De Bello Civili 1.2

BC 1.2.1Haec Scīpiōnis ōrātiō, quod senātus in urbe habēbātur Pompēiusque aderat, ex ipsīus ōre Pompēī mittī vidēbātur.

This speech of Scipio's, because the senate was meeting in the city and Pompey was nearby, seemed to come from the mouth of Pompey himself.

Note. ex ipsīus ōre Pompēī: 'from the very mouth of Pompey'. As proconsul with an army, Pompey could not enter the city; the senate met outside the walls so he could attend.

BC 1.2.2dīxerat aliquis lēniōrem sententiam, ut prīmō M. Mārcellus, ingressus in eam ōrātiōnem, nōn oportēre ante dē eā rē ad senātum referrī, quam dīlēctūs tōtā Ītaliā habitī et exercitūs cōnscrīptī essent, quō praesidiō tūtō et līberē senātus quae vellet dēcernere audēret;

Some had spoken a milder opinion, as at first Marcus Marcellus, who entered upon the argument that the matter ought not to be put to the senate before levies had been held throughout Italy and armies enrolled, so that under their protection the senate might dare to decree safely and freely what it wished;

Note. M. Mārcellus: Marcus Claudius Marcellus, consul in 51. priusquam is split as ante … quam: 'before levies had been held'. quō praesidiō: 'so that with this protection', quō introducing a purpose clause.

BC 1.2.3ut M. Calidius, quī cēnsēbat, ut Pompēius in suās prōvinciās proficīscerētur, nē qua esset armōrum causa;

as Marcus Calidius, who proposed that Pompey should set out for his provinces, so that there might be no cause for war;

Note. M. Calidius proposed that Pompey go to his provinces (the two Spains, which he governed through legates while staying near Rome). nē qua … causa: qua is the indefinite 'any' after nē.

BC 1.2.3timēre Caesarem ēreptīs ab eō duābus legiōnibus, nē ad eius perīculum reservāre et retinēre eās ad urbem Pompēius vidērētur;

Caesar, he said, was afraid, now that two legions had been taken from him, that Pompey seemed to be keeping them back near the city to threaten him;

Note. The two legions had been taken from Caesar in 50 BC for a supposed Parthian war (see sentence 84) and then kept in Italy. ad eius perīculum: 'to endanger him'.

BC 1.2.3ut M. Rūfus, quī sententiam Calidī paucīs ferē mūtātīs rēbus sequēbātur.

as Marcus Rufus, who followed Calidius' opinion with a few things changed.

Note. M. Rūfus: M. Caelius Rufus, Cicero's young friend, then on Caesar's side. paucīs fere mūtātīs rēbus: ablative absolute.

BC 1.2.4hī omnēs convīciō L. Lentulī cōnsulis correptī exagitābantur.

All these were attacked and harassed by the abuse of the consul Lucius Lentulus.

Note. convīciō: 'with abuse, insults'. correptī exagitābantur: 'were taken to task and harassed'.

BC 1.2.5Lentulus sententiam Calidī prōnūntiātūrum sē omnīnō negāvit, Mārcellus perterritus convīciīs ā suā sententiā discessit.

Lentulus refused outright to put Calidius' motion to the vote; Marcellus, terrified by the abuse, withdrew from his opinion.

Note. prōnūntiātūrum: the presiding consul decided which proposals were put to the vote (prōnūntiāre sententiam).

BC 1.2.6sīc vōcibus cōnsulis, terrōre praesentis exercitūs, minīs amīcōrum Pompēī plērīque compulsī invītī et coāctī Scīpiōnis sententiam sequuntur: utī ante certam diem Caesar exercitum dīmittat;

So, driven by the consul's words, by the terror of an army close at hand, and by the threats of Pompey's friends, most of them, unwilling and under compulsion, follow Scipio's opinion: that Caesar should dismiss his army before a fixed day;

Note. plērīque … sequuntur: the subject is plural though described by a string of ablatives of cause (vōcibus, terrōre, minīs). utī = ut. ante certam diem: dies is feminine when it means a fixed date.

BC 1.2.6sī nōn faciat, eum adversus rem pūblicam factūrum vidērī.

if he did not do so, he would be held to be acting against the republic.

Note. adversus rem pūblicam facere: 'to act against the state', the formula used to declare someone a public enemy in all but name.

BC 1.2.7intercēdit M. Antōnius Q. Cassius tribūnī plēbis.

Marcus Antonius and Quintus Cassius, tribunes of the plebs, interpose their veto.

Note. intercēdit … Antōnius, Cassius: a singular verb with two subjects, common when the verb comes first. Mark Antony was tribune in 49.

BC 1.2.7refertur cōnfestim dē intercessiōne tribūnōrum.

A motion is at once put on the tribunes' veto.

Note. The senate debated the veto itself: a sign that it meant to override it.

BC 1.2.8dīcuntur sententiae gravēs;

Severe opinions are spoken;

Note. sententiae gravēs: 'severe proposals'.

BC 1.2.8ut quisque acerbissimē crūdēlissimēque dīxit, ita quam maximē ab inimīcīs Caesaris collaudātur.

the more harshly and cruelly each man spoke, the more he was praised by Caesar's enemies.

Note. ut quisque … ita quam maximē: 'the more … each one …, the more …'. A correlative construction: 'as each spoke most harshly, so he was most praised'.