Lectitō › Julius Caesar › The Alexandrian War (Bellum Alexandrinum)
Bellum Alexandrinum 62
Bogud comes to Cassius' aid
Hirtius, Bellum Alexandrinum. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōB. Alex. 62.1Paucīs diēbus Q. Cassiī litterīs acceptīs rēx Bogus cum cōpiīs venit adiungitque eī legiōnī, quam sēcum addūxerat, complūrēs cohortēs auxiliāriās Hispānōrum.
A few days later, after receiving Quintus Cassius' letter, King Bogud came with his forces, and to the legion which he had brought with him he added several auxiliary cohorts of Spaniards.
Note. Paucīs diēbus: ablative of time within which, 'within a few days'. rēx Bogus: Bogud, king of Mauretania, Caesar's ally; this text gives his name in the form Bogus.
B. Alex. 62.2Namque ut in cīvīlibus dissēnsiōnibus accidere cōnsuēvit, ita temporibus illīs in Hispāniā nōnnūllae cīvitātēs rēbus Cassiī studēbant, plūrēs Mārcellō favēbant.
For, as usually happens in civil strife, so at that time in Spain some communities favoured Cassius' cause, but more favoured Marcellus.
Note. ut … ita: 'as … so'. accidere cōnsuēvit: 'usually happens'; cōnsuēvī, the perfect of cōnsuēscō, means 'I am accustomed'. rēbus Cassiī studēbant: studeō with the dative, 'favoured Cassius' side'.
B. Alex. 62.3Accēdit cum cōpiīs Bogus ad exteriōrēs Mārcellī mūnītiōnēs.
Bogud with his forces approached Marcellus' outer fortifications.
Note. Accēdit … Bogus: historic present, with the subject placed after the verb for vividness.
B. Alex. 62.3Pugnātur utrimque ācriter, crēbrōque id accidit Fortūna saepe ad utrumque victōriam trānsferente;
There was fierce fighting on both sides, and this happened often, with Fortune frequently shifting the victory to one side or the other;
Note. Pugnātur: impersonal passive, 'there was fighting'. Fortūnā … trānsferente: ablative absolute with a present participle.
B. Alex. 62.3nec tamen umquam ab operibus dēpellitur Mārcellus.
but Marcellus was never driven from his works.
Note. dēpellitur: present passive, 'is driven off'.
Vocabulary
| paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj. | few |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| quīntus, -a, -um | fifth |
| littera, -ae f. | letter (of the alphabet); pl. letter, writing |
| accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | take to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer |
| rēx, rēgis, m. | king |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| cōpia, -ae, f. | supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| adiungo, -iungere, -iūnxī, -iūnctus | join to, join |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| addūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead to, bring, take; induce, influence |
| complūrēs, -plūra, plur. adj. | several, many |
| cohors, cohortis f. | cohort (a tenth of a legion); company |
| auxiliārius, -a, -um | auxiliary (of troops raised from allies, not legionaries) |
| namque, conj. | for |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| cīvīlis, -e | of citizens; bellum cīvīle: civil war |
| dissēnsiō, -ōnis f. | disagreement, quarrel |
| accidō, -cidere, -cidī | fall to or upon; befall, happen |
| cōnsuēscō, -suēscere, -suēvī, -suētus | become accustomed; in tenses of completed action, have become accustomed, be accustomed or wont |
| ita, adv. | in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as |
| tempus, temporis, n. | time, season |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| nōnnūllus, -a, -um | not none, some, several |
| cīvitās, -tātis, f. | state |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| studeō, -ēre, -uī | be eager, give attention, apply oneself |
| multus, -a, -um | much, great; plur., many |
| faveō, -ēre, fāvī, fautum (+ dat.) | favour, support |
| accēdō, -ere, accessī, accessum | come near, approach; be added |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| exterior, -ius | outer, outside, exterior |
| mūnītiō, -ōnis f. | fortification, defence works |
| pugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | fight |
| utrimque, adv. | on either side or both sides |
| ācriter, adv. | sharply, fiercely |
| crēbrō (adv.) | often, again and again |
| fortūna, -ae, f. | fortune |
| saepe, adv. | often, frequently |
| uterque, utraque, utrumque | each, either, both |
| victōria, -ae, f. | victory |
| trānsferō, -ferre, -tulī, -lātus | carry across, transfer |
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| tamen, adv. | however, yet, nevertheless |
| umquam, adv. | ever |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| opus, operis, n. | work, task |
| dēpellō, -pellere, -pulī, -pulsus | drive off or away, drive |