Bellum Alexandrinum 68

B. Alex. 68.1Contrā quem Caesar cum plūrima sua commemorāsset officia, quae cōnsul eī dēcrētīs pūblicīs tribuisset, cumque dēfēnsiōnem eius coarguisset— nūllam posse sē excūsātiōnem eius imprūdentiae recipere, quod homō tantae prūdentiae ac dīligentiae scīre potuisset, quis urbem Ītaliamque tenēret, ubi senātus populusque Rōmānus, ubi rēspūblica esset, quis dēnique post L. Lentulum, C. Mārcellum cōnsul esset, tamen sē concēdere id factum superiōribus suīs beneficiīs, veterī hospitiō atque amīcitiae, dignitātī aetātīque hominis, precibus eōrum, quī frequentēs concurrissent hospitēs atque amīcī Dēiotarī ad dēprecandum— dē contrōversiīs tetrarchārum posteā sē cognitūrum esse dīxit, rēgium vestītum eī restituit.

Against him Caesar recalled the very many services he had done him as consul through public decrees, and refuted his defence: he could accept no excuse for his lack of foresight, since a man of such good sense and care could have known who held Rome and Italy, where the senate and Roman people were, where the Republic was, and who, finally, was consul after Lucius Lentulus and Gaius Marcellus; nevertheless he granted pardon for what he had done in view of his own earlier kindnesses, their old ties of hospitality and friendship, the man's rank and age, and the prayers of the guest-friends and friends of Deiotarus who had gathered in numbers to plead for him. He said that he would hear the disputes of the tetrarchs later, and gave him back his royal dress.

Note. Caesar's rebuke is given in indirect statement, set off by dashes. quis urbem Ītaliamque tenēret … quis … cōnsul esset: indirect questions. post L. Lentulum, C. Mārcellum: the consuls of 49 BC; Caesar himself was consul in 48. ad dēprecandum: 'to plead for him'. cognitūrum esse: future infinitive of cognōscō.

B. Alex. 68.2Legiōnem autem eam, quam ex genere cīvium suōrum Dēiotarus armātūrā disciplīnāque nostrā cōnstitūtam habēbat, equitātumque omnem ad bellum gerendum addūcere iussit.

But he ordered him to bring the legion which Deiotarus had formed from men of his own people, trained in our arms and discipline, and all his cavalry, to carry on the war.

Note. armātūrā disciplīnāque nostrā: Deiotarus had trained a legion in the Roman manner. cōnstitūtam habēbat: habeō with a perfect participle stresses the result, 'had formed and kept'.