Bellum Hispaniense 32

B. Hisp. 32.1…ex fugā hāc quī oppidum Mundam sibi cōnstituissent praesidium, nostrīque cōgēbantur necessāriō eōs circumvallāre.

… who after this flight had made the town of Munda their refuge, and our men were forced to wall them in.

Note. The sentence begins after a gap: the subject of cōnstituissent is the survivors of the battle. sibi … praesidium: 'as a refuge for themselves'. circumvallāre: 'to wall them in'.

B. Hisp. 32.2Ex hostium armīs scūta et pīla prō cēspite, prō vallō cadāvera conlocābantur;

Shields and javelins from the enemy's weapons were laid down in place of turf, and corpses in place of a rampart;

Note. prō caespite, prō vallō: the siege work was built not of turf but of the enemy's shields, javelins and corpses. conlocābantur: 'were laid in place'.

B. Hisp. 32.2īnsuper occīsōrum in gladiōrum mūcrōnibus capita hominum ōrdināta ad oppidum conversa: ūniversa hostium timōrem… virtūtisque īnsignia prōposita vidērent et vallō circumclūderentur adversāriī.

on top, the heads of the slain were set in a row on sword points, turned towards the town: all of it [the text is defective] so that the enemy would see the emblems of fear … and courage set before them, and be shut in by the rampart.

Note. The text is again partly lost. The heads were stuck on sword points as a terror to the besieged. ut … vidērent et … circumclūderentur: the ut has fallen out with the gap.

B. Hisp. 32.3Ita Gallī tragulīs iaculīsque oppidum, quod ex hostium cadāveribus sunt circumplexī, oppugnāre coepērunt.

So the Gauls began to attack the town, which they had enclosed with the enemy's corpses, with darts and javelins.

Note. Gallī: Gallic auxiliaries in Caesar's army. tragulīs iaculīsque: two kinds of throwing spear. quod … sunt circumplexī: 'which they had surrounded'; circumplector is deponent.

B. Hisp. 32.4Ex hōc proeliō Valerius adulēscēns Cordubam cum paucīs equitibus fūgit, Sex. Pompēiō, quī Cordubae fuisset, rem gestam refert.

After this battle young Valerius fled to Corduba with a few horsemen and reported what had happened to Sextus Pompey, who was at Corduba.

Note. Sex. Pompeiō: Sextus Pompey, the younger brother, who held Corduba. Cordubae: locative, 'at Corduba'. rem gestam: 'what had happened'.

B. Hisp. 32.5Cognitō hōc negōtiō, quōs equitēs sēcum habuit, quod pecūniae sēcum habuit, eīs distribuit et oppidānīs dīxit sē dē pāce ad Caesarem proficīscī et secundā vigiliā ab oppidō discessit.

When he learned this, he shared out what money he had with him among the horsemen he had with him, told the townspeople that he was setting out to Caesar to talk about peace, and left the town at the second watch.

Note. Cognitō hōc negōtiō: ablative absolute. quōs equitēs … eīs distribuit: the antecedent is pulled into the relative clause: 'he shared out among the horsemen whom he had with him what money he had'. quod pecūniae: partitive genitive, 'what money'. dē pāce: a pretext; Sextus in fact escaped and lived to fight on for years.

B. Hisp. 32.6Cn. Pompēius cum equitibus paucīs nōnnūllīsque peditibus ad nāvāle praesidium parandum Carteiam contendit, quod oppidum abest ā Cordubā mīlia passuum clxx.

Gnaeus Pompey, with a few horsemen and some infantry, hurried to Carteia to secure a naval force; the town is a hundred and seventy miles from Corduba.

Note. ad nāvāle praesidium parandum: gerundive of purpose, 'to secure a naval force'. Carteia lay on the bay of Gibraltar. mīlia passuum clxx: 170 miles, an extent of space in the accusative.

B. Hisp. 32.7Quō cum ad octāvum mīliārium vēnisset, P. Caucilius, quī castrīs anteā Pompēī praepositus esset, eius verbīs nūntium mittit, eum minus bellē habēre: ut mitterent lectīcam, quā in oppidum dēferrī possit.

When he had reached the eighth milestone, Publius Caucilius, who had earlier commanded Pompey's camp, sent a message in Pompey's name that he was unwell: they should send a litter, so that he could be carried into the town.

Note. ad octāvum mīliārium: 'at the eighth milestone'. eius verbīs: 'in his name'. minus bellē habēre: 'was unwell', colloquial. ut mitterent: indirect command depending on the message. quā: ablative of means, 'in which'.

B. Hisp. 32.8Lēctīcāriīs missīs Pompēius Carteiam dēfertur.

Litter-bearers were sent, and Pompey is carried to Carteia.

Note. Lectīcāriīs missīs: ablative absolute. dēfertur: 'is carried down'.

B. Hisp. 32.8Quī illārum partium fautōrēs essent, conveniunt in domum, quō erat dēlātus— quī arbitrātī sunt clanculum vēnisse—, ut ab eō, quae vellent, dē bellō requīrerent.

Those who were supporters of that side gather at the house he had been carried to (they thought he had come secretly) so as to ask him what they wanted about the war.

Note. illārum partium fautōrēs: 'supporters of that side'. quō erat dēlātus: quō is the adverb, 'to which'. clanculum: colloquial diminutive of clam, 'secretly'. quae vellent: 'whatever they wanted'.

B. Hisp. 32.8Cum frequentia convēnisset, dē lectīcā Pompēius eōrum in fidem cōnfūgit.

When a crowd had gathered, Pompey got down from the litter and put himself under their protection.

Note. frequentia: 'a crowd'. in fidem cōnfūgit: 'took refuge in their good faith', put himself under their protection.