§3.12.1Erant eius modi fere situs oppidorum ut posita in extremis lingulis promunturiisque neque pedibus aditum haberent, cum ex alto se aestus incitavisset, quod [bis] accidit semper horarum XII spatio, neque navibus, quod rursus minuente aestu naves in vadis adflictarentur.
The situation of their towns was generally of such a nature that, being positioned on the extremities of narrow tongues of land and promontories, they neither had approach on foot when the tide had rushed in from the deep (which always happens twice in the space of twelve hours), nor by ships, because, as the tide ebbed again, the vessels would be damaged on the shallows.
§3.12.2Ita utraque re oppidorum oppugnatio impediebatur.
Thus, by both circumstances, the storming of the towns was obstructed.
§3.12.3Ac si quando magnitudine operis forte superati, extruso mari aggere ac molibus atque his oppidi moenibus adaequatis, suis fortunis desperare coeperant, magno numero navium adpulso, cuius rei summam facultatem habebant, omnia sua deportabant seque in proxima oppida recipiebant:
And if at any time, perchance overcome by the vast scale of our works—the sea having been shut out by a mound and dikes, and these having been raised to the level of the town walls—they began to despair of their fortunes, they would bring up a large number of ships, of which they had the greatest abundance, carry away all their possessions, and retreat to the nearest towns.
§3.12.4ibi se rursus isdem oportunitatibus loci defendebant.
There they would defend themselves again with the same advantages of the place.
§3.12.5Haec eo facilius magnam partem aestatis faciebant quod nostrae naves tempestatibus detinebantur summaque erat vasto atque aperto mari, magnis aestibus, raris ac prope nullis portibus difficultas navigandi.
They did this the more easily during a great part of the summer because our ships were detained by storms, and the difficulty of navigation was extreme on a vast and open sea, with great tides, and rare, almost non-existent harbors.