Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 1
De Bello Civili 1.29
Why Caesar does not pursue
Caesar, De Bello Civili I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 1.29.1Caesar etsī ad spem cōnficiendī negōtī maximē probābat coāctīs nāvibus mare trānsīre et Pompēium sequī, priusquam ille sēsē trānsmarīnīs auxiliīs cōnfirmāret, tamen eius reī moram temporisque longinquitātem timēbat, quod omnibus coāctīs nāvibus Pompēius praesentem facultātem īnsequendī suī adēmerat.
Although Caesar thought it the best way to hope to finish the business to collect ships, cross the sea and follow Pompey before he could strengthen himself with help from overseas, still he feared the delay and the length of time this would take, because by collecting all the ships Pompey had taken away for the present the means of following him.
Note. ad spem cōnficiendī negōtī: 'as a hope of finishing the business'. facultātem īnsequendī suī: 'the means of following him'.
BC 1.29.2relinquēbātur, ut ex longinquiōribus regiōnibus Galliae Pīcēnīque et ā fretō nāvēs essent exspectandae.
What remained was to wait for ships from the more distant regions of Gaul and Picenum and from the straits.
Note. relinquēbātur ut: 'it remained that'. ā fretō: from the straits of Messina.
BC 1.29.2id propter annī tempus longum atque impedītum vidēbātur.
Because of the season of the year this seemed long and difficult.
Note. propter annī tempus: it was winter, a dangerous season for sailing.
BC 1.29.3intereā veterem exercitum, duās Hispāniās cōnfirmārī, quārum erat altera maximīs beneficiīs Pompēī dēvīncta, auxilia, equitātum parārī, Galliam Ītaliamque temptārī sē absente nōlēbat.
Meanwhile he did not want the veteran army and the two Spains, one of which was bound to Pompey by very great kindnesses, to be strengthened, auxiliaries and cavalry to be raised, and Gaul and Italy to be tampered with in his absence.
Note. duās Hispāniās: the two Spanish provinces, Nearer and Further. sē absente: ablative absolute, 'in his absence'.
Vocabulary
| etsī, conj. | even if, although |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| spēs, speī, f. | hope |
| cōnficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | make or do completely, complete, finish, accomplish, make; wear out |
| negōtium, -ī, n. | business, matter; task, trouble, difficulty |
| maximē, adv. | very greatly, exceedingly, especially |
| probō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | prove, show; approve |
| cōgō, cōgere, coēgī, coāctus | drive together, collect; compel |
| nāvis, -is, f. | ship |
| mare, maris, n. | sea |
| trānseō, -īre, -iī, -itus | go across or over, cross |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| sequor, sequī, secūtus | follow |
| priusquam, conj. | before than, sooner than, before |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| trānsmarīnus, -a, -um | from overseas |
| auxilium, -ī, n. | help, aid |
| cōnfirmō, -firmāre, -firmāvī, -firmātus | strengthen, establish; declare, assert |
| tamen, adv. | however, yet, nevertheless |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| mora, -ae, f. | delay |
| tempus, temporis, n. | time, season |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| longinquitās, -ātis f. | length, distance; long duration |
| timeō, -ēre, -uī | fear |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| praesēns, -sentis, adj. | present, immediate, imminent |
| facultās, -tātis, f. | possibility, opportunity, chance, means |
| īnsequor, -sequī, -secūtus | follow upon or up, pursue |
| adimō, -imere, -ēmī, -ēmptus | take to oneself, take away |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| longinquus, -a, -um | distant, remote |
| regiō, -ōnis, f. | direction; country, region |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| fretum, -ī, n. | strait |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| exspectō, -spectāre, -spectāvī, -spectātus | look out for, wait for, await, expect; wait |
| propter, prep. with acc. | on account of, because of |
| annus, -ī, m. | year |
| longus, -a, -um | long; tedious |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| impedītus, -a, -um | hindered; hard to cross, impassable |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| intereā, adv. | in the meantime, meanwhile |
| vetus, veteris | old, former |
| exercitus, -ūs, m. | army |
| duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj. | two |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| alter, -era, -erum | one or the other (of two); another, second |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| beneficium, -ī, n. | well-doing, kindness, service, benefit |
| dēvinciō, -īre, -vīnxī, -vīnctus | bind fast; attach, put under obligation |
| equitātus, -ūs m. | cavalry |
| parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | make ready, prepare |
| temptō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | try, attempt |
| absum, abesse, āfuī, āfutūrus | be away, be absent, be distant; be wanting |
| nōlō, nōlle, nōluī | not wish, be unwilling |