Bellum Alexandrinum 25

The fight off Canopus and the death of Euphranor

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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.

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Grammar in this passage: cum clauses ×2, ablative absolute ×3, indirect statement ×3

Latin vocabulary for this passage (131 words)

cum, conj.	when, while, after; since; although
dux, ducis, m. and f.	leader, commander
assūmō, -ere, -sūmpsī, -sūmptus	take up, receive; take to oneself
Alexandrīnus, -a, -um	of Alexandria, Alexandrian (bellum Alexandrīnum: the war Caesar fought at Alexandria, 48-47 BC)
nihilum, -ī n.	nothing; nihilō sētius: none the less
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.	himself, herself, itself, themselves
firmus, -a, -um	strong, steadfast
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
aut, conj.	or; aut ... aut, either ... or
languidus, -a, -um	faint, tired
Rōmānus, -a, -um	Roman
animadvertō, -vertere, -vertī, -versus	turn the mind to, observe
ēlūdō, -ere, -lūsī, -lūsus	mock, make sport of; elude
que, enclitic conj.	and
mīles, mīlitis, m.	soldier
rēx, rēgis, m.	king
aetās, -tātis, f.	age
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
īnfirmitās, -ātis f.	weakness; fickleness
magnus, -a, -um	large, big, great, mighty; loud
dolor, -ōris, m.	pain, grief; anger
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus	take to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
neque or nec, conj.	and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
quisquam, quicquam, indef. pron.	any one, anything
prōficiō, -ere, -fēcī, -fectum	accomplish, make progress
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
rūmor, -ōris m.	rumour, report
exsistō, -ere, -stitī	come forth, arise; appear
praesidium, -ī, n.	protection; guard, escort
terrestris, -e	of the land, on land
iter, itineris, n.	a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)	out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
addūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus	lead to, bring, take; induce, influence
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
nōndum, adv.	not yet
audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	hear; listen or attend to
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
commeātus, -ūs, m.	supplies, provisions
mare, maris, n.	sea
noster, -tra, -trum	our
subportō (supportō), -āre, -āvī, -ātum	carry up, bring in, convey
intercipiō, -ere, -cēpī, -ceptum	intercept, catch
statuō, statuere, statuī, statūtus	cause to stand; decide, resolve
itaque, adv.	and so, accordingly, therefore
expedītus, -a, -um	unobstructed, easy; lightly equipped
nāvigium, -ī n.	vessel, ship
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.	place, situation
idōneus, -a, -um	suitable, fit; favorable
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
statiō, -ōnis f.	outpost, picket
dispōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positum	station here and there, post
nāvis, -is, f.	ship
īnsidior, -ārī, -ātus sum	lie in wait, lay an ambush
ubi, adv.	where; conj., when
nūntiō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	report, announce
ūniversus, -a, -um	all together, whole, entire, all
classis, -is f.	fleet
iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussus	bid, order, command
expediō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	free, set clear; get ready; arrange, settle
īnstruo, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctus	build in or into; draw up; equip, furnish,
praeficiō, -ere, -fēcī, -fectum	put in charge of
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
proficīscor, -ficīscī, -fectus sum	set out, depart, march
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
Rhodius, -a, -um	of Rhodes, Rhodian
sine, prep. with abl.	without
nūllus, -a, -um	not any, none, no
umquam, adv.	ever
dīmicātiō, -ōnis f.	fight, struggle, combat
maritimus, -a, -um	of the sea, coastal
etiam, adv.	and now, also, too, even
parum (comp. minus, superl. minimē)	too little; minimē: least, not at all
fēlīciter, adv.	happily, fortunately, successfully
cōnficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus	make or do completely, complete, finish, accomplish, make; wear out
at, conj.	but
fortūna, -ae, f.	fortune
plērumque (adv.)	generally, mostly
multus, -a, -um	much, great; plur., many
beneficium, -ī, n.	well-doing, kindness, service, benefit
ōrnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	equip, adorn
dūrus, -a, -um	hard; harsh; difficult
cāsus, -ūs, m.	fall; chance, accident
reservō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	keep back, save
superior, -ius, adj.	higher; former, previous, preceding
tempus, temporis, n.	time, season
dissimilis, -e	unlike, different
prōsequor, -sequī, -secūtus	follow forward, follow
nam, conj.	for
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus	come
utrimque, adv.	on either side or both sides
cōnflīgō, -flīgere, -flīxī, -flīctus	dash together
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
suus, -a, -um	his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
cōnsuētūdō, -inis f.	custom, habit; way of life
prīmus, -a, -um	first, foremost
proelium, -ī, n.	battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle
committō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus	send together; commit, intrust; expose; proelium committere, to join battle
quadrirēmis, -is f.	quadrireme, a warship with four banks of oars (or four rowers to a bank)
hostis, -is, m. and f.	enemy, foe
perforō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	bore through, pierce, hole
dēmergō, -ere, -mersī, -mersus	sink, plunge down
proximus, -a, -um	nearest, next
longē, adv.	far
īnsequor, -sequī, -secūtus	follow upon or up, pursue
celeriter, adv.	swiftly, quickly
reliquus, -a, -um	left, the remaining, the other, the rest of
circumveniō, -īre, -vēnī, -ventum	surround
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
subsidium, -ī, n.	reserve, reinforcement, support, help
nēmō, nēminis, m. and f.	no one, nobody
ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus	bear, bring
sīve or seu, conj.	or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or
quod, conj.	that, in that, because
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
satis, adv.	enough, sufficiently
prō, prep. with abl.	before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for
virtūs, -tūtis, f.	manliness, courage, bravery
fēlīcitās, -ātis f.	good fortune, luck
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	think
timeō, -ēre, -uī	fear
ita, adv.	in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
omnis, -e	all, every
bene, adv.	well; successfully
rēs, reī, f.	thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus	carry, wear; carry on, do
sōlus, -a, -um	alone
cum, prep, with abl.	with
victrīx, -īcis (f. adj. and noun)	victorious; conqueror (feminine)
pereō, -īre, -ii, -itūrus	pass away, perish

Hirtius, Bellum Alexandrinum. Latin text: B. Kübler and E. Wölfflin, C. Iulii Caesaris Commentarii, vol. III (Leipzig: Teubner, 1896–97), public domain; transcribed for this app from the Internet Archive scan. Word analysis: LatinCy, then every word checked and corrected by hand. English translation, notes and grammar hints: written for this app.