Bellum Hispaniense 8

B. Hisp. 8.1Accēdēbat hoc, ut longius bellum dūceret Pompēius, quod loca sunt ēdita et ad castrōrum mūnītiōnēs nōn parum idōnea.

There was a further reason why Pompeius was drawing out the war: the country is high and very well suited for fortifying camps.

Note. Accēdēbat hoc, ut: 'there was this additional reason, that'. ēdita: 'high'. nōn parum idōnea: litotes, 'very suitable'.

B. Hisp. 8.2Nam ferē tōtīus ulteriōris Hispāniae regiō propter terrae fēcunditātem… inopem difficilemque habet oppugnātiōnem et nōn minus cōpiōsam aquātiōnem.

For the whole region of Further Spain, because of the fertility of the soil … makes siege difficult and poorly supplied, and its water supply is no less plentiful.

Note. Again a gap breaks the sentence. inopem … habet oppugnātiōnem: 'has a poorly supplied siege', i.e. besiegers go hungry; nōn minus cōpiōsam aquātiōnem: 'and a no less plentiful supply of water' for the defenders. Without the missing words the logic is unclear.

B. Hisp. 8.3Hīc etiam propter barbarōrum crēbrās excursiōnēs omnia loca, quae sunt ab oppidīs remōta, turribus et mūnītiōnibus retinentur, sīcut in Āfricā: rūdere, nōn tēgulīs teguntur;

Here too, because of the frequent raids of the barbarians, all places away from the towns are held by towers and fortifications, as in Africa: they are roofed with rubble, not with tiles;

Note. Hīc: adverb, 'here'. omnia loca … retinentur: 'all places are held'. rūdere, nōn tēgulīs teguntur: the towers are roofed with rubble, not tiles, so that they cannot be set on fire; rūdere is ablative of rūdus. sīcut in Āfricā: the author may have served in the African war too.

B. Hisp. 8.3simulque in hīs habent speculās et propter altitūdinem lātē longēque prōspiciunt.

and at the same time they have look-outs in them and, because of their height, see far and wide.

Note. speculās: 'look-outs', watch-posts. lātē longēque: 'far and wide'.

B. Hisp. 8.4Item oppidōrum magna pars eius prōvinciae montibus ferē mūnīta et nātūrā excellentibus locīs est cōnstitūta, ut simul aditūs ascēnsūsque habeat difficilēs.

Likewise the greater part of the towns of this province are protected by mountains and set by nature on commanding ground, so that their approaches and ascents are difficult as well.

Note. montibus … mūnīta: 'protected by mountains'. nātūrā excellentibus locīs: 'on ground that stands out by nature'. ut … habeat: result clause; its subject is still pars, 'the greater part (of the towns)'.

B. Hisp. 8.5Ita ab oppugnātiōnibus nātūrā locī distinentur, ut cīvitātēs Hispāniae nōn facile ab hoste capiantur;

So by the nature of the ground they are kept safe from sieges, so that the communities of Spain are not easily taken by an enemy;

Note. ab oppugnātiōnibus … distinentur: 'are held apart from sieges', i.e. protected from them.

B. Hisp. 8.5id quod in hōc contigit bellō.

and this is what happened in this war.

Note. id quod: 'a thing which'; compare 99.

B. Hisp. 8.6Nam cum inter Ateguam et Ucubim, quae oppida suprā sunt scrīpta, Pompēius habuit castra cōnstitūta in cōnspectū duōrum oppidōrum, ab suīs castrīs circiter mīlia passuum IIII grūmus est excellēns nātūrā, quī appellātur Castra Postumiāna: ibi praesidiī causā castellum Caesar habuit cōnstitūtum.

For when Pompeius had his camp pitched between Ategua and Ucubis, the towns described above, in sight of both towns, about four miles from his camp there is a hillock standing out by nature, which is called Postumius' Camp: there Caesar had set up a fort as a guard-post.

Note. quae oppida suprā sunt scrīpta: 'the towns written about above'. ab suīs castrīs: 'from his (Pompeius') camp'. grūmus: 'a hillock'. Castra Postumiāna: 'Postumius' Camp', named after some earlier Roman commander. The present est inside a past narrative describes what is still there.