(ii.) Translation.—This sentence contains three finite verbs. Underline PREMEBANT, clearly the principal verb, and bracket cum to conversa esset. Here the signpost is the subordinate conjunction cum. Next find the subject of premebant: obviously no word from a dextro to aciem can be the subject; it is implied in premebant—i.e. they, which as context shows = Germani. Now find the object = nostram aciem = our line.

Thus you have as the backbone of the whole sentence:—

They (the Germans) were pressing our line.

All the rest of the sentence will now take its proper place, as in some way modifying the action of premebant.

Thus:—

cum . . . conversa essettells uswhenthey were pressing.
a dextro cornu„ „where „ „
vehementer„ „how „ „
multitudine suorum„ „how or why „ „

N.B.—suorum, reflexive, must be identical with the subject of premebant.

Now translate

Though
When		the enemy’s line had been routed and put to flight on their leftwing,
on their right wing, owing to their great numbers, they were pressinghard upon our line.
[V.] Id cum animadvertisset Publius Crassus adulescens, qui equitatui praeerat, quod expeditior erat quam hi qui inter aciem versabantur, tertiam aciem laborantibus nostris subsidio misit.