Bellum Alexandrinum 60

B. Alex. 60.1Cuius reī dēfōrmitāte atque indignitāte legiōnēs, quae Mārcellum sibi ducem cēperant, ad eum concurrērunt, ut in aciem ēdūcerentur, ōrant, priusque cōnflīgendī sibi potestās fieret, quam cum tantā contumēliā nōbilissimae clārissimaeque possessiōnēs Cordubēnsium in cōnspectū suō rapīnīs, ferrō flammāque cōnsūmerentur.

At the ugliness and outrage of this, the legions that had taken Marcellus as their leader ran to him and begged to be led out into battle, and to be given the chance to fight before the very famous and splendid estates of the people of Corduba were destroyed, before their own eyes, by plunder, sword and fire, to their great disgrace.

Note. Cuius reī: connecting relative, 'of this'. ut in aciem ēdūcerentur, ōrant: indirect command placed before its verb. prius … quam: 'before', split by the verb. cum tantā contumēliā: 'to their great disgrace'. in cōnspectū suō: 'before their eyes'. rapīnīs, ferrō flammāque: ablatives of means.

B. Alex. 60.2Mārcellus cum cōnflīgere miserrimum putāret, quod et victōris et victī dētrīmentum ad eundem Caesarem esset redundātūrum, neque suae potestātis esset, legiōnēs Baetim trādūcit aciemque īnstruit.

Marcellus, though he thought fighting a most wretched course, because the loss of both victor and vanquished would fall back on the same Caesar, and since it was not in his power to decide, led the legions across the Baetis and drew up his battle line.

Note. cōnflīgere miserrimum: the infinitive is the subject, 'that fighting was a most wretched course'. quod … esset redundātūrum: 'because (as he thought) … would recoil'; the subjunctive gives Marcellus' reasoning. victōris et victī: 'of victor and vanquished'. neque suae potestātis esset: 'and it was not in his power'; a genitive of possession used predicatively. Baetim trādūcit: 'led across the Baetis', with the river as accusative after trāns- in trādūcō.

B. Alex. 60.3Cum Cassium contrā prō suīs castrīs aciem īnstrūxisse locō superiōre vidēret, causā interpositā, quod is in aequum nōn dēscenderet, Mārcellus mīlitibus persuādet, ut sē recipiant in castra.

When he saw that Cassius had drawn up his line facing him in front of his own camp on higher ground, Marcellus gave the excuse that Cassius would not come down onto level ground, and persuaded his soldiers to withdraw into camp.

Note. Cassium contrā … aciem īnstrūxisse: 'that Cassius had drawn up his line facing him'. locō superiōre: on higher ground, from which an attacker would be at a disadvantage. causā interpositā: 'putting forward as an excuse'. quod is in aequum nōn dēscenderet: the subjunctive marks the reason as Marcellus' alleged one.

B. Alex. 60.3Itaque cōpiās redūcere coepit.

So he began to lead his forces back.

Note. coepit: the perfect of a verb that has only perfect forms, 'began'.

B. Alex. 60.4Cassius, quō bonō valēbat Mārcellumque īnfirmum esse sciēbat, adgressus equitātū legiōnāriōs sē recipientēs complūrēs novissimōs in flūminis rīpīs interfēcit.

Cassius, knowing the advantage in which he was strong, and knowing that Marcellus was weak, attacked the legionaries with his cavalry as they withdrew, and killed a good number of the rearmost on the banks of the river.

Note. quō bonō valēbat: 'in which advantage he was strong', i.e. his cavalry. Marcellumque … scīēbat: a second relative-like clause joined by -que. adgressus: deponent participle, 'attacking'. sē recipientēs: 'withdrawing'. novissimōs: 'the rearmost' (novissimum agmen is the rear guard).

B. Alex. 60.5Cum hōc dētrīmentō, quid trānsitus flūminis vitiī difficultātisque habēret, cognitum esset, Mārcellus castra Baetim trānsfert, crēbrōque uterque legiōnēs in aciem ēdūcit;

When this loss had shown what drawbacks and difficulty the crossing of the river involved, Marcellus moved his camp across the Baetis, and both commanders often led their legions out into line;

Note. Cum … cognitum esset: cum with the pluperfect subjunctive. quid … vitiī difficultātisque: 'what (of) drawbacks and difficulty', partitive genitives. Baetim trānsfert: 'moved across the Baetis'. uterque: 'each (commander)'.

B. Alex. 60.5neque tamen cōnflīgitur propter locōrum difficultātēs.

but still there was no battle, because of the difficult ground.

Note. cōnflīgitur: impersonal passive, 'there was no fighting'. locōrum difficultātēs: 'the difficulty of the terrain'.