Bellum Hispaniense 23

B. Hisp. 23.1Īnsequentī tempore Caesar castrīs castra contulit et brachium ad flūmen Salsum dūcere coepit.

Some time later Caesar moved his camp up against the enemy's camp and began to carry an earthwork arm down to the river Salsum.

Note. Caesar castrīs castra contulit: as in ch. 20, he moved his camp up close. brāchium: a 'branch' of earthworks, a fortified line, here carried down to the river.

B. Hisp. 23.2Hīc dum in opere nostrī distentī essent, complūrēs ex superiōre locō adversāriōrum dēcucurrērunt nec dēsinentibus nostrīs multīs tēlīs iniectīs complūrēs vulneribus adfēcēre.

Here, while our men were busy with the work, a number of the enemy ran down from higher ground, and as our men did not stop working, they wounded several of them, hurling many missiles at them.

Note. Hīc: 'here', at this point. dum … distentī essent: 'while our men were busy', dum with the subjunctive in this author's loose style. dēsinentibus nostrīs: the sense seems to be 'as our men did not stop (working)'. adfēcēre = adfēcērunt.

B. Hisp. 23.3Hīc tum, ut ait Ennius, "nostrī cessēre parumper".

Here then, as Ennius says, "our men gave way for a little while".

Note. nostrī cessēre parumper: a line of Ennius' epic Annales, quoted to dress up a retreat; cessēre = cessērunt.

B. Hisp. 23.3Itaque praeter cōnsuētūdinem cum ā nostrīs animadversum esset cēdere, centuriōnēs ex legiōne v flūmen trānsgressī duo restituērunt aciem, ācriterque eximiā virtūte plūrēs cum agerent, ex superiōre locō multitūdine tēlōrum alter eōrum concidit.

And so, when our men saw, contrary to their custom, that they were giving way, two centurions from the fifth legion crossed the river and restored the line, and while they were driving back greater numbers with outstanding courage, one of them fell under a mass of missiles from higher ground.

Note. praeter cōnsuētūdinem: 'contrary to their custom'. animadversum esset: impersonal passive, 'when it was noticed that (our men) were giving way'. plūrēs cum agerent: 'when they were driving back larger numbers'. alter eōrum: 'one of the two'.

B. Hisp. 23.4Ita cum eius compār impār proelium facere coepisset, cum undique sē circumvenīrī animum advertisset, regressus pedem offendit.

So when his comrade had begun an unequal fight, and noticed that he was being surrounded on all sides, he stepped back and stumbled.

Note. eius compār: 'his partner', the second centurion. impar: 'unequal', a play on compār. animum advertisset: animum advertere is the same as animadvertere. pedem offendit: 'he stumbled' (literally 'struck his foot').

B. Hisp. 23.5Huius incidentis temporis ad virī fortis īnsignia cum complūrēs adversāriōrum concursum facerent, equitēs nostrī trānsgressī īnferiōre locō adversāriōs ad vallum agere coepērunt.

As several of the enemy rushed together at this turn of events towards the brave man's insignia, our cavalry crossed the river and began to drive the enemy from the lower ground up to their rampart.

Note. Huius incidentis temporis: genitive in a loose sense, 'at this turn of events' (incidēns, 'occurring'). ad virī fortis īnsignia: the fallen centurion's decorations, a prize for the enemy. īnferiōre locō: from the lower ground.

B. Hisp. 23.6Ita cupidius dum intrā praesidia illōrum student caedem facere, ā turmīs et levī armātūrā sunt interclūsī.

So, while they were too eager to make a slaughter within the enemy's lines, they were cut off by the cavalry squadrons and the light-armed troops.

Note. cupidius: comparative adverb, 'too eagerly'. dum … student: dum with the present indicative, 'while'. turmīs: cavalry squadrons of the enemy.

B. Hisp. 23.7Quōrum nisi summa virtūs fuisset, vīvī captī essent: nam et mūnītiōne praesidiī ita coangustābantur, ut eques spatiō interclūsō vix sē dēfendere posset.

If their courage had not been of the highest, they would have been taken alive; for they were so hemmed in by the fortification of the outpost that a horseman, with no room to move, could hardly defend himself.

Note. Quōrum nisi … fuisset, … captī essent: a past unreal condition. coangustābantur: 'they were hemmed in'.

B. Hisp. 23.8Ex utrōque genere pugnae complūrēs sunt vulneribus adfectī, in quīs etiam Clōdius Arquitius;

From both kinds of fighting several men were wounded, among them Clodius Arquitius;

Note. in quīs = in quibus, an old form of the ablative plural.

B. Hisp. 23.8inter quōs ita comminus est pugnātum, ut ex nostrīs praeter duōs centuriōnēs sit nēmō dēsīderātus glōriā sē efferentēs.

the fighting among them was so close that of our men nobody was lost except two centurions, who had carried themselves away in search of glory.

Note. sit nēmō dēsīderātus: 'nobody was missing (lost)'. glōriā sē efferentēs: 'who carried themselves away for glory', i.e. too eager for it; the participle refers loosely to the two centurions.