Bellum Hispaniense 33

B. Hisp. 33.1Caesar ex proeliō Mundā mūnītiōne circumdatā Cordubam vēnit.

After the battle, having put a siege work round Munda, Caesar came to Corduba.

Note. ex proeliō: 'after the battle'. Mundā mūnītiōne circumdatā: ablative absolute; circumdō here takes the town as its object with the siege work in the ablative.

B. Hisp. 33.1Quī ex caede eō refūgerant, pontem occupārunt.

Those who had fled there from the slaughter seized the bridge.

Note. eō: the adverb, 'there'. occupārunt: syncopated form of occupāvērunt.

B. Hisp. 33.2Cum eō ventum esset, convītiāre coepērunt, nōs ex proeliō paucōs superesse;

When we came there, they began to jeer that only a few of us had survived the battle;

Note. Cum eō ventum esset: impersonal passive, 'when (we) had come there'. convītiāre: Kübler prints an active form of the usual deponent convīcior. nōs … paucōs superesse: indirect statement reporting the taunt.

B. Hisp. 33.2quō fugerēmus?

where were we to flee?

Note. quō fugerēmus?: a deliberative question in indirect form, 'where were we to flee?'

B. Hisp. 33.2Ita pugnāre coepērunt dē ponte.

So they began to fight from the bridge.

Note. dē ponte: 'from the bridge'.

B. Hisp. 33.2Caesar flūmen trāiēcit et castra posuit.

Caesar crossed the river and pitched camp.

Note. The river is the Baetis (Guadalquivir), which flows past Corduba.

B. Hisp. 33.3Scapula, tōtīus sēditiōnis caput, ex proeliō Cordubam cum vēnisset, familiam et lībertōs convocāvit, pyram sibi extrūxit, cēnam adferrī quam optimam imperāvit, item optimīs īnsternendum vestīmentīs: pecūniam et argentum in praesentiā familiae dōnāvit.

Scapula, the ringleader of the whole revolt, came to Corduba from the battle, called together his slaves and freedmen, built himself a pyre, ordered the finest possible dinner to be brought, and likewise the couch to be spread with the finest coverings; he gave his money and silver plate to his household on the spot.

Note. Scapula: a Roman knight who had led the revolt of Corduba. extrūxit: Kübler's spelling of exstrūxit. quam optimam: quam with a superlative, 'the best possible'. īnsternendum: gerundive, 'to be spread', with the couch understood. in praesentiā: 'on the spot'.

B. Hisp. 33.4Ipse dē tempore cēnat, rēsīnam et nardum identidem sibi īnfundit.

He himself dined early and kept pouring resin and nard over himself.

Note. dē tempore cēnat: 'dines early', before the usual hour. resīnam et nardum: perfumed resin and nard, used to anoint the dead; Scapula is preparing his own funeral.

B. Hisp. 33.4Ita novissimō tempore servum iussit et lībertum, quī fuisset eius concubīnus, alterum sē iugulāre, alterum pyram incendere.

Then, at the very end, he ordered a slave and a freedman, who had been his lover, the one to cut his throat and the other to light the pyre.

Note. novissimō tempore: 'at the very end'. alterum … alterum: 'the one … the other'. sē iugulāre: 'to cut his (Scapula's) throat'; sē refers back to the subject of iussit.