When, in 49 b.c., Caesar marched some of his troops south into Italy, and thus precipitated the civil war between himself and Pompey (cf. the episode in Lessons 117–125), Pompey was taken by surprise, and retired into Greece. In the decisive battle of Pharsalus, fought there in the following year, Caesar gained the first advantage, driving the Pompeians back to the shelter of their ramparts.
Caesar, Pompēiānīs ex fugā intrā vāllum[1] compulsīs, nūllum spatium[2] perterritīs darī oportēre[3] exīstimāns, mīlitēs cohortātus est ut beneficiō Fortūnae ūterentur castraque oppugnārent. Quī, etsī magnō aestū[4] fatīgātī — nam ad merīdiem[5] rēs erat perducta — tamen ad omnem labōrem animō[6] parātī, imperiō paruērunt.
Castra[7] ā cohortibus, quae ibi praesidiō erant relictae, industriē dēfendēbantur, multō[8] etiam ācrius ā Thrācibus barbarīsque auxiliīs. Nam quī[9] ex aciē[10] refūgerant mīlitēs, et animō perterritī et lassitūdine[11] cōnfectī, missīs[12] plērīque
- ↑ vāllum: n, i.e. of their own camp.
- ↑ spatium: n, respite, perterritīs: modifying eīs, supplied.
- ↑ darī oportēre: should be allowed (oportet, 2, -uit, impersonal verb, lit. it is fitting).
- ↑ aestū: aestus, -ūs: m, heat, fatīgātī: i.e. dēfessī (fatīgō, 1).
- ↑ merīdiem: m, here, midday, rēs: engagement.
- ↑ animō: m, abl. of specification; translate freely.
- ↑ castra: n, namely, of Pompey.
- ↑ multō: construe with ācrius.
- ↑ quī: and (other).
- ↑ aciē: f, i.e. proeliō.
- ↑ lassitūdine: lassitūdō, -inis: f, weariness.
- ↑ missīs: discarded (cf. dīmittō), plērīque: freely.
