De Bello Civili 1.30

BC 1.30.1Itaque in praesentiā Pompēī sequendī ratiōnem omittit, in Hispāniam proficīscī cōnstituit, duumvirīs mūnicipiōrum omnium imperat, ut nāvēs conquīrant Brundisiumque dēdūcendās cūrent.

So for the present he gives up the idea of following Pompey and decides to set out for Spain; he orders the two chief magistrates of all the towns to collect ships and have them brought to Brundisium.

Note. Pompēī sequendī: gerundive, 'of following Pompey'. duumvirīs: the chief magistrates of Italian towns.

BC 1.30.2mittit in Sardiniam cum legiōne ūnā Valerium lēgātum, in Siciliam Cūriōnem prō praetōre cum legiōnibus iiii;

He sends Valerius his legate to Sardinia with one legion, and Curio as propraetor to Sicily with four legions;

Note. Q. Valerius Orca was Caesar's legate. prō praetōre: 'as propraetor'.

BC 1.30.2eundem, cum Siciliam recēpisset, prōtinus in Āfricam trādūcere exercitum iubet.

he orders the same man, when he had recovered Sicily, to take his army straight across to Africa.

Note. eundem: Curio.

BC 1.30.2Sardiniam obtinēbat M. Cotta, Siciliam M. Catō;

Marcus Cotta was holding Sardinia, Marcus Cato Sicily;

Note. M. Porcius Cato, Caesar's most stubborn opponent, was governing Sicily for the senate.

BC 1.30.2Āfricam sorte Tuberō obtinēre dēbēbat.

Tubero ought to have been holding Africa by the lot.

Note. sorte: 'by lot'. Provinces were assigned by lot to former magistrates.

BC 1.30.3Caralitānī, simul ad sē Valerium mittī audiērunt, nōndum profectō ex Ītaliā suā sponte Cottam ex oppidō ēiciunt.

The people of Carales, as soon as they heard that Valerius was being sent to them, before he had even left Italy, of their own accord drive Cotta out of the town.

Note. Caralitānī: the people of Carales (Cagliari), the chief city of Sardinia. simul: 'as soon as'. nōndum profectō: understand Valeriō, 'before Valerius had even set out'.

BC 1.30.3ille perterritus, quod omnem prōvinciam cōnsentīre intellegēbat, ex Sardiniā in Āfricam profūgit.

He, terrified because he realized that the whole province was of one mind, fled from Sardinia to Africa.

Note. omnem prōvinciam cōnsentīre: 'that the whole province was of one mind'.

BC 1.30.4Catō in Siciliā nāvēs longās veterēs reficiēbat, novās cīvitātibus imperābat.

Cato in Sicily was repairing old warships and ordering new ones from the cities.

Note. nāvēs longās: warships, as opposed to merchant ships.

BC 1.30.4haec magnō studiō agēbat.

He was doing this with great energy.

Note. magnō studiō: 'with great energy'.

BC 1.30.4in Lūcānīs Bruttiīsque per lēgātōs suōs cīvium Rōmānōrum dīlēctūs habēbat, equitum peditumque certum numerum ā cīvitātibus Siciliae exigēbat.

Through his legates he was holding levies of Roman citizens among the Lucanians and the Bruttians, and demanding a fixed number of cavalry and infantry from the cities of Sicily.

Note. dīlēctūs habēbat: 'was holding levies'.

BC 1.30.5quibus rēbus paene perfectīs adventū Cūriōnis cognitō queritur in cōntiōne sēsē prōiectum ac prōditum ā Cn. Pompēiō, quī omnibus rēbus imparātissimīs nōn necessārium bellum suscēpisset et ab sē reliquīsque in senātū interrogātus omnia sibi esse ad bellum apta ac parāta cōnfirmāvisset.

When these measures were almost complete, on learning of Curio's arrival he complains in an assembly that he had been abandoned and betrayed by Gnaeus Pompey, who had undertaken an unnecessary war with everything quite unprepared, and who, when questioned in the senate by himself and others, had assured them that everything was ready and prepared for war.

Note. Cato's complaint in reported speech: prōiectum ac prōditum, 'abandoned and betrayed'. omnibus rēbus imparātissimīs: ablative absolute, 'with everything quite unprepared'.

BC 1.30.5haec in cōntiōne questus ex prōvinciā fūgit.

After making these complaints in the assembly he fled from the province.

Note. questus: from the deponent queror, 'having complained'.