The Alexandrian War (Bellum Alexandrinum)

Hirtius, Bellum Alexandrinum

Caesar besieged in Alexandria, Cleopatra and Ptolemy, then 'veni, vidi, vici': the lightning war against Pharnaces. 78 sections, 500 sentences, each with an English translation.

Read it with every word glossed and parsed, and keep your place.

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Chapter 1Caesar strengthens his positionBellō Alexandrīnō cōnflātō Caesar Rhodō atque ex Syriā Ciliciāque omnem classem…
Chapter 2Alexandrian preparationsNeque vērō Alexandrīnīs in gerendīs negōtiīs cūnctātiō ūlla aut mora…
Chapter 3Alexandrian ingenuity and fearsUrbs fertilissima et cōpiōsissima omnium rērum apparātūs suggerēbat.
Chapter 4Arsinoë kills AchillasInterim dissēnsiōne ortā inter Achillān, quī veterānō exercituī praeerat, et…
Chapter 5Alexandria's water supplyAlexandrīa est ferē tōta subfossa specūsque habet ad Nīlum pertinentēs, quibus…
Chapter 6Ganymedes fouls the waterHōc probātō cōnsiliō magnum ac difficile opus adgreditur.
Chapter 7Panic in Caesar's linesQuō factō dubitātiōne sublātā tantus incessit timor, ut ad extrēmum cāsum…
Chapter 8Caesar's speech on water and flightCaesar suōrum timōrem cōnsōlātiōne et ratiōne minuēbat.
Chapter 9Fresh water; the Thirty-seventh legionHāc ōrātiōne apud suōs habitā atque omnium mentibus excitātīs dat centuriōnibus…
Chapter 10Caesar sails out to the legionCaesar, ut per sē cōnsilium caperet, quid faciendum vidērētur, nāvem cōnscendit…
Chapter 11The Rhodian ship and a naval victoryErat ūna nāvis Rhodia in dextrō Caesaris cornū longē ab reliquīs collocāta.
Chapter 12The Alexandrians rebuild their fleetEō dētrīmentō adeō sunt frāctī Alexandrīnī, cum iam nōn virtūte prōpugnātōrum,…
Chapter 13Ships from every sourceErant omnibus ōstiīs Nīlī custōdiae exigendī portōriī causā dispositae;
Chapter 14The fleets face each otherPostquam eō ventum est, ut sibi uterque eōrum cōnfīderet, Caesar Pharon classe…
Chapter 15Euphranor leads the RhodiansRhodiīs nāvibus praeerat Euphranōr, animī magnitūdine ac virtūte magis cum…
Chapter 16The sea-fight off the harbourMinimē autem pār erat proeliī certāmen.
Chapter 17The attack on PharosHoc nē sibi saepius accidere posset, omnī ratiōne Caesar contendendum…
Chapter 18The fall of PharosNeque vērō diūtius eā mūnītiōne sē continēre potuērunt, etsī erat nōn dissimile…
Chapter 19The fight for the second bridgeCaesar praedā mīlitibus concessā aedificia dīripī iussit castellumque ad…
Chapter 20Panic on the moleIn hīs rēbus occupātō Caesare mīlitēsque hortante rēmigum magnus numerus et…
Chapter 21Caesar's escape by swimmingCaesar quoad potuit cohortandō suōs ad pontem ac mūnītiōnēs continēre, eōdem in…
Chapter 22Our men's renewed ardourHōc dētrīmentō mīlitēs nostrī tantum āfuērunt ut perturbārentur, ut incēnsī…
Chapter 23The Alexandrians ask for their kingAlexandrīnī cum Rōmānōs et secundīs rēbus cōnfirmārī et adversīs incitārī…
Chapter 24The young king releasedCaesar etsī fallācem gentem semperque alia cōgitantem, alia simulantem bene…
Chapter 25The fight off Canopus and the death of EuphranorCum duce adsūmptō Alexandrīnī nihilō sē firmiōrēs factōs aut languidiōrēs…
