Bellum Alexandrinum 63

B. Alex. 63.1Interim Lepidus ex citeriōre prōvinciā cum cohortibus legiōnāriīs XXXV magnōque numerō equitum et reliquōrum auxiliōrum vēnit eā mente Uliam, ut sine ūllō studiō contentiōnēs Cassiī Mārcellīque compōneret.

Meanwhile Lepidus came from the nearer province to Ulia, with thirty-five legionary cohorts and a large number of cavalry and other auxiliaries, intending to settle the quarrel between Cassius and Marcellus without favouring either side.

Note. Lepidus is Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, governor of Nearer Spain and the later triumvir. XXXV: Roman numeral, 35. eā mente … ut: 'with this intention, that'. sine ūllō studiō: 'without any partisanship'.

B. Alex. 63.2Huic venientī sine dubitātiōne Mārcellus sē crēdit atque offert;

As he arrived, Marcellus without hesitation trusted himself to him and put himself in his hands;

Note. Huic venientī: dative with sē crēdit atque offert, 'entrusts and offers himself to him as he arrives'.

B. Alex. 63.2Cassius contrā suīs sē tenet praesidiīs, sīve eō, quod plūs sibi iūris dēbērī quam Mārcellō exīstimābat, sīve eō, quod, nē praeoccupātus animus Lepidī esset obsequiō adversāriī, verēbātur.

Cassius, on the other hand, kept himself within his defences, either because he thought that more was due to him by right than to Marcellus, or because he feared that Lepidus' mind had already been won over by his opponent's deference.

Note. sīve eō, quod … sīve eō, quod: 'either for this reason, that … or for this reason, that'. plūs sibi iūris: plūs with a partitive genitive, 'more right'. nē … verēbātur: the fearing clause is placed before its verb.

B. Alex. 63.3Pōnit ad Uliam castra Lepidus neque habet ā Mārcellō quicquam dīvīsī.

Lepidus pitched his camp at Ulia and kept himself in no way apart from Marcellus.

Note. neque habet … quicquam dīvīsī: partitive genitive, literally 'has nothing of separation from Marcellus', i.e. acts entirely with him.

B. Alex. 63.3Nē pugnētur, interdīcit;

He forbade any fighting;

Note. Nē pugnētur, interdīcit: an indirect command expressed by an impersonal passive, 'he forbids that there be fighting'.

B. Alex. 63.3ad exeundum Cassium invītat fidemque suam in rē omnī interpōnit.

he invited Cassius to come out, and pledged his word on everything.

Note. ad exeundum: gerund with ad expressing purpose. fidem … interpōnit: 'pledges his word'.

B. Alex. 63.4Cum diū dubitāsset Cassius, quid sibi faciendum quidve Lepidō esset crēdendum, neque ūllum exitum cōnsiliī suī reperīret, sī permanēret in sententiā, postulat, utī mūnītiōnēs disicerentur sibique līber exitus darētur.

Cassius hesitated for a long time about what he ought to do and whether he should trust Lepidus; but as he could find no way out of his plan if he stuck to his decision, he demanded that the siege-works be pulled down and that he be given free passage out.

Note. quid sibi faciendum … esset: an indirect question with the gerundive of obligation and a dative of the agent (sibi). quidve = quid + -ve, 'or what'. utī = ut.

B. Alex. 63.5Nōn tantum indūtiīs factīs, sed prope iam pāce cōnstitūtā opera cum complānārentur custōdiaeque mūnītiōnum essent dēductae, auxilia rēgis in id castellum Mārcellī, quod proximum erat rēgis castrīs, neque opīnantibus omnibus— sī tamen in omnibus fuit Cassius: nam dē huius cōnscientiā dubitābātur— impetum fēcērunt complūrēsque ibi mīlitēs oppressērunt.

A truce had not only been made but peace was almost settled, and the works were being levelled and the guards withdrawn from the fortifications, when the king's auxiliaries attacked that fort of Marcellus which was nearest to the king's camp, while no one was expecting it (if indeed Cassius was among the 'no one', for there was doubt about whether he was in the plot), and overwhelmed a number of soldiers there.

Note. The sentence describes a treacherous attack during a truce. Nōn tantum … sed prope iam: 'not only … but almost already'. neque opīnantibus omnibus: ablative absolute, 'when no one was expecting it'; the author then adds a doubt whether Cassius himself was among the 'no one'. dē huius cōnscientiā dubitābātur: impersonal passive, 'there was doubt about his complicity'.

B. Alex. 63.6Quod nisi celeriter indignātiōne et auxiliō Lepidī proelium esset dirēmptum, maior calamitās esset accepta.

And if the fighting had not been quickly broken off by Lepidus' indignation and his help, a greater disaster would have been suffered.

Note. Quod nisi: 'but if … not'; quod is a connecting relative used loosely. A past unreal condition with the pluperfect subjunctive in both halves.