IVa 10-11. subditisque calcaribus equo = and putting spurs to his horse. You will not attempt to translate this Abl. Absol. literally.
11-12. per confertissimam hostium turbam impetum facit = through the closely packed crowd of the enemy he makes his charge.
12. obtruncatoque prius armigero = and first cut down the armour-bearer (i.e. of Flaminius).
12-13. qui se infesto venienti obviam obiecerat = who had thrown himself in the way of him advancing at the charge.
infesto venienti is clearly dative with obviam.
13. consulem lancea transfixit = ran the Consul through with his lance.
IVb 13-14. spoliare cupientem = (him, i.e. Ducarius) wishing to spoil (the consul).
14. triarii obiectis scutis arcuere = the triarii (veterans) thrusting their shields in the way kept off.
This passage is quite simple, but it will serve to show you how you may with practice learn to take the thought in the Latin order, and to grasp the writer’s meaning. All that now remains for you to do is to write out a translation in good English, using short coordinate sentences, each complete in itself, in place of the more involved structure of the original. The following version by the late Professor Jebb will serve as a model:—
They fought for about three hours, and everywhere with desperation. Around the consul, however, the fight was peculiarly keen and vehement. He had the toughest troops with him; and he himself, whenever he saw that his men were hard pressed, was indefatigable in coming to the rescue. Distinguished by his equipment, he was a target for the enemy and a rallying-point for the Romans. At last a Lombard trooper, named Ducario, recognising the person as well as the guise of the consul, cried out to his people, ‘Here is the man who cut our legions to pieces and sacked our city—now I will give this victim to the shades of our murdered countrymen.’ Putting spurs to his horse, he dashed through the thick of the foe. First he cut down the armour-bearer, who had thrown himself in the way of the onset. Then he drove his lance through the consul. He was trying to despoil the corpse, when some veterans screened it with their shields.