Chapter 26Mithridates takes PelusiumSub idem tempus Mithridates Pergamēnus, magnae nōbilitātis domī scientiaeque in…
Chapter 27Mithridates in the DeltaLocus est ferē regiōnum illārum nōbilissimus nōn ita longē ab Alexandrīā, quī…
Chapter 28King and Caesar march on MithridatesMittitur ā Mithridate nūntius Caesarī, quī rem gestam perferret.
Chapter 29Our troops force the crossingInter castra et Caesaris iter flūmen intercēdēbat angustum altissimīs rīpīs,…
Chapter 30The assault on the king's campCaesar rē praeclārissimē gestā cum subitum adventum suum iūdicāret magnum…
Chapter 31The storming of Ptolemy's campCaesar cum vidēret mīlitēs ācrius proeliārī nōn posse nec tamen multum prōficī…
Chapter 32Alexandria surrendersRē fēlīcissimē celerrimēque gestā Caesar magnā victōriae fīdūciā proximō…
Chapter 33Caesar settles EgyptCaesar Aegyptō atque Alexandrīā potītus rēgēs cōnstituit, quōs Ptolomaeus…
Chapter 34Pharnaces threatens Asia MinorDum haec in Aegyptō geruntur, rēx Dēiotarus ad Domitium Calvīnum, cui Caesar…
Chapter 35Pharnaces' evasionsInterim lēgātī ā Pharnace respōnsa referunt: Cappadociā sē dēcessisse, Armeniam…
Chapter 36The ambush near NicopolisComplūrēs interim lēgātiōnēs Pharnacēs ad Domitium mittit, quae dē pāce agerent…
Chapter 37Pharnaces draws up his lineHaec cum administrāret, numquam tamen intermittēbat lēgātōs dē pāce atque…
Chapter 38Pharnaces plays for timeProximā nocte Pharnacēs interceptīs tabellāriīs, quī dē Alexandrīnīs rēbus…
Chapter 39Domitius offers battleDomitius autem, cum Caesaris magis perīculō quam suō commovērētur, neque sē…
Chapter 40Defeat at NicopolisSignō sub idem tempus ab utrōque datō concurritur: ācriter variēque pugnātur.
Chapter 41Pharnaces master of PontusPharnacēs rēbus secundīs ēlātus cum dē Caesare ea, quae optābat, spērāret,…
Chapter 42Cornificius holds IllyricumSub idem tempus in Illyricō est incommodum acceptum, quae prōvincia…
Chapter 43Gabinius fails in IllyricumGabīnius ut in Illyricum vēnit hībernō tempore annī ac difficilī sīve…
Chapter 44Vatinius sails against OctaviusVatīnius Brundisiī cum esset, cognitīs rēbus, quae gestae erant in Illyricō,…
Chapter 45Octavius waits at TaurisOctāvius cum Vatīnium classem magnā ex parte cōnfectam ex nāviculīs āctuāriīs…
Chapter 46The sea battle off TaurisVatīnius cum animum adverteret neque nāvium sē magnitūdine neque numerō parem…
Chapter 47Vatinius clears the AdriaticAt Vatīnius rē bene gestā receptuī cecinit suīsque omnibus incolumibus in eum…
Chapter 48Q. Cassius courts his armyIīs autem temporibus, quibus Caesar ad Dyrrachium Pompēium obsidēbat et…
Chapter 49Cassius bleeds the provinceCassius legiōnibus in hīberna dispositīs ad iūs dīcendum Cordubam sē recēpit…
Chapter 50Hatred and a new legionQuibus dē causīs accidit, ut, cum Longīnus imperātor eadem faceret, quae…
Chapter 51Orders to cross to AfricaInterim litterās accēpit ā Caesare, ut in Āfricam exercitum trāiceret perque…
Chapter 52The attack in the basilicaExercitū coāctō in ūnum locum castrīs ad Cordubam positīs prō cōntiōne…
Chapter 53The plotters cut offConcurritur ad Cassium dēfendendum: semper enim Berōnēs complūrēsque ēvocātōs…
