Bellum Alexandrinum 24

B. Alex. 24.1Caesar etsī fallācem gentem semperque alia cōgitantem, alia simulantem bene cognitam habēbat, tamen petentibus dare veniam ūtile esse statuit, quod, sī quō pactō sentīrent ea, quae postulārent, mānsūrum in fidē dīmissum rēgem crēdēbat, sīn, id quod magis illōrum nātūrae conveniēbat, ducem ad bellum gerendum rēgem habēre vellent, splendidius atque honestius sē contrā rēgem quam contrā convenārum ac fugitīvōrum manum bellum esse gestūrum.

Although Caesar knew well that the nation was deceitful, always thinking one thing and pretending another, he nevertheless decided that it was advantageous to grant their request, because he believed that if they meant at all what they asked, the king would stay loyal once released; but if, as better suited their character, they wanted the king as a leader for waging war, he would be waging war more gloriously and honourably against a king than against a band of riff-raff and runaways.

Note. alia cōgitantem, alia simulantem: 'thinking one thing, pretending another'. mānsūrum (esse) … rēgem: future infinitive in indirect statement. sīn: 'but if'. gestūrum (esse): future infinitive.

B. Alex. 24.2Itaque rēgem cohortātus, ut cōnsuleret regnō paternō, parceret praeclārissimae patriae, quae turpibus incendiīs et ruīnīs esset dēfōrmāta, cīvēs suōs prīmum ad sānitātem revocāret, deinde cōnservāret, fidem populō Rōmānō sibique praestāret, cum ipse tantum eī crēderet, ut ad hostēs armātōs eum mitteret, dextrā dextram tenēns dīmittere coepit adultā iam aetāte puerum.

So he urged the king to look after his father's kingdom, to spare his most famous homeland, which had been disfigured by shameful fires and ruins, first to bring his citizens back to their senses and then to save them, and to keep faith with the Roman people and with himself, since he himself trusted him so much that he was sending him to an enemy in arms; and holding his right hand in his own, he began to send the boy, now of grown age, away.

Note. cohortātus ut: 'having urged him to'. dextrā dextram tenēns: the handclasp of a pledge. adultā iam aetāte: Ptolemy XIII was about fourteen.

B. Alex. 24.3At rēgius animus disciplīnīs fallācissimīs ērudītus, nē ā gentis suae mōribus dēgenerāret, flēns ōrāre contrā Caesarem coepit, nē sē dīmitteret: nōn enim sibi regnum ipsum cōnspectū Caesaris esse iūcundius.

But the king's mind, schooled in the most deceitful arts, so as not to fall short of the ways of his race, began to beg Caesar in tears not to send him away: for, he said, his kingdom itself was not more delightful to him than the sight of Caesar.

Note. nē … dēgenerāret: 'so as not to fall short of'. nōn enim sibi …: indirect speech reporting the king's words.

B. Alex. 24.4Compressīs puerī lacrimīs Caesar ipse commōtus celeriter, sī illa sentīret, fore eum sēcum adfirmāns ad suōs dīmīsit.

Caesar checked the boy's tears, and, himself moved, assured him that if he really felt that way he would soon be with him again, and sent him off to his people.

Note. compressīs … lacrimīs: ablative absolute. fore eum sēcum: 'that he would soon be with him'.

B. Alex. 24.5Ille, ut ex carceribus in līberum cursum ēmissus, adeō contrā Caesarem ācriter bellum gerere coepit, ut lacrimās, quās in conloquiō prōiēcerat, gaudiō vidērētur profūdisse.

The king, like a horse let out of the starting-gates onto the open course, began to wage war against Caesar so fiercely that the tears he had shed at the meeting seemed to have been tears of joy.

Note. ut ex carceribus: 'like (a horse) out of the starting-gates'. gaudiō vidērētur prōfūdisse: 'seemed to have shed from joy'.

B. Alex. 24.6Accidisse hoc complūrēs Caesaris lēgātī, amīcī, centuriōnēs mīlitēsque laetābantur, quod nimia bonitās eius fallāciīs puerī ēlūsa esset.

Many of Caesar's officers, friends, centurions and soldiers were glad that this had happened, because his excessive kindness had been tricked by the boy's deceit.

Note. accidisse hoc: accusative + infinitive after laetābantur.

B. Alex. 24.6Quasi vērō id Caesar bonitāte tantum adductus ac nōn prūdentissimō cōnsiliō fēcisset.

As if Caesar had done it out of mere kindness and not on the shrewdest calculation!

Note. quasi vērō: ironic, 'as if indeed'; the author defends Caesar's calculation.