 'the men of Urso who had been captured'. lēgātī: in apposition, 'as envoys'. utī = ut. quid spērārent: an indirect question in the message they were to carry: 'what they could hope for from Pompey, when they saw hosts being murdered'.

B. Hisp. 22.1praetereā multa scelera ab iīs fierī, quī praesidiī causā ab iīs reciperentur.

and that many crimes besides were being committed by those who had been taken in by them as a garrison.

Note. multa scelera … fierī: still part of their report. quī praesidiī causā … reciperentur: the Pompeian garrisons that the towns had taken in.

B. Hisp. 22.2Quī cum ad oppidum vēnissent, nostrī, quī fuissent equitēs Rōmānī et senātōrēs, nōn sunt ausī introīre in oppidum, praeterquam quī eius cīvitātis fuissent.

When they had come to the town, our men, who were Roman knights and senators, did not dare to enter the town, except those who belonged to that community.

Note. The Roman knights and senators with the envoys did not dare to enter; only natives of Urso went in. praeterquam quī: 'except those who'. eius cīvitātis fuissent: genitive of belonging, 'were of that community'.

B. Hisp. 22.3Quōrum respōnsīs ultrō citrōque acceptīs et redditīs cum ad nostrōs sē reciperent, quī extrā oppidum fuissent, illī praesidiō īnsecūtī ex Ursaōne lēgātōs iugulārunt.

When their answers had been given and received on both sides, and they were going back to our men who were outside the town, the garrison followed them and cut the throats of the envoys from Urso.

Note. respōnsīs ultrō citrōque acceptīs et redditīs: 'answers having been received and given back and forth'. illī praesidiō īnsecūtī: 'those (of the) garrison followed', a rough apposition. ex Ursaōne lēgātōs: the envoys from Urso.

B. Hisp. 22.3Duo reliquī ex eīs fūgērunt et Caesarī rem gestam dētulērunt… et speculātōrēs ad oppidum Ateguam mīsērunt.

The two who were left of them escaped and reported what had happened to Caesar … and they sent spies to the town of Ategua.

Note. Duo reliquī: the two survivors. A gap follows dētulērunt; the subject of mīsērunt is the people of Urso.

B. Hisp. 22.4Quī cum certum comperissent, lēgātōrum respōnsa ita esse gesta, quemadmodum illī rettulissent, ab oppidānīs concursū factō eum, quī lēgātōs iugulāsset, lapidāre et eī manūs intentāre coepērunt: illīus operā sē perīsse.

When these had found out for certain that the envoys' answers had been given just as those men had reported, the townspeople gathered and began to stone the man who had cut the envoys' throats and to raise their hands against him: it was by his doing that they were ruined.

Note. certum comperissent: 'found out for certain'. ita … quemadmodum: 'just as'. illīus operā sē periisse: the townspeople's words in reported speech: 'it was by his doing that they were lost'. operā: ablative of opera, 'work, agency'.

B. Hisp. 22.5Ita vix perīculō līberātus petiit ab oppidānīs, ut eī licēret lēgātum ad Caesarem proficīscī: illī sē satisfactūrum.

So, barely freed from danger, he asked the townspeople to let him go as an envoy to Caesar: he would give him satisfaction.

Note. illī sē satisfactūrum: 'he would make it right with him (Caesar)', future infinitive in reported speech.

B. Hisp. 22.6Potestāte datā cum inde esset profectus, praesidiō comparātō, cum bene magnam manum fēcisset et nocturnō tempore per fallāciam in oppidum esset receptus, iugulātiōnem magnam facit prīncipibusque, quī sibi contrāriī fuissent, interfectīs oppidum in suam potestātem recipit.

Permission was given; when he had set out from there, and had raised a garrison, when he had got together quite a large band and had been let into the town at night by a trick, he made a great massacre, and having killed the leading men who had been against him, he took the town back into his own power.

Note. Potestāte datā: ablative absolute, 'leave having been given'. The man went off and, instead of going to Caesar, gathered a band, got back into Urso by a trick and killed his opponents. facit, recipit: vivid historic presents.

B. Hisp. 22.7Hōc praeteritō tempore servī trānsfugae nūntiāvērunt oppidānōrum bona vēnīre neque extrā vallum licēre exīre nisi discīnctum, idcircō quod, ex quō diē oppidum Ategua esset captum, metū conterritōs complūrēs profugere in Baetūriam;

After this time runaway slaves reported that the townspeople's property was being sold, and that nobody was allowed to go outside the rampart except without a belt, because from the day the town of Ategua had been taken, several had fled in terror into Baeturia;

Note. bona vēnīre: 'that their goods were being sold' — vēnīre is from vēneō ('be sold'), not veniō. nisi discīnctum: 'except without a belt', i.e. without the sword-belt, unarmed. ex quō diē: 'from the day on which'. complūrēs profugere: present infinitive in reported speech, 'that several were fleeing'.

B. Hisp. 22.7neque sibi ūllam spem victōriae prōpositam habēre, et sī quī ex nostrīs trānsfugeret, in levem armātūram conicī eumque nōn amplius assēs vii accipere.

and that they had no hope of victory set before them, and that if any of our men deserted, he was put among the light-armed troops and received no more than seven asses.

Note. Still reported speech. sī quī ex nostrīs: quī is indefinite after sī. assēs vii: seven asses as pay, a pittance, perhaps per day; such deserters were not trusted with the legions.