Bellum Hispaniense 25

B. Hisp. 25.1Īnsequentī diē parī cōnsuētūdine cum ad eundem locum eius praesidium vēnisset, prīstinō illō suō ūtēbantur īnstitūtō: nam praeter equitēs nūllī locō aequō sē committere audēbant.

The next day, when his outpost had come to the same place in the same way as usual, they kept to that old practice of theirs: for apart from the cavalry, they dared not trust themselves to any level ground.

Note. parī cōnsuētūdine: 'in the same habitual way'. eius praesidium: Pompey's outpost. ūtēbantur īnstitūtō: ūtor with the ablative. nūllī locō aequō: dative after sē committere, 'entrust themselves to'.

B. Hisp. 25.2Cum nostrī in opere distentī essent, equitum cōpiae concursūs facere coepērunt, simulque vōciferantibus legiōnāriīs, cum locum efflāgitārent, ut cōnsuētī īnsequī— exīstimāre possēs parātissimōs esse ad dīmicandum— nostrī ex humilī convalle bene longē sunt ēgressī et plānitiē in aequiōre locō cōnstitērunt.

When our men were busy with the work, the enemy's cavalry began to make charges, and at the same time, as the legionaries shouted and demanded a place to fight, as men used to pursuing — you would think they were utterly ready to fight — our men went out a good distance from the low valley and took their stand on the plain on more level ground.

Note. A long and awkward sentence. vōciferantibus legiōnāriīs: ablative absolute. ut cōnsuētī īnsequī: 'as (men) accustomed to pursue'. exīstimāre possēs: potential subjunctive, 'you could have thought'. bene longē: 'quite far'. plānitiē in aequiōre locō: 'on the plain, on more level ground'.

B. Hisp. 25.3Illī tamen procul dubiō ad congrediendum in aequum locum nōn sunt ausī dēscendere praeter ūnum Antistium Turpiōnem;

The enemy, however, beyond doubt did not dare to come down to the level ground to engage, apart from one man, Antistius Turpio;

Note. procul dubiō: 'beyond doubt'. ausī: perfect participle of the semi-deponent audeō.

B. Hisp. 25.3quī fīdēns vīribus ex adversāriīs sibi parem esse nēminem agitāre coepit.

he, trusting in his strength, began to boast that none of the enemy was his equal.

Note. fīdēns vīribus: 'trusting in his strength'. agitāre coepit: here 'began to proclaim, boast', followed by an accusative and infinitive.

B. Hisp. 25.4Hīc, ut fertur Achillis Memnonisque congressus, Q. Pompēius Niger, eques Rōmānus Italicēnsis, ex aciē nostrā ad congrediendum prōgressus est.

Here, like the famous meeting of Achilles and Memnon, Quintus Pompeius Niger, a Roman knight from Italica, came forward from our line to fight him.

Note. ut fertur Achillis Memnonisque congressus: 'like the famous meeting of Achilles and Memnon', the duel of Homer's hero with the Ethiopian prince before Troy; fertur, 'is told'. eques Rōmānus Italicēnsis: a Roman knight from Italica near Seville.

B. Hisp. 25.5Quoniam ferōcitās Antistiī, laudis īnsignia scūtōrumque praefulgēns opus caelātum omnium mentēs converterat ab opere ad spectandum, aciēs sunt dispositae: nam inter bellātōrēs prīncipēs dubia erat posita victōria, ut prope vidērētur fīnem bellandī duōrum dirimere pugnā.

Since the fierceness of Antistius, the marks of honour and the glittering embossed work of their shields had turned everyone's minds from the work to watching, the lines were drawn up: for the victory was set in doubt between the leading warriors, so that it almost seemed that the fight of the two would decide the end of the war.

Note. The three subjects (ferōcitās, īnsignia, opus) take a singular verb, convertērat. praefulgēns opus caelātum: 'the gleaming embossed work' of the shields. ad spectandum: gerund, 'to watching'. inter bellātōrēs prīncipēs: 'between the champion warriors'. fīnem bellandī … dirimere: 'decide the end of the war'.

B. Hisp. 25.6Ita avidī cupidīque suārum quisque partium virōrum fautōrumque voluntātis habēbātur.

So each man was held to be eager and impatient, with the goodwill of the men and supporters of his own side.

Note. A difficult and probably corrupt sentence: each man was held eager and impatient, according to the goodwill of his own side's men and supporters.

B. Hisp. 25.7Quōrum virtūte alacrī, cum ad dīmicandum in plānitiem sē contulissent, pugna esset prope perfecta, nisi propter equitum congressum, ut suprā dēmōnstrāvimus, esset dirēmpta;

By their eager courage, when they had advanced onto the plain to fight, the fight would almost have been finished, had it not been broken off, as we showed above, because of the cavalry clash;

Note. Quōrum virtūte alacrī: 'by their eager courage'. Kübler brackets a repeated quōrum (left out). pugna esset prope perfecta, nisi … esset dirempta: past unreal condition. ut suprā dēmōnstrāvimus: a reference back to the cavalry charges of § 2.

B. Hisp. 25.7levem armātūram praesidiī causā nōn longē ab opere prope castra cōnstituit.

he stationed the light-armed troops as a guard not far from the works, near the camp.

Note. The subject (Caesar) is not named: an abrupt change, typical of this author. prope castra: prope as a preposition, 'near the camp' (Kübler prints prope in italics as his own supplement).

B. Hisp. 25.8Ut, nostrī equitēs in receptū dum ad castra redeunt, adversāriī cupidius sunt īnsecūtī, ūniversī clāmōre factō impetum dedērunt.

As our cavalry, while they were returning to camp in their withdrawal, were pursued too eagerly by the enemy, they all raised a shout and charged.

Note. Ut … dum … redeunt: ut here means 'when, as'. in receptū: 'in the withdrawal'. ūniversī clāmōre factō impetum dedērunt: the light-armed troops stationed near the camp raised a shout and charged.

B. Hisp. 25.9Ita metū perterritī, cum in fugā essent, multīs āmissīs in castra sē recipiunt.

So, terrified with fear, being in flight, they retreated to their camp with many lost.

Note. multīs āmissīs: ablative absolute, 'with many lost'. The subject is now the enemy, who fled back to their camp.