Bellum Alexandrinum 36

B. Alex. 36.1Complūrēs interim lēgātiōnēs Pharnacēs ad Domitium mittit, quae dē pāce agerent rēgiaque mūnera Domitiō ferrent.

Meanwhile Pharnaces sent several embassies to Domitius to discuss peace and to bring him royal gifts.

Note. quae … agerent … ferrent: relative clauses of purpose, 'to discuss … and to bring'.

B. Alex. 36.2Ea cōnstanter omnia aspernābātur nec sibi quicquam fore antīquius quam dignitātem populī Rōmānī et regna sociōrum recuperāre lēgātīs respondēbat.

He steadily rejected all of them and told the envoys that nothing would matter more to him than to restore the dignity of the Roman people and the kingdoms of its allies.

Note. Ea … omnia: object of aspernābātur; Domitius is subject. sibi quicquam fore antīquius quam …: 'that nothing would be more important to him than …'; antīquius here means 'of greater weight'. recuperāre: infinitive used as a noun after quam.

B. Alex. 36.3Magnīs et continuīs itineribus cōnfectīs cum adventāret ad Nīcopolim, quod oppidum positum in Armeniā minōre est plānō ipsum locō, montibus tamen altīs ab duōbus lateribus obiectīs satis magnō intervallō ab oppidō remōtīs, castra posuit longē ā Nīcopolī circiter mīlia passuum VII. Quibus ex castrīs cum locus angustus atque impedītus esset trānseundus, Pharnacēs in īnsidiīs dēlēctōs peditēs omnēsque paene disposuit equitēs, magnam autem multitūdinem pecoris intrā eās faucēs dissipārī iussit pāgānōsque et oppidānōs in hīs locīs obversārī, ut sīve amīcus Domitius eās angustiās trānsīret, nihil dē īnsidiīs suspicārētur, cum in agrīs et pecora et hominēs animum adverteret versārī tamquam amīcōrum adventū, sīve inimīcus ut in hostium fīnēs venīret, praedā dīripiendā mīlitēs dissipārentur dispersīque caederentur.

After long marches without a break he drew near to Nicopolis, a town in Lesser Armenia that lies itself on level ground, though high mountains flank it on two sides at a fair distance from the town, and he pitched camp about seven miles from Nicopolis. From that camp he had to cross a narrow and difficult pass, so Pharnaces placed picked infantry and almost all his cavalry in ambush there; he ordered a great number of cattle to be scattered within the pass, and the country people and townsfolk to go about in those parts, so that if Domitius crossed that pass as a friend, he would suspect no ambush when he saw both cattle and people moving about the fields as though friends were arriving; and if he came as an enemy, as into enemy territory, his soldiers would scatter to seize the plunder and be cut down while dispersed.

Note. cum adventāret: 'as he was approaching'. ipsum: 'itself', with oppidum. mīlia passuum VII: accusative of extent, 'seven miles'. Quibus ex castrīs: connecting relative. esset trānseundus: passive periphrastic, 'had to be crossed'. sīve … sīve: the two outcomes Pharnaces planned for, depending on whether Domitius came as friend (amīcus) or enemy (inimīcus). praedā dīripiendā: gerundive, 'by plundering the booty'.