Bellum Alexandrinum 49

B. Alex. 49.1Cassius legiōnibus in hīberna dispositīs ad iūs dīcendum Cordubam sē recēpit contrāctumque in eā aes aliēnum gravissimīs oneribus prōvinciae cōnstituit exsolvere;

Cassius, after placing his legions in winter quarters, went back to Corduba to hold the courts, and decided to pay off the debt he had run up there by laying very heavy burdens on the province;

Note. ad iūs dīcendum: gerundive of purpose; a governor spent the winter hearing cases at the assize towns. contractum … aes aliēnum: 'debt contracted', literally 'another's bronze'. gravissimīs oneribus prōvinciae: ablative of means, 'by the heaviest burdens on the province'. cōnstituit exsolvere: 'decided to pay off'.

B. Alex. 49.1et ut largītiōnis postulat cōnsuētūdō, per causam līberālitātis speciōsam plūra largītōrī quaerēbantur.

and, as the habit of lavish giving demands, more and more was sought for the giver under the showy pretext of generosity.

Note. ut … postulat cōnsuētūdō: 'as the habit … demands'. per causam līberālitātis speciōsam: 'on the showy pretext of generosity'. plūra: 'more and more'. largītōrī: dative of advantage, 'for the giver'.

B. Alex. 49.2Pecūniae locuplētibus imperābantur, quās Longīnus sibi expēnsās ferrī nōn tantum patiēbātur, sed etiam cōgēbat, in gregem locuplētium simulātiōnis causā tenuēs coiciēbantur, neque ūllum genus quaestūs aut magnī et ēvidentis aut minimī et sordidī praetermittēbātur, quō domus et tribūnal imperātōris vacāret.

Sums of money were ordered from the rich, which Longinus not only allowed but even forced to be entered as paid out to himself; poor men were thrown into the herd of the rich to keep up the pretence, and no kind of profit, whether large and obvious or very small and mean, was passed over, none that the governor's house and tribunal kept clear of.

Note. Pecūniae … imperābantur: 'sums of money were levied', with the dative of those taxed. sibi expēnsās ferrī: a book-keeping phrase, 'to be entered as paid out to him'; the rich were made to record forced levies as loans. in gregem locuplētium … tenuēs coniciēbantur: poor men were listed among the rich so that it would look fair. quō … vacāret: 'which the house … was free from'; the relative takes the ablative of separation.

B. Alex. 49.3Nēmō erat, quī modo aliquam iactūram facere posset, quīn aut vadimōniō tenērētur aut in reōs referrētur.

There was no one who could stand to lose anything at all who was not either held by a bail-bond or entered on the list of the accused.

Note. quī modo … posset: generic subjunctive, 'who could at all…'. modo: 'only, at all'. quīn … tenērētur … referrētur: after a negative, quīn = 'who did not'. vadimōnium: a bail-bond guaranteeing appearance in court. in reōs referrī: 'to be entered among the accused'.

B. Alex. 49.3Ita magna etiam sollicitūdō perīculōrum ad iactūrās et dētrīmenta reī familiāris adiungēbātur.

So, on top of the losses and damage to their property, great anxiety about their own dangers was added as well.

Note. reī familiāris: 'of one's property'. adiungēbātur: 'was added' to the losses.