Lectitō › Julius Caesar › The Alexandrian War (Bellum Alexandrinum)
Bellum Alexandrinum 23
The Alexandrians ask for their king
Hirtius, Bellum Alexandrinum. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōB. Alex. 23.1Alexandrīnī cum Rōmānōs et secundīs rēbus cōnfirmārī et adversīs incitārī vidērent neque ūllum bellī tertium cāsum nōssent, quō possent esse firmiōrēs, ut coniectūrā cōnsequī possumus, aut admonitī ā rēgis amīcīs, quī in Caesaris erant praesidiīs, aut suō priōre cōnsiliō per occultōs nūntiōs rēgī probātōs lēgātōs ad Caesarem mīsērunt, ut dīmitteret rēgem trānsīreque ad suōs paterētur: parātam enim omnem multitūdinem esse, cōnfectam taediō puellae fīdūciāriō regnō, dominātiōne crūdēlissimā Ganymēdis, facere id, quod rēx imperāsset;
The Alexandrians saw that the Romans were strengthened by success and spurred on by setbacks, and they knew of no third outcome of war by which they could be made stronger; and so, as far as we can guess, either on the advice of the king's friends who were in Caesar's camp, or following an earlier plan of their own conveyed to the king through secret messengers and approved by him, they sent envoys to Caesar asking him to release the king and let him go over to his own people: for the whole population, worn out with weariness of the girl, of a kingdom held in trust, and of the most cruel tyranny of Ganymedes, was ready to do whatever the king commanded;
Note. Rōmānōs … cōnfirmārī … incitārī: they grew stronger by success and keener by failure. ut coniectūrā cōnsequī possumus: the author admits he is guessing. puellae: Arsinoe, the king's sister; fīdūciāriō regnō: a reign held only in trust. Ganymēdis: Ganymedes, Arsinoe's eunuch tutor, now commander of the Alexandrians.
B. Alex. 23.2quō sī auctōre in Caesaris fidem amīcitiamque ventūrī essent, nūllīus perīculī timōrem multitūdinī fore impedīmentō, quō minus sē dēderent.
and if on his authority they were to come into Caesar's protection and friendship, no fear of danger would stand in the way of the people surrendering.
Note. quō … auctōre: 'on whose authority'. quō minus sē dēderent: 'from surrendering', after impedīmentō.
Vocabulary
| Alexandrīnus, -a, -um | of Alexandria, Alexandrian (bellum Alexandrīnum: the war Caesar fought at Alexandria, 48-47 BC) |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| Rōmānus, -a, -um | Roman |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| secundus, -a, -um | following, favorable |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| cōnfirmō, -firmāre, -firmāvī, -firmātus | strengthen, establish; declare, assert |
| adversus, -a, -um | facing; unfavourable, unsuccessful |
| incitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | stir up, provoke |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| ūllus, -a, -um | any |
| bellum, -ī, n. | war |
| tertius, -a, -um | third |
| cāsus, -ūs, m. | fall; chance, accident |
| nōscō, -ere, nōvī, nōtum | get to know (perf. nōvī: know) |
| quō, adv. | to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long? |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| firmus, -a, -um | strong, steadfast |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| coniectūra, -ae f. | guess, inference |
| cōnsequor, -sequī, -secūtus | follow up, follow; overtake |
| aut, conj. | or; aut ... aut, either ... or |
| admoneō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | remind, warn, advise |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| rēx, rēgis, m. | king |
| amīcus, -ī, m. | friend |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| praesidium, -ī, n. | protection; guard, escort |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| prior, prius | earlier, former; in front (priōrēs: those in front) |
| cōnsilium, -ī, n. | advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence |
| per, prep, with ace. | through, by means of |
| occultus, -a, -um | hidden, secret |
| nūntius, -ī, m. | messenger; message |
| probō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | prove, show; approve |
| lēgātus, -ī, m. | ambassador |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| dīmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send different ways, send forth or away, despatch; let slip, lose |
| trānseō, -īre, -iī, -itus | go across or over, cross |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| patior, patī, passus, bear | suffer, allow |
| parātus, -a, -um | prepared, equipped, ready |
| enim, conj. | for |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| multitūdō, -tūdinis, f. | multitude |
| cōnficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | make or do completely, complete, finish, accomplish, make; wear out |
| taedium, -ī n. | weariness, disgust |
| puella, -ae, f. | girl, maiden |
| fīdūciārius, -a, -um | held in trust, entrusted |
| regnum, -ī, n. | royal power, rule, throne; kingdom, realm |
| dominātiō, -ōnis f. | absolute rule, tyranny |
| crūdēlis, -e | cruel |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| imperō, -perāre, -perāvī, -perātus | command, order, enjoin |
| sī, conj. | if |
| auctor, -ōris m. | originator, instigator |
| fidēs, -eī f. | faith, trust; pledge |
| amīcitia, -ae f. | friendship, alliance |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| nūllus, -a, -um | not any, none, no |
| perīculum, -ī, n. | danger, peril, risk |
| timor, -ōris, m. | fear |
| impedīmentum, -ī n. | hindrance; (pl.) baggage |
| minus, comp. adv. | less |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| dēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditus | give away or up |