Bellum Alexandrinum 42

B. Alex. 42.1Sub idem tempus in Illyricō est incommodum acceptum, quae prōvincia superiōribus mēnsibus retenta nōn tantum sine ignōminiā, sed etiam cum laude erat.

About the same time a setback was suffered in Illyricum, a province which in the previous months had been held not only without disgrace but even with credit.

Note. Sub idem tempus: 'about the same time'. est incommodum acceptum: 'a reverse was suffered'. quae prōvincia: the relative is attracted into the gender of provincia. retenta … erat: pluperfect passive split by its adverbs.

B. Alex. 42.2Namque eō missus aestāte cum duābus legiōnibus Q. Cornificius, Caesaris quaestor, prō praetōre, quamquam erat prōvincia minimē cōpiōsa ad exercitūs alendōs et fīnitimō bellō ac dissēnsiōnibus cōnfecta et vāstāta, tamen prūdentiā ac dīligentiā suā, quod magnam cūram suscipiēbat, nē quō temerē prōgrederētur, et recēpit et dēfendit.

For Quintus Cornificius, Caesar's quaestor, had been sent there in the summer with two legions as propraetor; and although the province was not at all well supplied for feeding armies and had been worn out and laid waste by war on its borders and by internal strife, still by his good sense and care, taking great pains not to advance anywhere rashly, he both recovered it and defended it.

Note. eō: adverb, 'there'. prō praetōre: 'with the rank of praetor', i.e. as propraetor. ad exercitūs alendōs: gerundive of purpose. nē quō temere prōgrederētur: quō is the indefinite adverb, 'anywhere'. et recēpit et dēfendit: 'both recovered and defended' the province.

B. Alex. 42.3Namque et castella complūra locīs ēditīs posita, quōrum oportūnitās castellānōs impellēbat ad dēcursiōnēs faciendās et bellum īnferendum, expugnāvit eāque praedā mīlitēs dōnāvit, quae etsī erat tenuis, tamen in tantā prōvinciae dēspērātiōne erat grāta, praesertim virtūte parta, et cum Octāvius ex fugā Pharsālicī proeliī magnā classe in illum sē sinum contulisset, paucīs nāvibus Iadertīnōrum, quōrum semper in rempūblicam singulāre cōnstiterat officium, dispersīs Octāviānīs nāvibus erat potītus, ut vel classe dīmicāre posset adiūnctīs captīvīs nāvibus sociōrum.

He stormed a number of forts set on high ground, whose position tempted their garrisons to make raids and wage war, and rewarded his soldiers with the plunder from them; and although it was meagre, it was welcome given the desperate state of the province, especially as it had been won by courage. And when Octavius, after fleeing from the battle of Pharsalus, had gathered in that gulf with a large fleet, Cornificius, with a few ships of the Iadertini, whose loyalty to the Republic had always been outstanding, scattered Octavius' ships and captured them, so that by adding the captured ships to those of the allies he was even able to fight at sea.

Note. quōrum opportūnitās: 'whose favourable position'. ad dēcursiōnēs faciendās: gerundive of purpose. quae etsī erat tenuis: praeda is the antecedent. Octavius: Marcus Octavius, Pompey's admiral in the Adriatic. Iadertīnōrum: the people of Iader (Zadar). potītus erat: potior with the ablative nāvibus. ut vel classe dīmicāre posset: 'so that he could even fight with a fleet'.

B. Alex. 42.4Cum dīversissimā parte orbis terrārum Cn. Pompēium Caesar victor sequerētur complūrēsque adversāriōs in Illyricum propter Macedoniae propinquitātem sē reliquiīs ex fugā collēctīs contulisse audīret, litterās ad Gabīnium mittit, utī cum legiōnibus tīrōnum, quae nūper erant cōnscrīptae, proficīscerētur in Illyricum coniūnctīsque cōpiīs cum Q. Cornificiō, sī quod perīculum prōvinciae īnferrētur, dēpelleret;

While Caesar, victorious, was pursuing Gnaeus Pompeius in the most distant part of the world, he heard that several of his opponents had gathered the remnants from their flight and taken themselves to Illyricum because of its nearness to Macedonia; so he sent a letter to Gabinius, telling him to set out for Illyricum with the legions of recruits that had recently been enlisted, join forces with Quintus Cornificius, and drive off any danger that threatened the province;

Note. Cum … sequerētur … audīret: cum with the imperfect subjunctive. dīversissimā parte orbis terrārum: Caesar was chasing Pompey to Egypt. Gabīnium: Aulus Gabinius, consul in 58 BC, recalled from exile by Caesar. utī: older form of ut. sī quod perīculum: quod is the indefinite adjective after sī.

B. Alex. 42.4sīn ea nōn magnīs cōpiīs tūta esse posset, in Macedoniam legiōnēs addūceret.

but if the province could be kept safe without large forces, he was to lead the legions into Macedonia.

Note. sīn: 'but if'. nōn magnīs cōpiīs: 'without large forces'.

B. Alex. 42.5Omnem enim illam partem regiōnemque vīvō Cn. Pompēiō bellum īnstaurātūram esse crēdēbat.

For he believed that the whole of that area and region would renew the war while Gnaeus Pompeius was alive.

Note. vīvō Cn. Pompeiō: ablative absolute without a participle, 'while Pompey was alive'. īnstaurātūram esse: future infinitive, agreeing with the nearer subject partem.