Bellum Alexandrinum 20

B. Alex. 20.1In hīs rēbus occupātō Caesare mīlitēsque hortante rēmigum magnus numerus et classiāriōrum ex longīs nāvibus nostrīs in mōlem sē ēiēcit.

While Caesar was busy with these matters and was encouraging his soldiers, a great number of rowers and marines from our warships threw themselves onto the mole.

Note. occupātō Caesare … hortante: ablative absolute with a deponent present participle. remigum … et classiāriōrum: 'rowers and marines'.

B. Alex. 20.2Pars eōrum studiō spectandī ferēbātur, pars etiam cupiditāte pugnandī.

Some of them were carried away by eagerness to watch, some also by the desire to fight.

Note. studiō spectandī, cupiditāte pugnandī: gerunds in the genitive.

B. Alex. 20.2Hī prīmum nāvigia hostium lapidibus ac fundīs ā mōle repellēbant ac multum prōficere multitūdine tēlōrum vidēbantur.

At first these men drove the enemy's vessels away from the mole with stones and slings, and seemed to be achieving a great deal with the mass of their missiles.

Note. fundīs: from funda, 'sling'.

B. Alex. 20.3Sed postquam ultrā eum locum ab latere eōrum apertō ausī sunt ēgredī ex nāvibus Alexandrīnī paucī, ut sine signīs certīsque ōrdinibus prōdierant, sīc temerē in nāvēs refugere coepērunt.

But when a few Alexandrians dared to land from their ships beyond that point, on their exposed flank, our men began to flee back to the ships as recklessly as they had come forward, without standards and without fixed ranks.

Note. ab latere eōrum apertō: 'on their exposed flank'. ut … sīc: 'as … so': they fled as they had come, without order.

B. Alex. 20.4Quōrum fugā incitātī Alexandrīnī plūrēs ex nāvibus ēgrediēbantur nostrōsque perturbātōs ācrius īnsequēbantur.

Encouraged by their flight, more Alexandrians landed from their ships and pursued our men more fiercely in their confusion.

Note. quōrum: relative connective, 'their (flight)'.

B. Alex. 20.4Simul, quī in nāvibus longīs remānserant, scālās rapere nāvēsque ā terrā repellere properābant, nē hostēs nāvibus potīrentur.

At the same time those who had stayed on the warships hurried to pull up the ladders and push the ships off from the land, so that the enemy should not gain possession of the ships.

Note. quī … remānserant: the antecedent (eī) is the subject of properābant. nē … potīrentur: potior takes the ablative (nāvibus).

B. Alex. 20.5Quibus omnibus rēbus perturbātī mīlitēs nostrī cohortium trium, quae in ponte ac prīmā mōle cōnstiterant, cum post sē clāmōrem exaudīrent, fugam suōrum vidērent, magnam vim tēlōrum adversī sustinērent, veritī, nē ab tergō circumvenīrentur et discessū nāvium omnīnō reditū interclūderentur, mūnītiōnem in ponte īnstitūtam relīquērunt et magnō cursū incitātī ad nāvēs contendērunt.

Our soldiers of the three cohorts who had taken their stand on the bridge and the near end of the mole were thrown into confusion by all this: they heard shouting behind them, saw their comrades fleeing and were facing a great volley of missiles from the front, and, afraid that they would be surrounded from behind and cut off from any return when the ships left, they abandoned the fortification begun on the bridge and ran at full speed for the ships.

Note. The long cum-clause gives three reasons (exaudīrent, vidērent, sustinērent). adversī: 'facing (the enemy)'. veritī nē: 'fearing that'. reditū interclūderentur: 'be cut off from return'.

B. Alex. 20.6Quōrum pars proximās nacta nāvēs multitūdine hominum atque onere dēpressa est, pars resistēns et dubitāns, quid esset capiendum cōnsiliī, ab Alexandrīnīs interfecta est;

Some of them reached the nearest ships and were sunk by the weight of men and their load; some, resisting and unsure what plan to take, were killed by the Alexandrians;

Note. pars … pars: 'some … others'. nacta: from nancīscor. quid esset capiendum cōnsiliī: 'what course was to be taken'; partitive genitive.

B. Alex. 20.6nōnnūllī fēlīciōre exitū expedītās ad ancoram nāvēs cōnsecūtī incolumēs discessērunt, paucī adlevātīs scūtīs et animō ad cōnandum nīsī ad proxima nāvigia adnatārunt.

some had better luck, reached ships riding ready at anchor and got away unharmed; a few held their shields above them, struggled on with all their spirit, and swam to the nearest vessels.

Note. nōnnūllī … paucī: further groups. ad ancoram: 'at anchor'. nīsī: perfect participle of nītor, 'having striven' (not the conjunction nisi). adnatārunt = adnatāvērunt.