Bellum Hispaniense 27

B. Hisp. 27.1Īnsequentī tempore cum nostrī in opere distentī essent, equitēs in olīvētō, dum lignantur, interfectī sunt aliquot.

Some time later, while our men were busy with the work, some horsemen were killed in an olive grove while they were gathering wood.

Note. in olīvētō: 'in an olive grove'. lignantur: from the deponent lignor, 'gather wood'.

B. Hisp. 27.2Servī trānsfūgērunt, quī nūntiāvērunt, a. d. iii Nōn. Mārt.

Slaves deserted, who reported that on the third day before the Nones of March,

Note. a. d. iii Nōn. Mārt. = ante diem tertium Nōnās Mārtiās, 5 March 45 BC (the Nones of March fell on the 7th). The date is split from the next sentence by the abbreviation full stops.

B. Hisp. 27.2proelium ad Sōricāriam quod factum est, ex eō tempore metum esse magnum, et Attium Vārum circum castellīs praeesse.

since the battle which was fought near Soricaria, there had been great fear, and that Attius Varus was in command of the forts round about.

Note. proelium ad Sōricāriam quod factum est: the antecedent has been drawn into the relative clause: 'the battle which was fought'. ex eō tempore: 'since that time'. Attius Vārus: P. Attius Varus, the Pompeian commander, who was to die at Munda. circum castellīs praeesse: circum is used as an adverb, 'to be in command of the forts round about'.

B. Hisp. 27.3Eō diē Pompēius castra mōvit et contrā Spalim in olīvētō cōnstituit.

That day Pompey moved camp and pitched it opposite Spalis in an olive grove.

Note. contrā Spalim: the place name is probably corrupt (Kübler marks it with a dagger).

B. Hisp. 27.3Caesar priusquam eōdem est profectus, lūna hōrā circiter sextā vīsa est.

Before Caesar set out for the same place, the moon was seen at about the sixth hour.

Note. lūna … vīsa est: the moon was seen at about the sixth hour (around midday), noted as an omen.

B. Hisp. 27.4Ita castrīs mōtīs Ucubim Pompēius praesidium, quod relīquit, iussit incendere, ut dēūstō oppidō in castra maiōra sē reciperent.

So, when he had moved camp, Pompey ordered the garrison he had left to set fire to Ucubi, so that when the town had been burned down they could withdraw to the larger camp.

Note. Ucubim … iussit incendere: the accusative and infinitive after iubeō: '(he) ordered the garrison to burn Ucubi'. dēūstō oppidō: ablative absolute, 'the town having been burned down'.

B. Hisp. 27.5Īnsequentī tempore Ventipōnem oppidum cum oppugnāre coepisset, dēditiōne factā iter fēcit in Carrūcam, contrā Pompēium castra posuit.

Some time later, when Caesar had begun to attack the town of Ventipo and it had surrendered, he marched to Carruca and pitched camp opposite Pompey.

Note. The subject of coepisset, fēcit and posuit is Caesar, though the sentence does not say so. dēditiōne factā: 'after its surrender'. in Carrucam: 'to Carruca'.

B. Hisp. 27.6Pompēius oppidum, quod contrā sua praesidia portās clausisset, incendit;

Pompey burned the town because it had shut its gates against his garrison;

Note. quod … clausisset: the subjunctive gives the reason as Pompey's own: 'because (as he said) it had shut its gates'.

B. Hisp. 27.6mīlesque, quī frātrem suum in castrīs iugulāsset, interceptus est ā nostrīs et fūstibus percussus.

and a soldier who had cut his brother's throat in the camp was intercepted by our men and beaten with clubs.

Note. iugulāsset = iugulāvisset. fūstibus percussus: 'beaten with clubs', the army's punishment (fūstuārium) for serious crimes.

B. Hisp. 27.6Hinc itinere factō in campum Mundēnsem cum esset ventum, castra contrā Pompēium cōnstituit.

From here, when the march had brought them into the plain of Munda, Caesar pitched camp opposite Pompey.

Note. cum esset ventum: impersonal passive, 'when they had come'. campum Mundēnsem: the plain of Munda, where the decisive battle was fought on 17 March 45 BC.