De Bello Civili 1.23

BC 1.23.1Caesar, ubi lūxit, omnēs senātōrēs senātōrumque līberōs, tribūnōs mīlitum equitēsque Rōmānōs ad sē prōdūcī iubet.

At daybreak Caesar orders all the senators and senators' sons, the military tribunes and the Roman knights to be brought before him.

Note. ubi lūxit: 'when it was light'; lūxit is the perfect of lūceō. prōdūcī iubet: 'orders to be brought out'.

BC 1.23.2erant quīnque senātōriī ōrdinis, L. Domitius, P. Lentulus Spinthēr, L. Caecilius Rūfus, Sex. Quīntilius Vārus quaestor, L. Rubrius;

There were five of senatorial rank: Lucius Domitius, Publius Lentulus Spinther, Lucius Caecilius Rufus, Sextus Quintilius Varus the quaestor, and Lucius Rubrius;

Note. The praenomina are abbreviated: L. Lūcius, P. Pūblius, Sex. Sextus.

BC 1.23.2praetereā fīlius Domitī aliīque complūrēs adulēscentēs et magnus numerus equitum Rōmānōrum et decuriōnum, quōs ex mūnicipiīs Domitius ēvocāverat.

besides these, Domitius' son and several other young men, and a great number of Roman knights and town councillors whom Domitius had called up from the towns.

Note. decuriōnēs here are town councillors from the municipia, not cavalry officers.

BC 1.23.3hōs omnēs prōductōs ā contumēliīs mīlitum convīciīsque prohibet;

When they have all been brought out, he protects them from the insults and abuse of the soldiers;

Note. ā contumēliīs … prohibet: prohibeō with the ablative, 'protects from'.

BC 1.23.3pauca apud eōs loquitur, quod sibi ā parte eōrum grātia relāta nōn sit prō suīs in eōs maximīs beneficiīs;

he says a few words to them, that they had not shown him gratitude in return for his very great kindnesses to them;

Note. quod … relāta nōn sit: subjunctive because it reports Caesar's complaint. grātiam referre: 'to show gratitude, return a favour'.

BC 1.23.3dīmittit omnēs incolumēs.

he sends them all away unharmed.

Note. Caesar's clemency at Corfinium was famous and politically calculated: he wanted to be seen as the merciful side.

BC 1.23.4HS lx, quod advēxerat Domitius atque in pūblicō dēposuerat, allātum ad sē ab quattuorvirīs Corfīniēnsibus Domitiō reddit, nē continentior in vītā hominum quam in pecūniā fuisse videātur, etsī eam pecūniam pūblicam esse cōnstābat datamque ā Pompēiō in stīpendium.

The six million sesterces that Domitius had brought and deposited in the public treasury, brought to him by the four magistrates of Corfinium, he gives back to Domitius, so that he might not seem more restrained about men's lives than about money, although it was clear that this money was public and had been given by Pompey for pay.

Note. HS lx: HS is the sign for the sesterce; with a bar over the numeral, as editors print it here, the sum means sexāgiēs (centēna mīlia), six million sesterces. continentior in vītā hominum quam in pecūniā: 'more restrained about men's lives than about money'.

BC 1.23.5mīlitēs Domitiānōs sacrāmentum apud sē dīcere iubet atque eō diē castra movet iūstumque iter cōnficit vii omnīnō diēs ad Corfīnium commorātus, et per fīnēs Marrūcīnōrum Frentrānōrum Lārīnātium in Āpūliam pervēnit.

He orders Domitius' soldiers to take the oath to him, and on that same day breaks camp and makes a full day's march, having stayed only seven days in all at Corfinium, and through the territory of the Marrucini, the Frentani and the people of Larinum reaches Apulia.

Note. sacrāmentum dīcere: 'to take the military oath'. iūstum iter: 'a full day's march'. The edition spells the Frentani 'Frentrani'.