Civil War, Book 1

Caesar, De Bello Civili I

Caesar crosses into Italy: the senate's ultimatum, Corfinium, Pompey's flight to Greece, and the campaign at Ilerda in Spain. 87 sections, 694 sentences, each with an English translation.

Read it with every word glossed and parsed, and keep your place.

Read in Lectitō

Chapter 1Caesar's letter in the senateLitterīs C. Caesaris cōnsulibus redditīs aegrē ab hīs impetrātum est summā…
Chapter 2The senate is browbeatenHaec Scīpiōnis ōrātiō, quod senātus in urbe habēbātur Pompēiusque aderat, ex…
Chapter 3Pompey gathers his supportersMissō ad vesperum senātū omnēs, quī sunt eius ōrdinis, ā Pompēiō ēvocantur.
Chapter 4The motives of Caesar's enemiesOmnibus hīs resistitur omnibusque ōrātiō cōnsulis, Scīpiōnis, Catōnis oppōnitur.
Chapter 5The last decree of the senateHīs dē causīs aguntur omnia raptim atque turbātē.
Chapter 6Pompey's preparationsProximīs diēbus habētur extrā urbem senātus.
Chapter 7Caesar addresses his soldiersQuibus rēbus cognitīs Caesar apud mīlitēs cōntiōnātur.
Chapter 8Pompey's private messageCognitā mīlitum voluntāte Arīminum cum eā legiōne proficīscitur, ibique…
Chapter 9Caesar's reply and his offerQuae rēs etsī nihil ad levandās iniūriās pertinēre vidēbantur, tamen idōneōs…
Chapter 10Pompey's answerAcceptīs mandātīs Roscius cum Caesare Capuam pervēnit ibique cōnsulēs…
Chapter 11Unequal terms; Caesar moves southErat inīqua condiciō postulāre, ut Caesar Arīminō excēderet atque in prōvinciam…
Chapter 12Iguvium and AuximumIntereā certior factus Iguium Thermum praetōrem cohortibus v tenēre, oppidum…
Chapter 13Attius Varus is desertedAdventū Caesaris cognitō decuriōnēs Auximī ad Attium Vārum frequentēs…
Chapter 14Panic in RomeQuibus rēbus Rōmam nūntiātīs tantus repente terror invāsit, ut cum Lentulus…
Chapter 15Picenum goes over; Domitius at CorfiniumAuximō Caesar prōgressus omnem agrum Pīcēnum percurrit.
Chapter 16Caesar marches on CorfiniumReceptō Firmō expulsōque Lentulō Caesar conquīrī mīlitēs, quī ab eō…
Chapter 17Domitius appeals to PompeyRē cognitā Domitius ad Pompēium in Āpūliam perītōs regiōnum magnō prōpositō…
Chapter 18Sulmo goes over; the siege works beginInterim Caesarī nūntiātur Sulmōnēnsēs, quod oppidum ā Corfīniō vii mīlium…
Chapter 19Domitius plans to fleeLitterīs perlēctīs Domitius dissimulāns in cōnsiliō prōnūntiat Pompēium…
Chapter 20The garrison turns on DomitiusDīvulgātō Domitī cōnsiliō mīlitēs, quī erant Corfīniī, prīmō vesperī…
Chapter 21A sleepless night outside CorfiniumQuibus rēbus cognitīs Caesar, etsī magnī interesse arbitrābātur quam prīmum…
Chapter 22Lentulus Spinther begs for his lifeQuārta vigiliā circiter Lentulus Spinthēr dē mūrō cum vigiliīs custōdibusque…
Chapter 23The surrender of CorfiniumCaesar, ubi lūxit, omnēs senātōrēs senātōrumque līberōs, tribūnōs mīlitum…
Chapter 24Pompey falls back on BrundisiumPompēius hīs rēbus cognitīs, quae erant ad Corfīnium gestae, Lūceriā…
Chapter 25Caesar tries to block the harbourHīs datīs mandātīs Brundisium cum legiōnibus vi pervēnit, veterānīs iii et…
Chapter 26Peace feelers failContrā haec Pompēius nāvēs magnās onerāriās, quās in portū Brundisīnō…
Chapter 27Pompey prepares to sailPrope dīmidiā parte operis ā Caesare effectā diēbusque in eā rē cōnsūmptīs ix,…
