Bellum Alexandrinum 16

B. Alex. 16.1Minimē autem pār erat proeliī certāmen.

But the contest of the battle was not at all equal.

Note. minimē … pār: 'not at all equal'. The point, developed in the next sentence, is that the stakes were unequal, not the forces.

B. Alex. 16.1Nostrīs enim pulsīs neque terrā neque marī effugium dabātur victīs, omniaque victōribus erant futūra in incertō, cum illī, sī superāssent nāvibus, omnia tenērent, sī īnferiōrēs fuissent, reliquam tamen fortūnam perīclitārentur.

For if our men were beaten, there was no escape for the vanquished either by land or by sea, and for the victors everything would still be uncertain, since the enemy, if they won with their ships, would hold everything, and if they were worsted, would still only be risking the rest of their fortunes.

Note. nostrīs pulsīs: ablative absolute used conditionally, 'if our men were beaten'. victīs … victōribus: datives, 'for the vanquished … for the victors'. erant futūra in incertō: 'would be in doubt'. sī superāssent … tenērent, sī īnferiōrēs fuissent … perīclitārentur: conditions in a cum-clause, so subjunctive throughout; superāssent = superāvissent.

B. Alex. 16.2Simul illud grave ac miserum vidēbātur, perpaucōs dē summā rērum ac dē salūte omnium dēcertāre;

At the same time it seemed a grave and wretched thing that a very few men should fight it out for the whole cause and for the safety of all;

Note. illud … perpaucōs … dēcertāre: illud points forward to the accusative + infinitive. dē summā rērum: 'for the whole issue'.

B. Alex. 16.2quōrum sī quī aut animō aut virtūte cessisset, reliquīs etiam esset cavendum, quibus prō sē pugnandī facultās nōn fuisset.

and if any of them gave way in courage or valour, the rest too would have to look to themselves, though they would have had no chance to fight in their own defence.

Note. sī quī: quī after sī is the indefinite 'anyone' (sī quis). reliquīs … esset cavendum: impersonal gerundive with dative of agent, 'the rest would have to look out for themselves'.

B. Alex. 16.3Haec superiōribus diēbus saepenumerō Caesar suīs exposuerat, ut hōc maiōre animō contenderent, quod omnium salūtem sibi commendātam vidērent.

Caesar had often set out these points to his men in the preceding days, so that they would fight with all the greater spirit, because they saw that the safety of all had been entrusted to them.

Note. hōc maiōre animō … quod: 'with all the greater spirit because'; hōc is ablative of measure of difference. sibi commendātam: 'entrusted to themselves'.

B. Alex. 16.4Eadem suum quisque contubernālem, amīcum, nōtum prōsequēns erat obtestātus, nē suam atque omnium falleret opīniōnem, quōrum iūdiciō dēlēctus ad pugnam proficīscerētur.

Each man, too, had urged the same upon his messmate, his friend and his acquaintance as he saw him off, begging him not to disappoint his own expectations and those of everyone, by whose judgement he had been chosen to go into the fight.

Note. eadem: neuter plural object, 'the same things'. prōsequēns: 'escorting', seeing off a man going into battle. obtestātus erat nē: 'had implored him not to'. quōrum iūdiciō dēlēctus: the fighters had been chosen by the judgement of all.

B. Alex. 16.5Itaque hōc animō est dēcertātum, ut neque maritimīs nauticīsque sollertia atque ars praesidium ferret, neque numerō nāvium praestantibus multitūdō prōdesset, neque ēlēctī ad virtūtem ē tantā multitūdine virī virtūtī nostrōrum possent adaequāre.

And so they fought with such spirit that neither skill nor craft gave any protection to the seafaring and naval men, nor did their numbers help those who were superior in the number of their ships, nor could the men chosen for their valour out of so great a multitude match the valour of our men.

Note. hōc animō … ut: result clause with three neque-limbs. est dēcertātum: impersonal passive, 'the fight was fought'. maritimīs nauticīsque: datives, 'the sea-faring and naval men', i.e. the Alexandrians. numerō nāvium praestantibus: 'to those superior in number of ships'.

B. Alex. 16.6Capitur hōc proeliō quīnquerēmis ūna et birēmis cum dēfēnsōribus rēmigibusque, et dēprimuntur trēs nostrīs incolumibus omnibus.

In this battle one quinquereme and one bireme were captured with their fighting men and rowers, and three were sunk, while all of ours came through unharmed.

Note. The singular verb capitur goes with the nearer subject quīnquerēmis. nostrīs incolumibus omnibus: ablative absolute.

B. Alex. 16.7Reliquae propinquam fugam ad oppidum capiunt;

The rest took to flight towards the town, which was close by;

Note. propinquam fugam … capiunt: 'take flight to the nearby town'.

B. Alex. 16.7quās prōtēxērunt ex mōlibus atque aedificiīs imminentibus et nostrōs adīre propius prohibuērunt.

the enemy covered them from the moles and from the buildings overlooking them, and kept our men from coming nearer.

Note. mōlēs: the moles of the harbour, especially the Heptastadion joining Pharos to the city. imminentibus: 'overhanging', 'overlooking'.