De Bello Civili 1.24

BC 1.24.1Pompēius hīs rēbus cognitīs, quae erant ad Corfīnium gestae, Lūceriā proficīscitur Canusium atque inde Brundisium.

Pompey, on learning what had happened at Corfinium, sets out from Luceria to Canusium and from there to Brundisium.

Note. Lūceriā … Canusium … Brundisium: names of towns with no preposition: ablative for 'from', accusative for 'to'.

BC 1.24.2cōpiās undique omnēs ex novīs dīlēctibus ad sē cōgī iubet;

He orders all his forces from the new levies to be gathered to him from every side;

Note. cōgī iubet: passive infinitive, 'orders to be gathered'.

BC 1.24.2servōs, pāstōrēs armat atque iīs equōs attribuit;

he arms slaves and herdsmen and gives them horses;

Note. Arming slaves and herdsmen shows how short of troops Pompey was.

BC 1.24.2ex hīs circiter ccc equitēs cōnficit.

out of these he makes up about three hundred cavalry.

Note. ex hīs: 'out of these men'.

BC 1.24.3L. Mānlius praetor Albā cum cohortibus sex profūgit, Rutilius Lupus praetor Tarracīnā cum tribus;

The praetor Lucius Manlius fled from Alba with six cohorts, and the praetor Rutilius Lupus from Tarracina with three;

Note. Albā … Tarracīnā: ablatives of the place from which, without a preposition. cum tribus: understand cohortibus.

BC 1.24.3quae procul equitātum Caesaris cōnspicātae, cui praeerat Vibius Curius, relictō praetōre signa ad Curium trānsferunt atque ad eum trānseunt.

these cohorts, catching sight of Caesar's cavalry in the distance, under the command of Vibius Curius, left their praetor, carried their standards over to Curius, and went over to him.

Note. quae: 'these cohorts', a linking relative. cōnspicātae: a deponent participle, 'having caught sight of'. relictō praetōre: ablative absolute.

BC 1.24.4item reliquīs itineribus nōnnūllae cohortēs in agmen Caesaris, aliae in equitēs incidunt.

In the same way on the other roads some cohorts fall in with Caesar's column, others with his cavalry.

Note. in agmen … incidunt: 'fall in with the column'.

BC 1.24.4redūcitur ad eum dēprēnsus ex itinere N.

There is brought back to him, caught on the road, Numerius

Note. N. = Numerius, a praenomen; the sentence break of the edition separates it from his family name in the next line (N. Magius).

BC 1.24.4Magius Cremōnā, praefectus fabrum Cn. Pompēī.

Magius of Cremona, Gnaeus Pompey's chief engineer.

Note. praefectus fabrum: 'chief of engineers'; fabrum is an old genitive plural (= fabrōrum).

BC 1.24.5quem Caesar ad eum remittit cum mandātīs: quoniam ad id tempus facultās colloquendī nōn fuerit atque ipse Brundisium sit ventūrus, interesse reī pūblicae et commūnis salūtis sē cum Pompēiō colloquī;

Caesar sends him back to Pompey with a message: since up to that time there had been no opportunity to meet, and he himself was about to come to Brundisium, it was in the interest of the state and of their common safety that he should talk with Pompey;

Note. quoniam … nōn fuerit: subjunctive in reported speech. interesse reī pūblicae: 'it was in the interest of the state'.

BC 1.24.5neque vērō idem prōficī longō itineris spatiō, cum per aliōs condiciōnēs ferantur, ac sī cōram dē omnibus condiciōnibus disceptētur.

nor indeed was the same result achieved over a long distance, when terms were carried by others, as if all the terms were discussed face to face.

Note. neque idem prōficī: 'nor was the same achieved'. ac sī: 'as if', here 'as when'.