Bellum Alexandrinum 14

B. Alex. 14.1Postquam eō ventum est, ut sibi uterque eōrum cōnfīderet, Caesar Pharon classe circumvehitur adversāsque nāvēs hostibus cōnstituit: in dextrō cornū Rhodiās collocat, in sinistrō Ponticās.

When things had reached the point that each side trusted itself, Caesar sailed round Pharos with his fleet and drew up his ships facing the enemy: on the right wing he placed the Rhodians, on the left the ships from Pontus.

Note. eō ventum est, ut: 'it came to the point that'. Pharon: Greek accusative of Pharus, the island off the harbour. circumvehitur: 'sails round'. adversās … hostibus: 'facing the enemy'.

B. Alex. 14.1Inter hās spatium CCCC passuum relinquit, quod satis esse ad explicandās nāvēs vidēbātur.

Between these he left a space of four hundred paces, which seemed enough for deploying the ships.

Note. spatium cccc passuum: 'a space of 400 paces'. ad explicandās nāvēs: 'for deploying the ships'.

B. Alex. 14.2Post hunc ōrdinem reliquās nāvēs subsidiō distribuit;

Behind this line he distributed the remaining ships as a reserve;

Note. subsidiō: dative of purpose, 'as a reserve'.

B. Alex. 14.2quae quamque eārum sequātur et cui subveniat, cōnstituit atque imperat.

he laid down and ordered which ship should follow each of them and which it should help.

Note. quae quamque eārum sequātur et cui subveniat: two indirect questions, 'which (ship) should follow each one and which it should help'.

B. Alex. 14.3Nōn dubitanter Alexandrīnī classem prōdūcunt atque īnstruunt: in fronte collocant XXII, reliquās subsidiāriās in secundō ōrdine cōnstituunt.

The Alexandrians brought out their fleet and drew it up without hesitation: in the front they placed twenty-two, the rest they posted as a reserve in the second line.

Note. Nōn dubitanter: 'without hesitation', a litotes.

B. Alex. 14.4Magnum praetereā numerum minōrum nāvigiōrum et scaphārum prōdūcunt cum malleolīs ignibusque, sī quid ipsa multitūdō et clāmor et flamma nostrīs terrōris adferre possent.

Besides these they brought out a great number of smaller craft and boats with fire-darts and incendiaries, in case the mere numbers, the shouting and the flames could bring any terror to our men.

Note. malleolīs: 'fire-darts'. sī quid … adferre possent: 'in case they could bring any terror'; quid terrōris, partitive genitive. The plural possent follows the three subjects.

B. Alex. 14.5Erant inter duās classēs vada trānsitū angustō, quae pertinent ad regiōnem Āfricae— sīc enim praedicant, partem esse Alexandrīae dīmidiam Āfricae— satisque diū inter ipsōs est exspectātum, ab utrīs trānseundī fieret initium, proptereā quod eī, quī intrāssent, et ad explicandam classem et ad receptum, sī dūrior accidisset cāsus, impedītiōrēs fore vidēbantur.

Between the two fleets were shallows with a narrow passage, which belong to the region of Africa — for they say that half of Alexandria is part of Africa —, and for quite a long time each side waited to see which would begin the crossing, because those who entered seemed likely to be more hampered both in deploying their fleet and in retreating, if things went badly.

Note. trānsitū angustō: ablative of description, 'with a narrow passage'. ab utrīs: 'by which side'; uter in the plural refers to two groups. trānseundī: gerund. propterea quod: 'because'. sī dūrior accidisset cāsus: 'if a harder chance had befallen', i.e. if things went badly.