Bellum Hispaniense 24

B. Hisp. 24.1Posterō diē ad Sōricāriam utrōrumque convēnēre cōpiae.

The next day both sides' forces met near Soricaria.

Note. convēnēre = convēnērunt. Soricaria: a place near Ucubi.

B. Hisp. 24.2Nostrī brachia dūcere coepērunt.

Our men began to build earthworks.

Note. brāchia: lines of earthworks, as in ch. 23.

B. Hisp. 24.2Pompēius cum animadverteret, castellō sē exclūdī Aspaviā, quod est ab Ucubī mīlia passuum v, haec rēs necessāriō dēvocābat, ut ad dīmicandum dēscenderet;

When Pompey saw that he was being cut off from the fort of Aspavia, which is five miles from Ucubi, this necessity drew him down to fight;

Note. The sentence changes construction: it starts with Pompeius as subject, then switches to haec rēs … dēvocābat, 'this necessity drew him down'. castellō … Aspaviā: 'from the fort of Aspavia', ablative of separation. mīlia passuum v: five miles (a Roman mile was 1,000 paces).

B. Hisp. 24.2neque tamen aequō locō suī potestātem faciēbat, sed ex grūmō… excelsum tumulum capiēbant, usque eō, ut necessāriō cōgerētur inīquum locum subīre.

yet he did not offer battle on level ground, but they began to take a high hill from a mound …, to such an extent that he was forced of necessity to approach unfavourable ground.

Note. suī potestātem faciēbat: 'gave (us) the chance of fighting him'. A gap follows grūmō; the subject of capiēbant is the Pompeians. ūsque eō, ut: 'to such an extent that'.

B. Hisp. 24.3Quō dē factō cum utrōrumque cōpiae tumulum excellentem petīssent, prohibitī ā nostrīs sunt dēiectī plānitiē.

When after this both sides' forces made for the high hill, the enemy were held off by our men and thrown down onto the plain.

Note. Quō dē factō: 'after this', with dē in the sense 'following on'. prohibitī … sunt dēiectī: two participles joined to one verb, 'they were held off and thrown down'. plānitiē: ablative, 'onto the plain' (the plain is where they ended up).

B. Hisp. 24.3Quae rēs secundum nostrīs efficiēbat proelium.

This made the battle a success for our men.

Note. secundum … proelium: 'a favourable battle'; secundum is the adjective, not the preposition.

B. Hisp. 24.4Undique cēdentibus adversāriīs nōn parum magnā in caede versābantur.

As the enemy gave way on every side, they were engaged in no small slaughter.

Note. nōn parum magnā in caede: 'in no small slaughter' (an emphatic litotes).

B. Hisp. 24.5Quibus mōns salūtī, nōn virtūs fuit subsidiō, ut, nisi advesperāsset, ā pauciōribus nostrīs omnī auxiliō prīvātī essent.

It was the hill, not their courage, that was the means of their safety, so that if evening had not come on, they would have been cut off from all help by our men, who were fewer.

Note. Quibus mōns salūtī, nōn virtūs fuit subsidiō: double datives, 'the hill was (a thing) for safety to them, not their courage (a thing) for help'. advesperāsset = advesperāvisset, from advesperāscit, 'evening comes on'.

B. Hisp. 24.6Nam cecidērunt ex levī armātūrā cccxxiiii, ex legiōnāriīs cxxxviii, praeterquam quōrum arma et spolia sunt ablāta.

For three hundred and twenty-four of their light-armed fell, and a hundred and thirty-eight of their legionaries, not counting those whose arms and spoils were taken.

Note. cccxxiiii: 324; cxxxviii: 138. praeterquam quōrum: 'besides those whose arms were taken', i.e. the wounded or captured men stripped of their arms.

B. Hisp. 24.6Ita prīdiē duōrum centuriōnum interniciō hāc adversāriōrum poenā est litāta.

So the killing of the two centurions the day before was atoned for by this punishment of the enemy.

Note. internīciō (= interneciō): 'slaughter'. est litāta: a religious term: the deaths of the two centurions were 'atoned for' by the enemy's punishment, as by a sacrifice.