Bellum Alexandrinum 5

B. Alex. 5.1Alexandrīa est ferē tōta subfossa specūsque habet ad Nīlum pertinentēs, quibus aqua in prīvātās domōs indūcitur, quae paulātim spatiō temporis liquēscit ac subsīdit.

Almost all Alexandria is undermined and has underground channels reaching to the Nile, by which water is led into private houses; in time it gradually clears and settles.

Note. subfossa: 'dug underneath'. specūs: 'underground channels', accusative plural of specus. quae … liquēscit ac subsīdit: the water 'clears and settles' as the mud sinks.

B. Alex. 5.2Hāc utī dominī aedificiōrum atque eōrum familiae cōnsuērunt: nam quae ē flūmine Nīlō fertur, adeō est līmōsa ac turbida, ut multōs variōsque morbōs efficiat;

This is what the masters of the houses and their households usually use: for the water which is carried from the river Nile is so muddy and cloudy that it causes many different diseases;

Note. Hāc (aquā): ablative with ūtī. cōnsuērunt: contracted from cōnsuēvērunt, 'are accustomed'; the perfect of cōnsuēscō has present meaning. quae … fertur: understand aqua, 'the water which is brought'. adeō … ut: result clause.

B. Alex. 5.2sed ea plēbēs ac multitūdō contenta est necessāriō, quod fōns urbe tōtā nūllus est.

but the common people and the masses are of necessity content with it, because there is not a single spring in the whole city.

Note. ea: ablative with contenta, 'content with it'. plēbēs: an old by-form of plēbs. quod fōns urbe tōtā nūllus est: 'because there is no spring in the whole city'; urbe tōtā is ablative of place without in, as usual with tōtus.

B. Alex. 5.2Hoc tamen flūmen in eā parte erat urbis, quae ab Alexandrīnīs tenēbātur.

This river, however, was in that part of the city which was held by the Alexandrians.

Note. Hoc flūmen: the Nile channel, i.e. the water entering by the canals.

B. Alex. 5.3Quō factō est admonitus Ganymēdēs posse nostrōs aquā interclūdī;

This fact made Ganymedes realise that our men could be cut off from water;

Note. Quō factō: connecting relative + participle, 'this fact'. posse nostrōs aquā interclūdī: indirect statement depending on admonitus est; aquā is ablative of separation.

B. Alex. 5.3quī, distribūtī mūnītiōnum tuendārum causā vīcātim, ex prīvātīs aedificiīs specibus ac puteīs extrāctā aquā ūtēbantur.

for, posted street by street to guard the fortifications, they were using water drawn from the channels and cisterns of private houses.

Note. distribūtī … vīcātim: 'distributed street by street'. specibus ac puteīs: 'from the channels and cisterns', with extracta aquā.