Chapter 28Pompey escapesBrundisīnī Pompēiānōrum mīlitum iniūriīs atque ipsīus Pompēī contumēliīs…
Chapter 29Why Caesar does not pursueCaesar etsī ad spem cōnficiendī negōtī maximē probābat coāctīs nāvibus mare…
Chapter 30Sardinia and Sicily change sidesItaque in praesentiā Pompēī sequendī ratiōnem omittit, in Hispāniam proficīscī…
Chapter 31Africa is closed to TuberoNactī vacuās ab imperiīs Sardiniam Valerius, Cūriō Siciliam, cum exercitibus eō…
Chapter 32Caesar addresses the senate at RomeHīs rēbus cōnfectīs Caesar, ut reliquum tempus ā labōre intermitterētur,…
Chapter 33No envoys can be foundProbat rem senātus dē mittendīs lēgātīs;
Chapter 34Massilia closes its gatesQuō cum vēnisset, cognōscit missum in Hispāniam ā Pompēiō Vibullium Rūfum, quem…
Chapter 35The Massilians' answerĒvocat ad sē Caesar Massiliā xv prīmōs.
Chapter 36The siege of Massilia beginsHaec dum inter eōs aguntur, Domitius nāvibus Massiliam pervēnit atque ab iīs…
Chapter 37Fabius seizes the Pyrenees passesDum haec parat atque administrat, C. Fabium lēgātum cum legiōnibus iii, quās…
Chapter 38Pompey's legates in SpainAdventū L. Vibullī Rūfī, quem ā Pompēiō missum in Hispāniam dēmōnstrātum est,…
Chapter 39The two armiesErant, ut suprā dēmōnstrātum est, legiōnēs Afrānī iii, Petrēī duae, praetereā…
Chapter 40The broken bridgeFabius fīnitimārum cīvitātum animōs litterīs nūntiīsque temptābat.
Chapter 41Caesar arrives at IlerdaEō bīduō Caesar cum equitibus dcccc, quōs sibi praesidiō relīquerat, in castra…
Chapter 42The camp is completedPosterō diē omnem exercitum intrā fossam continet, et, quod longius erat agger…
Chapter 43The fight for the moundErat inter oppidum Ilerdam et proximum collem, ubi castra Petrēius atque…
Chapter 44Spanish tacticsGenus erat pugnae mīlitum illōrum, ut magnō impetū prīmō prōcurrerent, audācter…
Chapter 45The Ninth Legion's rash pursuitCaesar paene omnī aciē perterritā, quod praeter opīniōnem cōnsuētūdinemque…
Chapter 46The end of the battleHōc cum esset modō pugnātum continenter hōrīs quīnque nostrīque gravius ā…
Chapter 47Both sides claim the daySed haec eius diēī praefertur opīniō, ut sē utrīque superiōrēs discessisse…
Chapter 48The floodAccidit etiam repentīnum incommodum bīduō, quō haec gesta sunt.
Chapter 49Afranius well suppliedAt exercitus Afrānī omnium rērum abundābat cōpiā.
Chapter 50The flood cuts the bridgesHae permānsērunt aquae diēs complūrēs.
Chapter 51A convoy attackedNūntiātur Afrāniō magnōs commeātūs, quī iter habēbant ad Caesarem, ad flūmen…
Chapter 52Famine in Caesar's campHīs tamen omnibus annōna crēvit.
Chapter 53Rome hears the war is wonHaec Afrānius Petrēiusque et eōrum amīcī plēniōra etiam atque ūberiōra Rōmam ad…
Chapter 54Boats of wicker and hideCum in hīs angustiīs rēs esset atque omnēs viae ab Afrāniānīs mīlitibus…
Chapter 55Foragers ambushedEōdem diē equitum magnam partem flūmen trānsiēcit.
Chapter 56Massilia's fleet sails outDum haec ad Ilerdam geruntur, Massiliēnsēs ūsī L. Domitī cōnsiliō nāvīs longās…
Chapter 57The sea battle off MassiliaErat multō īnferior numerō nāvium Brūtus.
Chapter 58Skill against courageIpsī Massiliēnsēs et celeritāte nāvium et scientiā gubernātōrum cōnfīsī nostrōs…
Chapter 59The tide turns at IlerdaHoc cum prīmum Caesarī ad Ilerdam nūntiātur, simul perfectō ponte celeriter…
