Bellum Alexandrinum 34

B. Alex. 34.1Dum haec in Aegyptō geruntur, rēx Dēiotarus ad Domitium Calvīnum, cui Caesar Asiam fīnitimāsque prōvinciās administrandās trādiderat, vēnit ōrātum, nē Armeniam minōrem, regnum suum, nēve Cappadociam, regnum Ariobarzānis, possidērī vāstārīque paterētur ā Pharnace;

While this was happening in Egypt, King Deiotarus came to Domitius Calvinus, to whom Caesar had entrusted the government of Asia and the neighbouring provinces, to beg him not to allow Lesser Armenia, his own kingdom, or Cappadocia, the kingdom of Ariobarzanes, to be seized and laid waste by Pharnaces;

Note. The scene shifts to Asia Minor. Deiotarus was tetrarch of Galatia and king of Lesser Armenia. Domitius Calvinus had commanded Caesar's centre at Pharsalus. administrandās: gerundive of purpose with trādiderat, 'to govern'. ōrātum: supine of ōrō expressing purpose after a verb of motion, 'came to beg'. nē … nēve … paterētur: indirect command, 'not to allow'. Pharnaces II was the son of Mithridates VI Eupator.

B. Alex. 34.1quō malō nisi līberārentur, imperāta sē facere pecūniamque prōmissam Caesarī nōn posse persolvere.

unless they were freed from this trouble, they could not carry out their orders or pay Caesar the money they had promised.

Note. quō malō: connecting relative, 'from this trouble'. nisi līberārentur: the condition in indirect speech, still Deiotarus' words. imperāta: 'what had been ordered of them'.

B. Alex. 34.2Domitius, nōn tantum ad explicandōs sūmptūs reī mīlitāris cum pecūniam necessāriam esse iūdicāret, sed etiam turpe populō Rōmānō et C. Caesarī victōrī sibique īnfāme esse statueret, regna sociōrum atque amīcōrum ab externō rēge occupārī, nūntiōs cōnfestim ad Pharnacem mīsit, Armeniā Cappadociāque dēcēderet nēve occupātiōne bellī cīvīlis populī Rōmānī iūs maiestātemque temptāret.

Domitius judged that money was needed to meet the costs of the war, and he also decided that it was a disgrace to the Roman people and to the victorious Gaius Caesar, and dishonourable to himself, that the kingdoms of allies and friends should be seized by a foreign king; so he at once sent messengers to Pharnaces to tell him to withdraw from Armenia and Cappadocia and not to take advantage of the civil war to assail the rights and majesty of the Roman people.

Note. ad explicandōs sūmptūs: gerundive of purpose, 'to meet the costs'. cum … iūdicāret … statueret: causal cum. turpe … īnfāme esse: impersonal, followed by the infinitive phrase regna … occupārī as subject. Armeniā Cappadociāque dēcēderet: an indirect command without ut, reporting the message. occupātiōne bellī cīvīlis: 'taking advantage of the civil war'; occupātiō means 'being taken up with', i.e. Rome's preoccupation.

B. Alex. 34.3Hanc dēnūntiātiōnem cum maiōrem vim habitūram exīstimāret, sī propius eās regiōnēs cum exercitū accessisset, ad legiōnēs profectus ūnam ex tribus, XXXVI, sēcum dūcit, duās in Aegyptum ad Caesarem mittit litterīs eius ēvocātās;

Thinking that this warning would carry more weight if he came nearer to those regions with an army, he set out to his legions; of the three he took one, the Thirty-sixth, with him, and sent two to Caesar in Egypt, as Caesar's letter had summoned them;

Note. maiōrem vim habitūram: future infinitive with esse omitted, 'would carry more force'. propius: comparative of prope, here governing the accusative regiōnēs. XXXVI: the Thirty-sixth legion, made up of former Pompeian troops. litterīs eius ēvocātās: summoned by Caesar's letter.

B. Alex. 34.3quārum altera bellō Alexandrīnō nōn occurrit, quod itinere terrestrī per Syriam erat missa.

one of these did not arrive in time for the Alexandrian war, because it had been sent by the land route through Syria.

Note. bellō Alexandrīnō nōn occurrit: 'did not arrive in time for the Alexandrian war'; occurrō with the dative.

B. Alex. 34.4Adiungit Cn. Domitius legiōnī XXXVI duās ab Dēiotarō, quās ille disciplīnā atque armātūrā nostrā complūrēs annōs cōnstitūtās habēbat, equitēsque C, totidemque ab Ariobarzāne sūmit.

To the Thirty-sixth legion Gnaeus Domitius added two from Deiotarus, which the king had kept for several years, organized on our model of discipline and equipment, and he took a hundred cavalry from him and the same number from Ariobarzanes.

Note. Adiungit … sūmit: historic presents. duās: legions understood. disciplīnā atque armātūrā nostrā … cōnstitūtās: Deiotarus had trained his troops in the Roman way. equitēs C: one hundred cavalry. totidem: 'the same number'.

B. Alex. 34.5Mittit P. Sēstium ad C. Plaetōrium quaestōrem, ut legiōnem addūceret, quae ex tumultuāriīs mīlitibus in Pontō cōnfecta erat, Quīntumque Patīsium in Ciliciam ad auxilia arcessenda.

He sent Publius Sestius to the quaestor Gaius Plaetorius to bring the legion that had been raised in Pontus from hastily levied troops, and Quintus Patisius to Cilicia to fetch auxiliaries.

Note. P. Sestius: Publius Sestius, the man Cicero defended in 56 BC. ut … addūceret: purpose clause. ex tumultuāriīs mīlitibus: 'from hastily raised troops'. ad auxilia arcessenda: gerundive of purpose.

B. Alex. 34.5Quae cōpiae celeriter omnēs iussū Domitiī Comāna convēnērunt.

All these forces quickly assembled at Comana on Domitius' orders.

Note. iussū: an ablative found only in this form, 'by order'. Comāna: accusative plural of a neuter town name, place to which without a preposition.