(1) Caesar vacuam urbem ingressus dictātōrem sē fēcit, inde Hispāniās petiit. Ibi Pompeiī exercitūs validissimōs et fortissimōs cum tribus ducibus, L. Āfraniō, M. Petreiō, M. Varrōne, superāvit.
(2) Inde regressus in Graeciam trānsiit, adversum Pompēium dīmicāvit. Prīmō proeliō victus est et fugātus, ēvāsit tamen, quia nocte interveniente Pompēius sequī nōluit, dīxitque Caesar nec Pompēium scīre vincere et illō tantum diē sē potuisse superārī.
(3) Deinde in Thessaliā apud Palaeopharsālum prōductīs utrimque ingentibus cōpiīs dīmicāvērunt. Pompēī aciēs habuit XL mīlia peditum, equitēs in sinistrō cornū sexcentōs, in dextrō quīngentōs, praeterea tōtīus Orientis auxilia, tōtam nōbilitātem, innumerōs senātōrēs, praetōriōs, cōnsulārēs et quī māgnōrum iam bellōrum victōrēs fuissent. Caesar in aciē suā habuit peditum nōn integra XXX mīlia, equitēs mīlle.
notes
Caesar Crosses Over to Spain, 49 BCE
(1) dictātōrem: with the exception of Sulla, there had been no dictator since the time of the Second Punic War (Hazzard). For more information, see Smith, dictator.
cum tribus ducibus L. Āfraniō, M. Petrēiō, M. Varrōne: in early August 49 BCE Caesar defeated Afranius and Petreius with their five legions at Ilerda in northeast Spain and soon afterwards Varro and his two legions at Cordova (Bird).
(2) adversum Pompēium: In 48 BCE Caesar crossed over to Epirus and besieged Pompey's forces at Dyrrhachium. The latter attacked Caesar’s encircling troops and inflicted heavy losses. Caesar retreated into Thessaly, followed by Pompey, but on August 9th at Pharsalus he crushed the Pompeian army, which lost 6000 dead and 24,000 captured (Bird).
nocte interveniente: ablative absolute with present active participle (AG 419)
nec Pompēium scīre vincere et illō tantum diē sē potuisse superārī: Indirect discourse depending on dīxitque (AG 577).
(3) apud Palaeopharsālum: the battle is generally known as the Battle of Pharsalia (Hazzard)
prōductīs utrimque ingentibus cōpiīs: ablative absolute with perfect passive participle (AG 419)
cornū: "wing / flank," a military term (LS cornū I.B.2.m)
nōn integra XXX mīlia: "not a full thirty thousand," i.e. "not quite thirty thousand."
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
| Caesar, aris, m. |
a family name in the Julian gens. (1) C. Iūlius Caesar, the famous dictator; (2) Sex. Iūlius Caesar, uncle of the dictator. Consul 91 B.C.; (3) C. Octāviānus, the emperor Augustus |
| dictātor, ōris [dictō, to stay often], m. |
a dictator, a magistrate with supreme power, chosen at times of supreme peril |
| Hispānia, ae, f. |
Spain (including Portugal). It was divided into two provinces, Hispania Citerior and Ulterior; hence the pl. Hispaniae. |
| Pompēius, ī, m. |
(1) Cn. Pompēius, consul 89 B.C.; (2) Cn. Pompēius, surnamed Magnus, the triumvir, consul 70 B.C.; (3) Cn. Pompēius, son of the triumvir; (4) Q. Pompēius, consul 141 B.C.; (5) Sex. Pompēius, younger son of the triumvir |
| L. |
abbreviation of the praenomen Lucius |
| Āfranius, ī, m. |
L. Afranius, a general of Pompey in Spain, killed in Africa, 46 B.C. |
| M. |
M., abbreviation of the praenomen Marcus; M'., abbreviation of the praenomen Manius |
| Petrēius, ī, m. |
M. Petrēius, a partisan of Pompey; fought against Caesar in Spain, Greece, and Africa |
| Varrō, ōnis, m. |
(1) M. (Terentius) Varrō, a legate of Pompey in Spain, where he was defeated by Caesar; (2) P. (C.) Terentius Varrō, consul 219 and 216 B.C. |
| regredior, gredī, gressus sum | to step back, retreat, return |
| Graecia, ae, f. | Greece |
| dīmicō, āre, āvī, ātus | to fight |
| ēvādō, ere, vāsī, vāsus |
to go forth or away; get away, escape; get to be, become |
| interveniō, īre, vēnī, ventus | to come upon, appear, intervene |
| Thessalia, ae, f. |
a large district in the northeastern part of Greece |
| Palaeopharsālus, ī, f. |
a city in Thessaly where Caesar defeated Pompey 48 B.C. It is generally written Pharsalus. |
| prōdūcō, ere, dūxī, ductus | to lead forward or out; prolong |
| utrimque [uterque], adv. |
from or on both sides, on either hand |
| pedes, itis [pēs], m. | a foot soldier, infantry |
| sinister, tra, trum, adj. | left |
| Oriēns, entis [orior], m. (sc. sōl) |
the rising sun, the East, the Orient |
| nōbilitās, ātis [nōbilis], f. | renown, nobility; the nobles |
| innumerus, a, um [in + numerus], adj. | countless |
| senātor, ōris [senātus], m. | a senator |
| praetōrius, a, um [praetor], adj. |
of or belonging to the praetor or commander; as subst., praetōrius, ī, m., a man of praetorian rank, an ex-praetor |
| cōnsulāris, e [cōnsul], adj. |
of a consul, of consular rank; as subst., an ex-consul |