Chapter 54The legions rally to CassiusInterim nūntiātur Laterēnsī vīvere Cassium.
Chapter 55Torture and ransomCassius eōs, quī nōminātī erant cōnsciī caedis, iubet comprehendī;
Chapter 56News of Pharsalus, new exactionsAliquot post diēbus litterās ā Caesare missās accipit, quibus cognōscit…
Chapter 57Mutiny in the legionsInterim L. Titius, quī eō tempore tribūnus mīlitum in legiōne vernāculā fuerat,…
Chapter 58Torius raises Pompey's nameInterim Tōrius ad Cordubam veterēs legiōnēs addūcit ac, nē dissēnsiōnis initium…
Chapter 59Marcellus takes commandTantae multitūdinis precibus et lacrimīs exercitus commōtus cum vidēret ad…
Chapter 60Stand-off on the BaetisCuius reī dēfōrmitāte atque indignitāte legiōnēs, quae Mārcellum sibi ducem…
Chapter 61Cassius shut in at UliaErat cōpiīs pedestribus multō firmior Mārcellus;
Chapter 62Bogud comes to Cassius' aidPaucīs diēbus Q. Cassiī litterīs acceptīs rēx Bogus cum cōpiīs venit…
Chapter 63Lepidus intervenesInterim Lepidus ex citeriōre prōvinciā cum cohortibus legiōnāriīs XXXV magnōque…
Chapter 64Cassius leaves Spain and drownsCum iter Cassiō patefactum esset, castra Mārcellus cum Lepidō coniungit.
Chapter 65Caesar in SyriaCum in Syriam Caesar ex Aegyptō vēnisset atque ab iīs, quī Rōmā vēnerant ad…
Chapter 66Cilicia and CappadociaPaucīs diēbus in eā prōvinciā cōnsūmptīs Sextum Caesarem, amīcum et necessārium…
Chapter 67Deiotarus begs for pardonCum propius Pontum fīnēsque Gallograeciae accessisset, Dēiotarus, tetrarchēs…
Chapter 68Caesar pardons DeiotarusContrā quem Caesar cum plūrima sua commemorāsset officia, quae cōnsul eī…
Chapter 69Envoys from PharnacesCum in Pontum vēnisset cōpiāsque omnēs in ūnum locum coēgisset, quae numerō…
Chapter 70Caesar's answer to PharnacesCaesar respondit sē fore aequissimum Pharnacī, sī, quae pollicērētur,…
Chapter 71Pharnaces plays for timeAt Pharnacēs līberāliter omnia pollicitus, cum festīnantem ac praecurrentem…
Chapter 72Zela and its hillZēla est oppidum in Pontō positum, ipsum ut in plānō locō satis mūnītum:…
Chapter 73Caesar seizes the near ridgeCaesar cum ab hoste mīlia passuum V castra posuisset vidēretque eās vallēs,…
Chapter 74Pharnaces attacks uphillPharnacēs cum id repente prīmā lūce animadvertisset, cōpiās suās omnēs prō…
Chapter 75The battle beginsCaesar incrēdibilī eius vel temeritāte vel fīdūciā commōtus neque opīnāns…
Chapter 76Victory at ZelaMagnō atque ācrī proeliō comminus factō dextrō cornū, quō veterāna legiō sexta…
Chapter 77Caesar settles PontusTālī victōriā totiēns victor Caesar incrēdibilī est laetitiā affectus, quod…
Chapter 78Asia settled; back to ItalyIta per Gallograeciam Bīthȳniamque in Asiam iter facit omniumque eārum…

Hirtius, Bellum Alexandrinum. Latin text: B. Kübler and E. Wölfflin, C. Iulii Caesaris Commentarii, vol. III (Leipzig: Teubner, 1896–97), public domain; transcribed for this app from the Internet Archive scan. Word analysis: LatinCy, then every word checked and corrected by hand. English translation, notes and grammar hints: written for this app.

The Alexandrian War (Bellum Alexandrinum)

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