Chapter 60Spanish towns come overInterim Oscēnsēs et Calagurritānī, quī erant cum Oscēnsibus contribūtī, mittunt…
Chapter 61Afranius plans to withdrawQuibus rēbus perterritīs animīs adversāriōrum Caesar, nē semper magnō circuitū…
Chapter 62The ford across the SicorisQuā rē per explōrātōrēs cognitā summō labōre mīlitum Caesar continuātō diem…
Chapter 63The Pompeians cross the riverIam vērō eō magis illī mātūrandum iter exīstimābant.
Chapter 64Caesar's men wade the riverPrīmā lūce ex superiōribus locīs, quae Caesaris castrīs erant coniūncta,…
Chapter 65The pursuitQuōs ubi Afrānius procul vīsōs cum Petrēiō cōnspexit, novā rē perterritus locīs…
Chapter 66Night alarm and scoutingMediā circiter nocte iīs quī aquandī causā longius ā castrīs prōcesserant, ab…
Chapter 67A council of warDisputātur in cōnsiliō ā Petrēiō atque Afrāniō et tempus profectiōnis quaeritur.
Chapter 68Through the mountainsCaesar explōrātīs regiōnibus albente caelō omnēs cōpiās castrīs ēdūcit,…
Chapter 69The race beginsAc prīmō Afrāniānī mīlitēs vīsendī causā laetī ex castrīs prōcurrēbant…
Chapter 70Caesar wins the raceErat in celeritāte omne positum certāmen, utrī prius angustiās montēsque…
Chapter 71Caesar holds back from battleErat occāsiō bene gerendae reī.
Chapter 72Victory without bloodshedCaesar in eam spem vēnerat sē sine pugnā et sine volnere suōrum rem cōnficere…
Chapter 73The Pompeians cut offPosterō diē ducēs adversāriōrum perturbātī, quod omnem reī frūmentāriae…
Chapter 74The soldiers fraternizeQuōrum discessū līberam nactī mīlitēs colloquiōrum facultātem volgō prōcēdunt,…
Chapter 75Petreius breaks up the talksQuibus rēbus nūntiātīs Afrānius ab īnstitūtō opere discēdit sēque in castra…
Chapter 76The oathQuibus rēbus cōnfectīs flēns Petrēius manipulōs circumit mīlitēsque appellat,…
Chapter 77Caesar sends the enemy soldiers backCaesar, quī mīlitēs adversāriōrum in castra per tempus colloquī vēnerant, summā…
Chapter 78The Pompeians march for IlerdaPremēbantur Afrāniānī pābulātiōne, aquābantur aegrē.
Chapter 79How the march was foughtGenus erat hoc pugnae.
Chapter 80A running fightTālī dum pugnātur modō, lentē atque paulātim prōcēditur crēbrōque, ut sint…
Chapter 81The Pompeians cut off from waterTum vērō neque ad explōrandum idōneum locum castrīs neque ad prōgrediendum datā…
Chapter 82Battle lines drawn upIn hīs operibus cōnsiliīsque bīduum cōnsūmitur.
Chapter 83The two armies face each otherAciēs erat Afrāniāna duplex legiōnum v, tertium in subsidiīs locum ālāriae…
Chapter 84Afranius asks for termsTandem omnibus rēbus obsessī quārtum iam diem sine pābulō retentīs iūmentīs,…
Chapter 85Caesar's replyAd ea Caesar respondit: nūllī omnium hās partīs vel querimōniae vel…
Chapter 86The terms are acceptedId vērō mīlitibus fuit pergrātum et iūcundum, ut ex ipsā significātiōne…
Chapter 87The Pompeian army disbandedCaesar ex eō tempore, dum ad flūmen Vārum veniātur, sē frūmentum datūrum…

Caesar, De Bello Civili I. Latin text: R. du Pontet, C. Iuli Caesaris Commentariorum pars posterior (Oxford, 1901), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: LatinCy, then every word checked and corrected by hand. English translation, notes and grammar hints: written for this app.

Civil War, Book 1

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