Bellum Alexandrinum 13

B. Alex. 13.1Erant omnibus ōstiīs Nīlī custōdiae exigendī portōriī causā dispositae;

At all the mouths of the Nile guard-ships had been stationed to collect customs duties;

Note. exigendī portōriī causā: gerundive, 'to collect customs duties'.

B. Alex. 13.1nāvēs veterēs erant in occultīs rēgiae nāvālibus, quibus multīs annīs ad nāvigandum nōn erant ūsī: hās reficiēbant, illās Alexandrīam revocābant.

there were old ships in the hidden dockyards of the palace, which had not been used for sailing in many years: these they repaired, and those they called back to Alexandria.

Note. in occultīs rēgiae nāvālibus: 'in hidden docks of the palace'. hās … illās: 'these (old ships) … those (the guard-ships)'.

B. Alex. 13.2Dēerant rēmī: porticūs, gymnasia, pūblica aedificia dētegēbant, asserēs rēmōrum ūsum obtinēbant;

Oars were lacking: they unroofed colonnades, gymnasiums and public buildings, and the beams served as oars;

Note. porticūs, gymnasia: Greek public buildings, now stripped of their roof beams. asserēs: 'poles, beams', which served as oars.

B. Alex. 13.2aliud nātūrālis sollertia, aliud urbis cōpia subministrābat.

one thing their natural skill supplied, another the resources of the city.

Note. aliud … aliud: 'one thing … another'.

B. Alex. 13.3Postrēmō nōn longam nāvigātiōnem parābant, sed praesentis temporis necessitātī serviēbant et in ipsō portū cōnflīgendum vidēbant.

Finally, they were not preparing for a long voyage, but serving the need of the moment, and they saw that the fight would have to be in the harbour itself.

Note. in ipsō portū cōnflīgendum: impersonal gerundive, 'that the fighting would have to be in the harbour itself'.

B. Alex. 13.4Itaque paucīs diēbus contrā omnium opīniōnem quadrirēmēs XXII, quīnquerēmēs V cōnfēcērunt;

And so in a few days, against everyone's expectation, they completed twenty-two quadriremes and five quinqueremes;

Note. quadrirēmēs xxii, quīnquerēmēs v: 22 quadriremes, 5 quinqueremes.

B. Alex. 13.4ad hās minōrēs apertāsque complūrēs adiēcērunt, et in portū perīclitātī rēmigiō, quid quaeque eārum efficere posset, idōneōs mīlitēs imposuērunt sēque ad cōnflīgendum omnibus rēbus parāvērunt.

to these they added several smaller, open ships, and after testing in the harbour with rowing what each of them could do, they put suitable soldiers on board and prepared themselves for battle in every respect.

Note. minōrēs apertāsque complūrēs: 'several smaller, open ships'. perīclitātī rēmigiō: 'having tested with rowing'; perīclitor is deponent. quid quaeque eārum efficere posset: indirect question.

B. Alex. 13.5Caesar Rhodiās nāvēs IX habēbat— nam decem missīs ūna in cursū sub lītore Aegyptiō dēfēcerat—, Ponticās VIII, Syriās…, Ciliciās V, ex Asiā XII. Ex hīs erant quīnquerēmēs et quadrirēmēs X, reliquae īnfrā hanc magnitūdinem et plēraeque apertae.

Caesar had nine Rhodian ships — for ten had been sent, but one had been lost on the voyage off the Egyptian coast —, eight from Pontus, Syrian …, five Cilician, and twelve from Asia. Of these, ten were quinqueremes and quadriremes, the rest below that size and most of them open.

Note. Two sentences in one entry. decem missīs: 'ten having been sent'. Syriās …: the number of Syrian ships has fallen out of the text. ex Asiā: from the province of Asia. īnfrā hanc magnitūdinem: 'below this size'.

B. Alex. 13.6Tamen virtūte mīlitum cōnfīsus cognitīs hostium cōpiīs sē ad dīmicandum parābat.

Still, trusting in the courage of his soldiers, and knowing the enemy's forces, he prepared for battle.

Note. virtūte mīlitum cōnfīsus: cōnfīdō takes the ablative (or dative); the perfect participle is active in meaning.