THE RIVAL CENTURIONS 215
conlocābant. Tum[1] legiōnēs quae proximē cōnscrīptae erant tōtum agmen claudēbant. Equitēs quoque in omnīs partīs dīmittēbantur quī loca explōrārent; et centuriōnēs praemittēbantur ut locum castrīs idōneum dēligerent. Locus habēbatur idōneus castrīs quī[2] facile dēfendī posset et prope aquam esset. Quā dē causā castra[3] in colle ab utraque parte arduō, ā fronte lēniter dēclivī saepe pōnēbantur; vel locus palūdibus cīnctus vel in flūminis rīpīs situs dēligēbātur. Ad locum postquam exercitus pervēnit, aliī mīlitum in[4] armīs erant, aliī castra mūnīre incipiēbant. Nam quō[5] tūtiōrēs ab hostibus mīlitēs essent, nēve incautī et imparātī opprimerentur, castra fossā lātā et vāllō altō mūniēbant. In castrīs portae quattuor erant ut ēruptiō mīlitum omnīs in partīs fierī posset. In angulīs castrōrum erant turrēs dē quibus tēla in hostīs coniciēbantur. Talibus[6] in castrīs quālia dēscrīpsimus Pūblius ā Caesare exceptus est.
LXX. THE RIVAL CENTURIONS
Illīs in castrīs erant duo centuriōnēs,[7] fortissimī virī, T. Pullō et L. Vorēnus, quōrum neuter alterī virtūte[8] cēdere volēbat. Inter eōs iam multōs annōs infēnsum certāmen gerēbātur. Tum dēmum fīnis contrōversiae hōc modō[9] factus est. Diē tertiō postquam Pūblius pervēnit, hostēs, maiōribus cōpiīs coāctīs, ācerrimum impetum in castra fēcērunt. Tum Pullō, cum[10] Rōmānī tardiōrēs[11] vidērentur, “Cūr dubitās," inquit, "Vorēne.^ Quam commodiōrem occāsiōnem exspectās? Hic diēs dē virtūte nostrā iūdicābit"” Haec[12] cum dixīsset,
- ↑ The newest legions were placed in the rear, because they were the least reliable.
- ↑ qui … posset … esset, § 501. 45.
- ↑ castra, subject of pōnēbantur.
- ↑ in armīs erant, stood under arms.
- ↑ quō … essent. When is quō used to introduce a purpose clause? See § 350. I.
- ↑ Tālibus in castrīs quālia, in such a camp as. It is important to remember the correlatives tālis … quālis, such … as.
- ↑ A centurion commanded a company of about sixty men. He was a common soldier who had been promoted from the ranks for his courage and fighting qualities. The centurions were the real leaders of the men in battle. There were sixty of them in a legion. The centurion in the picture (p. 216) has in his hand a staff with a crook at one end, the symbol of his authority.
- ↑ virtūte, § 501. 30.
- ↑ Abl. of manner.
- ↑ cum … vidērentur, § 501. 46.
- ↑ tardiōrēs, too slow, a not infrequent translation of the comparative degree.
- ↑ Haec, obj. of dīxisset. It is placed before cum to make a close connection with the preceding sentence. What is the construction of dīxisset?
