De Bello Civili 1.25

BC 1.25.1Hīs datīs mandātīs Brundisium cum legiōnibus vi pervēnit, veterānīs iii et reliquīs quās ex novō dīlēctū cōnfēcerat atque in itinere conplēverat;

Having given these instructions he reaches Brundisium with six legions, three of veterans and the rest that he had raised from the new levy and filled up on the march;

Note. veterānīs iii: three veteran legions, the rest newly raised.

BC 1.25.1Domitiānās enim cohortēs prōtinus ā Corfīniō in Siciliam mīserat.

for he had sent Domitius' cohorts straight from Corfinium to Sicily.

Note. Domitiānās … cohortēs: the soldiers captured at Corfinium, sent to Sicily under Curio.

BC 1.25.2repperit cōnsulēs Dyrrachium profectōs cum magnā parte exercitūs, Pompēium remanēre Brundisiī cum cohortibus xx;

He found that the consuls had set out for Dyrrachium with a large part of the army, and that Pompey was remaining at Brundisium with twenty cohorts;

Note. Brundisiī: locative. The consuls of 49 BC were C. Claudius Marcellus and L. Cornelius Lentulus Crus.

BC 1.25.3neque certum invenīrī poterat, obtinendīne Brundisī causā ibi remānsisset, quō facilius omne Hadriāticum mare ex ultimīs Ītaliae partibus regiōnibusque Graeciae in potestāte habēret atque ex utrāque parte bellum administrāre posset, an inopiā nāvium ibi restitisset;

and it could not be found out for certain whether he had stayed there to hold Brundisium, so that he might more easily control the whole Adriatic sea from the furthest parts of Italy and the regions of Greece and conduct the war from both sides, or whether he had stayed there for lack of ships;

Note. obtinendīne Brundisī causā: a gerundive with -ne attached: 'whether for the sake of holding Brundisium'. The question has two halves: -ne … an, 'whether … or'.

BC 1.25.4veritusque nē ille Ītaliam dīmittendam nōn exīstimāret, exitūs administrātiōnēsque Brundisīnī portūs inpedīre īnstituit.

and fearing that Pompey did not think Italy should be given up, he began to block the exits and the working of the harbour of Brundisium.

Note. dīmittendam: gerundive, 'should be given up'. exitūs administrātiōnēsque portūs: 'the exits and the use of the harbour'.

BC 1.25.5quōrum operum haec erat ratiō: quā faucēs erant angustissimae portūs, mōlēs atque aggerem ab utrāque parte lītoris iaciēbat, quod hīs locīs erat vadōsum mare.

The plan of these works was as follows: where the mouth of the harbour was narrowest, he threw out moles and an embankment from both sides of the shore, because in these places the sea was shallow.

Note. quā: adverb, 'where'. mōlēs: a mole or breakwater built out into the sea.

BC 1.25.6longius prōgressus, cum agger altiōre aquā continērī nōn posset, ratēs duplicēs quōquōversus pedum xxx ē regiōne mōlis collocābat.

Having gone further out, since the embankment could not hold together in deeper water, he placed double rafts, thirty feet each way, opposite the end of the mole.

Note. longius prōgressus: 'having gone further out'. pedum xxx: genitive of measure, 'of thirty feet'. ē regiōne: 'opposite'.

BC 1.25.7hās quaternīs ancorīs ex iv angulīs dēstinābat, nē flūctibus movērentur.

He fastened these with four anchors from the four corners, so that they would not be moved by the waves.

Note. quaternīs ancorīs: distributive, 'with four anchors each'.

BC 1.25.8hīs perfectīs collocātīsque aliās deinceps parī magnitūdine ratēs iungēbat.

When these had been completed and placed, he joined on other rafts of equal size one after another.

Note. deinceps: 'one after another'.

BC 1.25.9hās terrā atque aggere integēbat, nē aditus atque incursus ad dēfendendum impedīrētur;

He covered these with earth and an embankment, so that access and movement for defence would not be hindered;

Note. nē … impedīrētur: a purpose clause. ad dēfendendum: gerund of purpose.

BC 1.25.9ā fronte atque ab utrōque latere crātibus ac pluteīs prōtegēbat;

in front and on both sides he protected them with wicker hurdles and screens;

Note. crātibus ac pluteīs: wicker hurdles and wooden screens, the usual field protection.

BC 1.25.10in quārta quāque eārum turrēs bīnōrum tabulātōrum excitābat, quō commodius ab impetū nāvium incendiīsque dēfenderet.

on every fourth one of them he raised towers of two storeys, so that he could defend them more easily from the attack of ships and from fire.

Note. in quārtā quāque: 'on every fourth one'. bīnōrum tabulātōrum: 'of two storeys each'.