Bellum Alexandrinum 57

B. Alex. 57.1Interim L. Titius, quī eō tempore tribūnus mīlitum in legiōne vernāculā fuerat, nūntiat eam ā legiōne XXX, quam Q. Cassius lēgātus simul dūcēbat, cum ad oppidum Ilipam castra habēret, sēditiōne factā centuriōnibus aliquot occīsīs, quī signa tollī nōn patiēbantur, discessisse et ad secundam legiōnem contendisse, quae ad fretum aliō itinere dūcēbātur.

Meanwhile Lucius Titius, who at that time had been a military tribune in the native legion, reported that it had broken away from the Thirtieth legion, which the legate Quintus Cassius was leading with it, while it was encamped near the town of Ilipa: a mutiny had broken out, several centurions who would not let the standards be raised had been killed, and it had gone off to join the Second legion, which was being led to the straits by another route.

Note. tribūnus mīlitum: a senior officer of a legion. eam: the native legion, subject of discessisse and contendisse. quam Q. Cassius lēgātus simul dūcēbat: the legate was marching the two legions together. sēditiōne factā, centuriōnibus … occīsīs: ablative absolutes. quī signa tollī nōn patiēbantur: raising the standards was the signal to march. ad fretum: 'to the straits' of Gibraltar.

B. Alex. 57.2Cognitā rē noctū cum V cohortibus ūnetvīcēsimānōrum ēgreditur, māne pervenit Naevam.

On learning this, he set out by night with five cohorts of the Twenty-first and reached Naeva in the morning.

Note. Cognitā rē: ablative absolute. ūnetvīcēsimānōrum: 'of the men of the Twenty-first legion'. Naevam: accusative of motion towards a town.

B. Alex. 57.2Ibi eum diem, ut, quid agerētur, perspiceret, morātus Carmōnem contendit.

After staying there that day to see what was going on, he made for Carmo.

Note. eum diem … morātus: 'having waited that day'. ut … perspiceret: purpose clause containing an indirect question (quid agerētur).

B. Alex. 57.3Hīc, cum legiō XXX et XXI et cohortēs IV ex V legiōne tōtusque convēnisset equitātus, audit IV cohortēs ā vernāculīs oppressās ad Obuculam cum hīs ad secundam pervēnisse legiōnem omnēsque ibi sē coniūnxisse et T. Tōrium Italicēnsem ducem dēlēgisse.

Here, when the Thirtieth and Twenty-first legions, four cohorts from the Fifth and all the cavalry had assembled, he heard that four cohorts had been overpowered by the native legion near Obucula, had reached the Second legion with them, and that all had joined forces there and chosen Titus Torius, a man of Italica, as their leader.

Note. Hīc: adverb, 'here'. legiō xxx et xxi: 'the Thirtieth and Twenty-first legions'. cohortēs iv ex v legiōne: 'four cohorts from the Fifth'. ā vernāculīs: 'by the native legion's men'. cum hīs: 'with them'. ad secundam … legiōnem: note the word order, the noun held back to the end. Italicēnsem: 'a man of Italica'.

B. Alex. 57.4Celeriter habitō cōnsiliō M. Mārcellum quaestōrem Cordubam, ut eam in potestāte retinēret, Q. Cassium lēgātum Hispalim mittit.

Holding a council quickly, he sent the quaestor Marcus Marcellus to Corduba to keep it under control, and the legate Quintus Cassius to Hispalis.

Note. Celeriter habitō cōnsiliō: ablative absolute. M. Marcellus: M. Claudius Marcellus (Aeserninus), the quaestor. ut eam in potestāte retinēret: 'to keep it under control'. The sentence has two objects, each with its destination: Marcellum … Cordubam, Q. Cassium … Hispalim.

B. Alex. 57.5Paucīs eī diēbus affertur conventum Cordubēnsem ab eō dēfēcisse Mārcellumque aut voluntāte aut necessitāte adductum— namque id variē nūntiābātur— cōnsentīre cum Cordubēnsibus;

A few days later he was told that the assize district of Corduba had revolted from him, and that Marcellus, led on either by his own will or by necessity (for the reports on this varied), was making common cause with the people of Corduba;

Note. Paucīs … diēbus: 'within a few days'. affertur: 'it was reported', with the accusative and infinitive. conventum Cordubēnsem: the Roman citizens of the Corduba assize district, a corporate body. namque id variē nūntiābātur: a parenthesis.

B. Alex. 57.5duās cohortēs legiōnis V, quae fuerant Cordubae in praesidiō, idem facere.

and that two cohorts of the Fifth legion, which had been in garrison at Corduba, were doing the same.

Note. Still reported speech after affertur. Cordubae: locative, 'at Corduba'. in praesidiō: 'on garrison duty'.

B. Alex. 57.6Cassius hīs rēbus incēnsus movet castra et posterō diē Segoviam ad flūmen Singiliēnse vēnit.

Cassius, enraged by this, broke camp and the next day came to Segovia on the river Singilis.

Note. movet castra: 'broke camp'. ad flūmen Singiliēnse: 'on the river Singilis', a tributary of the Baetis.

B. Alex. 57.6Ibi habitā cōntiōne mīlitum temptat animōs;

There he held an assembly and sounded out the soldiers' feelings;

Note. habitā cōntiōne: ablative absolute. temptat animōs: 'sounded out their feelings'.

B. Alex. 57.6quōs cognōscit nōn suā, sed Caesaris absentis causā sibi fīdissimōs esse nūllumque perīculum dēprecātūrōs, dum per eōs Caesarī prōvincia restituerētur.

he found that they were wholly loyal to him, not for his own sake but for the sake of the absent Caesar, and would beg off no danger as long as the province was restored to Caesar through them.

Note. nōn suā, sed Caesaris absentis causā: causā with the genitive means 'for the sake of'; suā agrees with causā. fīdissimōs: superlative of fīdus. dēprecātūrōs: future participle of the deponent dēprecor, 'would beg off'. dum … restituerētur: dum with the subjunctive, 'provided that'.