Bellum Alexandrinum 25

B. Alex. 25.1Cum duce adsūmptō Alexandrīnī nihilō sē firmiōrēs factōs aut languidiōrēs Rōmānōs animadverterent ēlūdentibusque mīlitibus rēgis aetātem atque īnfirmitātem magnum dolōrem acciperent neque sē quicquam prōficere vidērent, rūmōrēsque existerent magna Caesarī praesidia terrestrī itinere ex Syriā Ciliciāque addūcī, quod nōndum audītum Caesarī erat, commeātum, quī marī nostrīs subportābātur, intercipere statuērunt.

When the Alexandrians saw that, now that they had taken a leader, they were no stronger themselves and the Romans no weaker, and were bitterly vexed that the soldiers mocked the king's youth and weakness, and saw that they were achieving nothing, and when rumours arose that large forces were being brought to Caesar by the land route from Syria and Cilicia, which Caesar had not yet heard, they decided to intercept the supplies which were being brought to our men by sea.

Note. nihilō … firmiōrēs: 'no stronger at all'; nihilō is ablative of measure of difference. ēlūdentibus … mīlitibus: ablative absolute. quod nōndum audītum Caesarī erat: Caesar had not yet heard the news.

B. Alex. 25.2Itaque expedītīs nāvigiīs locīs idōneīs ad Canōpum in statiōne dispositīs nāvibus īnsidiābantur nostrīs commeātūque.

So they got vessels ready, posted ships on station at suitable places near Canopus, and lay in wait for our men and our supplies.

Note. Canōpum: Canopus, a town east of Alexandria at the western mouth of the Nile. īnsidiābantur takes the dative.

B. Alex. 25.3Quod ubi Caesarī nūntiātum est, ūniversam classem iubet expedīrī atque īnstruī.

When this was reported to Caesar, he ordered the whole fleet to be made ready and equipped.

Note. expedīrī atque īnstruī: passive infinitives after iubet.

B. Alex. 25.3Praeficit huic Tiberium Nerōnem.

He put Tiberius Nero in command of it.

Note. Tiberius Claudius Nero, father of the emperor Tiberius.

B. Alex. 25.3Proficīscuntur in eā classe Rhodiae nāvēs atque in hīs Euphranōr, sine quō nūlla umquam dīmicātiō marituma…, nūlla etiam parum fēlīciter cōnfecta erat.

In that fleet set out the Rhodian ships, and among them Euphranor, without whom no sea-fight had ever … , none had ever been fought with too little success.

Note. The text has a gap after maritima (spelled maritumā); the sense is that no sea-fight he took part in had failed.

B. Alex. 25.4At Fortūna, quae plērumque eōs, quōs plūrimīs beneficiīs ōrnāvit, ad dūriōrem cāsum reservat, superiōrum temporum dissimilis Euphranorem prōsequēbātur.

But Fortune, who often reserves those she has honoured with the greatest favours for a harder fate, attended Euphranor unlike in earlier times.

Note. superiōrum temporum dissimilis: 'unlike (her) former times'. The sentence states a general view of Fortune's cruelty.

B. Alex. 25.5Nam cum ad Canōpum ventum esset īnstrūctaque utrimque classis cōnflīxisset et suā cōnsuētūdine Euphranōr prīmus proelium commīsisset et quadrirēmem hostium perforāsset ac dēmersisset, proximam longius īnsecūtus parum celeriter īnsequentibus reliquīs circumventus est ab Alexandrīnīs.

For when they had come to Canopus, and the fleets drawn up on both sides had clashed, and Euphranor had begun the battle first as was his custom, and had holed and sunk an enemy quadrireme, he followed the next one too far, and as the rest were following too slowly, he was surrounded by the Alexandrians.

Note. ventum esset: impersonal passive, 'they had come'. perforāsset … dēmersisset: syncopated pluperfect subjunctives. parum celeriter īnsequentibus reliquīs: ablative absolute.

B. Alex. 25.6Cui subsidium nēmō tulit, sīve quod in ipsō satis praesidiī prō virtūte ac fēlīcitāte eius putārent esse, sīve quod ipsī sibi timēbant.

No one brought him help, either because they thought there was protection enough in himself, given his courage and good fortune, or because they were afraid for themselves.

Note. sīve quod … sīve quod: 'either because … or because'. satis praesidiī: partitive genitive.

B. Alex. 25.6Ita, quī ūnus ex omnibus eō proeliō bene rem gessit, sōlus cum suā quadrirēmī victrīce periit.

So the one man who fought well of all in that battle perished alone, together with his victorious quadrireme.

Note. victrīce: the feminine agent noun used as an adjective with quadrirēmī.