Bellum Hispaniense 5

B. Hisp. 5.1Caesar, cum ad flūmen Baetim vēnisset neque propter altitūdinem flūminis trānsīre posset, lapidibus corbēs plēnōs dēmīsit: īnsuper pōnit trabēs;

When Caesar came to the river Baetis and could not cross because of the river's depth, he sank baskets filled with stones; on top of them he laid beams;

Note. flūmen Baetim: the Baetis (Guadalquivir); Baetim is the Greek-style accusative in -im. lapidibus corbēs plēnōs: baskets filled with stones, sunk to make piers for a bridge. dēmīsit … pōnit: the author switches between perfect and historic present.

B. Hisp. 5.1ita ponte factō cōpiās ad castra tripertītō trādūxit.

having made a bridge in this way he took his forces across to a camp in three divisions.

Note. tripertītō: 'in three divisions'.

B. Hisp. 5.2Tendēbat adversus oppidum ē regiōne pontis, ut suprā scrīpsimus, tripertītō.

He was encamped facing the town, opposite the bridge, in three divisions, as we wrote above.

Note. Tendēbat: 'he was encamped', literally 'pitched (his tents)'. ē regiōne pontis: 'opposite the bridge'. ut suprā scrīpsimus: the author refers back to the three divisions of 28.

B. Hisp. 5.2Hōc cum Pompēius cum suīs cōpiīs vēnisset, ex adversō parī ratiōne castra pōnit.

When Pompeius arrived here with his forces, he pitched camp opposite in the same way.

Note. Hoc: an old spelling of hūc, 'hither, to this place'. ex adversō: 'opposite'. parī ratiōne: 'in the same way'.

B. Hisp. 5.3Caesar, ut eum ab oppidō commeātūque exclūderet, brachium ad pontem dūcere coepit.

Caesar, to cut him off from the town and from supplies, began to run a line of fortification towards the bridge.

Note. brachium: a 'line of fortification', a wall running out from the camp (literally 'arm'). ut eum … exclūderet: purpose clause.

B. Hisp. 5.3Parī idem condiciōne Pompēius facit.

Pompeius does the same on similar terms.

Note. Parī … condiciōne: 'on equal terms', i.e. in the same way. idem: neuter accusative, 'the same thing'.

B. Hisp. 5.4Hīc inter ducēs duōs fit contentiō, uter prius pontem occupāret;

Here a contest arises between the two commanders as to which should seize the bridge first;

Note. Hīc: adverb, 'here'. uter prius pontem occupāret: indirect question, 'which of the two should seize the bridge first'.

B. Hisp. 5.4ex quā contentiōne cōtīdiāna minūta proelia fīēbant, ut modo hī, nōnnumquam illī superiōrēs discēderent.

from this contest small battles took place daily, so that now these, sometimes those, came off the better.

Note. cōtīdiāna minūta proelia: 'small daily battles'. modo … nōnnumquam: 'now … sometimes', a variation on modo … modo. superiōrēs discēderent: 'came off the winners'.

B. Hisp. 5.5Quae rēs cum ad maiōrem contentiōnem vēnisset, ab utrīsque comminus pugnā initā, dum cupidius locum student tenēre, propter pontem coāgulābantur, flūminis rīpās adpropinquantēs coangustātī praecipitābantur.

When the affair came to a bigger struggle and fighting at close quarters had begun on both sides, while they strove too eagerly to hold the ground, they were packed tightly together by the bridge, and as they came near the river banks they were squeezed together and hurled headlong.

Note. Quae rēs: connecting relative, 'this affair'. ab utrīsque: 'on both sides'. coāgulābantur: 'were clotted together', a striking, almost medical metaphor for the press of men. coangustātī praecipitābantur: 'squeezed together, they were thrown headlong' into the river.

B. Hisp. 5.6Hīc alterīus nōn sōlum mortī mortem exaggerābant, sed tumulōs tumulīs exaequābant.

Here they were not only heaping death upon death, one side upon the other, but were levelling mound with mound.

Note. Kübler marks the passage as corrupt (†) after alterius. The idea is that the dead piled up: morte mortem exaggerābant, 'they heaped death on death', and tumulōs tumulīs exaequābant, 'they made mound level with mound', the heaps of corpses rising like burial mounds. The author is reaching for high style, a little clumsily.

B. Hisp. 5.7Ita diēbus complūribus cōnsūmptīs cupiēbat Caesar, sī qua condiciōne posset, adversāriōs in aequum locum dēdūcere et prīmō quōque tempore dē bellō dēcernere, cum id animadverteret adversāriōs minimē velle.

So after several days had been spent in this way, Caesar wanted, if on any terms he could, to bring his opponents down onto level ground and fight the war out at the earliest possible moment, though he noticed that his opponents did not want this at all.

Note. diēbus complūribus cōnsūmptīs: ablative absolute. sī quā condiciōne posset: 'if he could on any terms'; quā = aliquā after sī. dē bellō dēcernere: 'to settle the war by battle'. cum … animadverteret: concessive, 'although he noticed'.