Bellum Alexandrinum 12

B. Alex. 12.1Eō dētrīmentō adeō sunt frāctī Alexandrīnī, cum iam nōn virtūte prōpugnātōrum, sed scientiā classiāriōrum sē victōs vidērent, quibus… et superiōribus locīs sublevābantur, ut ex aedificiīs dēfendī possent et māteriam cūnctam obicerent, quod nostrae classis oppugnātiōnem etiam ad terram verēbantur.

The Alexandrians were so broken by this loss — since they saw that they had been beaten now not by the courage of fighting men but by the skill of sailors, by whom … and they were helped by the higher positions — that they could defend themselves from the buildings and threw up all their timber as barricades, because they feared an attack by our fleet even on land.

Note. The text has a gap after quibus, marked …. adeō … ut ex aedificiīs dēfendī possent: the result is that they could only defend themselves from the buildings. māteriam cūnctam obicerent: they used all their timber for barricades.

B. Alex. 12.2Īdem, posteāquam Ganymēdēs in conciliō cōnfirmāvit sēsē et eās, quae essent āmissae, nāvēs restitūtūrum et numerum adauctūrum, magnā spē et fīdūciā veterēs reficere nāvēs accūrātiusque huic reī studēre atque īnservīre īnstituērunt.

Yet these same men, after Ganymedes assured them in council that he would both replace the ships they had lost and increase their number, began with great hope and confidence to repair their old ships and to devote themselves more carefully to this business and serve it.

Note. posteāquam: 'after'. sēsē … restitūtūrum et … adauctūrum: future infinitives in indirect statement after cōnfirmāvit. accūrātius: comparative adverb.

B. Alex. 12.3Ac tametsī amplius CX nāvibus longīs in portū nāvālibusque āmīserant, nōn tamen reparandae classis cōgitātiōnem dēposuērunt.

And although they had lost more than a hundred and ten warships in the harbour and dockyards, still they did not give up the thought of restoring their fleet.

Note. amplius cx nāvibus longīs: 'more than 110 warships'; amplius does not affect the case, and the ablative is of comparison. The fleet had been burned by Caesar (Civil War III.111). reparandae classis: gerundive.

B. Alex. 12.4Vidēbant enim nōn auxilia Caesarī, nōn commeātūs subportārī posse, sī classe ipsī valērent;

For they saw that neither reinforcements nor supplies could be brought to Caesar if they themselves were strong at sea;

Note. sī classe ipsī valērent: 'if they themselves were strong at sea'; classe is ablative of respect.

B. Alex. 12.4praetereā nauticī hominēs urbis et regiōnis maritimae cōtīdiānōque ūsū ā puerīs exercitātī ad nātūrāle ac domesticum bonum refugere cupiēbant et, quantum parvulīs nāvigiīs prōfēcissent, sentiēbant;

besides, being seafaring men of a city and a coastal region, trained from boyhood by daily practice, they longed to return to their natural and native advantage, and they felt how much they had achieved with their small boats;

Note. ā puerīs: 'from boyhood'. quantum … prōfēcissent: indirect question, 'how much they had achieved'.

B. Alex. 12.4itaque omnī studiō ad parandam classem incubuērunt.

and so they threw themselves with all their energy into getting a fleet ready.

Note. incubuērunt: from incumbō, 'they threw themselves into'.