Bellum Alexandrinum 33

B. Alex. 33.1Caesar Aegyptō atque Alexandrīā potītus rēgēs cōnstituit, quōs Ptolomaeus testāmentō scrīpserat atque obtestātus erat populum Rōmānum, nē mūtārentur.

Now master of Egypt and Alexandria, Caesar set up as rulers those whom Ptolemy had named in his will, and he had solemnly charged the Roman people that they should not be changed.

Note. Aegyptō atque Alexandrīā potītus: potior takes the ablative. Ptolomaeus: Ptolemy XII Auletes, who died in 51 BC. testāmentō scrīpserat: 'had named in his will'. obtestātus erat populum Rōmānum, nē mūtārentur: 'had solemnly appealed to the Roman people that they should not be changed'.

B. Alex. 33.2Nam maiōre ex duōbus puerīs, rēge, āmissō minōrī trādidit regnum maiōrīque ex duābus fīliīs, Cleopatrae, quae mānserat in fidē praesidiīsque eius;

For the elder of the two boys, the king, was lost, so he handed the kingdom to the younger and to the elder of the two daughters, Cleopatra, who had remained loyal to him and within his lines;

Note. maiōre ex duōbus puerīs, rēge, āmissō: ablative absolute; rēge is in apposition, 'the elder of the two boys, the king, being lost'. minōrī: the younger brother, Ptolemy XIV. Cleopatrae: dative, in apposition to maiōrī ex duābus fīliīs. in fidē praesidiīsque eius: 'loyal to him and within his lines' (Caesar's).

B. Alex. 33.2minōrem, Arsinoēn, cuius nōmine diū regnāsse impotenter Ganymēdēn docuimus, dēdūcere ex regnō statuit, nē qua rūrsus nova dissēnsiō, priusquam diūturnitāte cōnfirmārentur rēgibus imperia, per hominēs sēditiōsōs nāscerētur.

the younger, Arsinoe, in whose name, as we have related, Ganymedes had long ruled like a tyrant, he decided to remove from the kingdom, so that no new quarrel might arise again through troublemakers before the rulers' power had been strengthened by time.

Note. minōrem: the younger daughter, object of dēdūcere. Arsinoēn: Greek accusative. cuius nōmine … Ganymēdem docuimus: the author had told earlier how the eunuch Ganymedes ruled in Arsinoe's name. impotenter: 'without restraint, tyrannically'. nē qua … dissēnsiō … nāscerētur: negative purpose clause; qua is the indefinite after nē. Arsinoe was later led in Caesar's triumph.

B. Alex. 33.3Legiōnēs ibi veterānā sextā sēcum reductā cēterās relīquit, quō firmius esset eōrum rēgum imperium, quī neque amōrem suōrum habēre poterant, quod fidēliter permānserant in Caesaris amīcitiā, neque vetustātis auctōritātem, paucīs diēbus rēgēs cōnstitūtī.

He took the veteran Sixth legion with him and left the other legions there, so that the power of these rulers might be more secure; they could have neither the affection of their subjects, since they had stayed loyal to their friendship with Caesar, nor the authority that comes with time, since they had been made rulers only a few days before.

Note. Lēgiōnēs is the object of reliquit, with cēterās picking it up: 'the legions he left there, the rest of them'; veterānā sextā sēcum reductā is an ablative absolute with legiōne understood, 'the veteran Sixth being taken back with him'. quō firmius esset: purpose clause with a comparative, introduced by quō. quod fidēliter permānserant in Caesaris amīcitiā: the rulers were unpopular because they had stood by Caesar. paucīs diēbus: 'only a few days before'.

B. Alex. 33.4Simul ad imperiī nostrī dignitātem ūtilitātemque pūblicam pertinēre exīstimābat, sī permanērent in fidē rēgēs, praesidiīs eōs nostrīs esse tūtōs;

At the same time he thought it concerned the dignity of our empire and the public interest that, if the rulers kept faith, they should be protected by our garrisons;

Note. pertinēre: impersonal, 'it concerned', with the indirect statement praesidiīs eōs nostrīs esse tūtōs as its subject. sī permanērent: conditional within indirect speech.

B. Alex. 33.4sī essent ingrātī, posse īsdem praesidiīs coercērī.

if they proved ungrateful, they could be held in check by the same garrisons.

Note. posse … coercērī: still dependent on existimābat. īsdem: = eīsdem.

B. Alex. 33.5Sīc rēbus omnibus cōnfectīs et collocātīs ipse profectus est in Syriam.

Having settled and arranged everything in this way, he himself set out for Syria.

Note. cōnfectīs et collocātīs: ablative absolute. Caesar left Egypt about June 47 BC.