De Bello Civili 1.17

BC 1.17.1Rē cognitā Domitius ad Pompēium in Āpūliam perītōs regiōnum magnō prōpositō praemiō cum litterīs mittit, quī petant atque ōrent, ut sibi subveniat;

When he learned this, Domitius sends men who knew the country, with a large reward offered, to Pompey in Apulia with a letter, to beg and plead that he come to his help;

Note. L. Domitius Ahenobarbus, Caesar's bitter enemy, had been named to succeed him in Gaul. quī petant atque ōrent: a relative purpose clause, 'to ask and beg'. sibi: the indirect reflexive, referring to Domitius.

BC 1.17.1Caesarem duōbus exercitibus et locōrum angustiīs facile interclūdī posse frūmentōque prohibērī.

that Caesar could easily be cut off by two armies and the narrowness of the ground and kept from grain.

Note. Indirect statement continuing the message: Caesarem … interclūdī posse, 'that Caesar could be cut off'. duōbus exercitibus: Pompey's and Domitius'.

BC 1.17.2quod nisi fēcerit, sē cohortēsque amplius xxx magnumque numerum senātōrum atque equitum Rōmānōrum in perīculum esse ventūrum.

Unless he did so, he himself and more than thirty cohorts and a great number of senators and Roman knights would fall into danger.

Note. quod nisi fēcerit: 'and if he did not do this'; quod links the clause to what precedes. in perīculum esse ventūrum: future infinitive, 'would come into danger'; the singular agrees with the nearest subject, sē.

BC 1.17.3interim suōs cohortātus tormenta in mūrīs dispōnit certāsque cuique partēs ad custōdiam urbis attribuit;

Meanwhile, after encouraging his men, he places artillery on the walls and assigns each man fixed sections for guarding the city;

Note. suōs cohortātus: 'after encouraging his men'; cohortor is deponent. certās … cuique partēs: 'fixed sections to each man'.

BC 1.17.4mīlitibus in cōntiōne agrōs ex suīs possessiōnibus pollicētur, quaterna in singulōs iūgera, et prō ratā parte centuriōnibus ēvocātīsque.

in an assembly he promises the soldiers land out of his own estates, four iugera to each man, and to the centurions and the recalled veterans in proportion.

Note. quaterna in singulōs iūgera: distributive numeral, 'four iugera to each man' (a iugerum was about two-thirds of an acre). prō ratā parte: 'in proportion'. ēvocātīs: veterans recalled to service.