Bellum Alexandrinum 28

B. Alex. 28.1Mittitur ā Mithridate nūntius Caesarī, quī rem gestam perferret.

A messenger was sent by Mithridates to Caesar to report what had happened.

Note. quī rem gestam perferret: relative clause of purpose.

B. Alex. 28.1Cognōscit ex suīs eadem haec accidisse rēx.

The king learned from his own men that the same had happened.

Note. eadem haec accidisse: 'that these same things had happened'.

B. Alex. 28.1Ita paene sub idem tempus et rēx ad opprimendum Mithridātēn proficīscitur et Caesar ad recipiendum.

So at almost the same time the king set out to crush Mithridates and Caesar to relieve him.

Note. sub idem tempus: 'about the same time'. ad opprimendum Mithridātēn: gerundive of purpose; ad recipiendum: 'to relieve (him)'.

B. Alex. 28.2Celeriōre flūminis Nīlī nāvigātiōne rēx est ūsus, in quō magnam et parātam classem habēbat.

The king made use of the quicker passage along the river Nile, on which he had a large fleet ready;

Note. ūsus est takes the ablative (celeriōre … nāvigātiōne).

B. Alex. 28.2Caesar eōdem itinere utī nōluit, nē nāvibus in flūmine dīmicāret, sed circumvectus est eō marī, quod Āfricae partis esse dīcitur, sīcutī suprā dēmōnstrāvimus;

Caesar did not want to use the same route, so as not to fight on the river with ships, but sailed round by that sea which is said to belong to Africa, as we have shown above;

Note. circumvectus est: 'sailed round'. quod Āfricae partis esse dīcitur: 'which is said to be part of Africa', i.e. the sea west of the Delta; sīcutī suprā dēmōnstrāvimus refers to a passage not in our text.

B. Alex. 28.2prius tamen rēgis cōpiīs occurrit, quam is Mithridātēn adgredī posset, eumque ad sē victōrem incolumī exercitū recēpit.

yet he met the king's forces before the king could attack Mithridates, and welcomed him, victorious and with his army unharmed.

Note. prius … quam … posset: 'before he could'. ad sē … recēpit: 'took (him) into his company'.

B. Alex. 28.3Cōnsēderat cum cōpiīs rēx locō nātūrā mūnītō, quod erat ipse excelsior plānitiē ex omnibus partibus subiectā;

The king had encamped with his forces in a place fortified by nature, because it was itself higher than the plain that lay below it on every side;

Note. cōnsēderat: 'had encamped'. excelsior plāniē: ablative of comparison.

B. Alex. 28.3tribus autem ex lateribus variī generis mūnītiōnibus tegēbātur: ūnum latus erat adiectum flūminī Nīlō, alterum ēditissimō locō ductum, ut partem castrōrum obtinēret, tertium palūde cingēbātur.

and on three sides it was protected by fortifications of different kinds: one side lay along the river Nile, the second ran up to very high ground, so as to take in part of the camp, and the third was surrounded by a marsh.

Note. ūnum … alterum … tertium: the three sides. ēditissimō locō: 'very high ground'.