Bellum Alexandrinum 17

B. Alex. 17.1Hoc nē sibi saepius accidere posset, omnī ratiōne Caesar contendendum exīstimāvit, ut īnsulam mōlemque ad īnsulam pertinentem in suam redigeret potestātem.

So that this should not happen to him too often, Caesar decided that he must make every effort to bring the island, and the mole that reached out to the island, into his power.

Note. hoc nē … posset: purpose clause placed before its main verb. contendendum: impersonal gerundive, 'that he must strive'. īnsulam: Pharos; mōlem … pertinentem: the Heptastadion.

B. Alex. 17.2Perfectīs enim magnā ex parte mūnītiōnibus in oppidō et īnsulam et urbem ūnō tempore temptārī posse cōnfīdēbat.

For since his fortifications in the town were largely finished, he was confident that the island and the city could be attempted at one and the same time.

Note. perfectīs … mūnītiōnibus: ablative absolute, causal. ūnō tempore: 'at the same time'.

B. Alex. 17.3Quō captō cōnsiliō cohortēs X et levis armātūrae ēlēctōs, quōsque idōneōs ex equitibus Gallīs arbitrābātur, in nāvigia minōra scaphāsque impōnit;

Having formed this plan, he put ten cohorts, picked light-armed troops and those of the Gallic cavalry whom he thought suitable, into smaller vessels and skiffs;

Note. quō captō cōnsiliō: relative connective, 'having taken this plan'. cohortēs x: decem. quōsque … arbitrābātur: 'and those of the Gallic horse whom he thought suitable'.

B. Alex. 17.3alteram īnsulae partem distinendae manūs causā cōnstrātīs nāvibus adgreditur praemiīs magnīs prōpositīs, quī prīmus īnsulam cēpisset.

and to draw off the enemy's forces he attacked the other side of the island with decked ships, offering great rewards to the man who took the island first.

Note. distinendae manūs causā: gerundive with causā, 'for the sake of dividing the (enemy) force'. praemiīs … prōpositīs: 'rewards being offered (to the one) who'.

B. Alex. 17.4Ac prīmō impetum nostrōrum Pharītae sustinuērunt: ūnō enim tempore et ex tēctīs aedificiōrum prōpugnābant et lītora armātī dēfendēbant, quō propter asperitātem locī nōn facilis nostrīs aditus dabātur, et scaphīs nāvibusque longīs quīnque mōbiliter et scienter angustiās locī tuēbantur.

At first the Pharitae held off our attack: at one and the same time they fought from the roofs of the buildings and defended the shore under arms, where because of the roughness of the ground our men did not have easy access, and with skiffs and five warships they guarded the narrows nimbly and skilfully.

Note. Pharītae: the inhabitants of Pharos. quō: 'where', relative adverb. mōbiliter et scienter: 'nimbly and skilfully'.

B. Alex. 17.5Sed ubi prīmum locīs cognitīs vadīsque pertemptātīs paucī nostrī in lītore cōnstitērunt atque hōs sunt aliī subsecūtī cōnstanterque in eōs, quī in lītore aequō īnstiterant, impetum fēcērunt, omnēs Pharītae terga vertērunt.

But as soon as the ground had been reconnoitred and the shallows sounded, a few of our men took a stand on the shore, others followed them, and they charged steadily at those who had taken up position on the level shore, and all the Pharitae turned their backs.

Note. ubi prīmum: 'as soon as'. terga vertērunt: 'turned their backs', fled.

B. Alex. 17.6Hīs pulsīs… custōdiā portūs relictā nāvēs ad lītora et vīcum adplicārunt sēque ex nāvibus ad tuenda aedificia ēiēcērunt.

When these had been routed … they abandoned the guard of the harbour, brought their ships to the shore and the village, and threw themselves out of the ships to defend the buildings.

Note. The dots mark a gap in the text printed by Kübler; the subject of applicārunt is the defenders of the harbour. ad tuenda aedificia: gerundive of purpose.