De Bello Civili 1.4

BC 1.4.1Omnibus hīs resistitur omnibusque ōrātiō cōnsulis, Scīpiōnis, Catōnis oppōnitur.

All these are opposed, and the speech of the consul, of Scipio and of Cato is set against them all.

Note. Omnibus hīs resistitur: impersonal passive, 'all these are resisted'. Catō: M. Porcius Cato the Younger, Caesar's most principled opponent.

BC 1.4.1Catōnem veterēs inimīcitiae Caesaris incitant et dolor repulsae.

Cato is driven on by his old feud with Caesar and by resentment at his defeat in the elections.

Note. repulsae: Cato had failed to win the consulship for 51; dolor repulsae is 'resentment at his defeat'.

BC 1.4.2Lentulus aeris aliēnī magnitūdine et spē exercitūs ac prōvinciārum et rēgum appellandōrum largītiōnibus movētur, sēque alterum fore Sullam inter suōs glōriātur, ad quem summa imperiī redeat.

Lentulus is moved by the size of his debts, by the hope of an army and provinces and by the bribes of kings to be named 'friends', and boasts among his friends that he will be a second Sulla, to whom supreme power will return.

Note. Caesar now gives his enemies' motives one by one. aeris aliēnī: 'debt' (literally 'others' bronze'). rēgum appellandōrum largītiōnibus: 'bribes for recognizing kings', i.e. for having foreign kings named friends of Rome. alterum fore Sullam: Sulla had made himself dictator after a civil war.

BC 1.4.3Scīpiōnem eadem spēs prōvinciae atque exercituum impellit, quōs sē prō necessitūdine partītūrum cum Pompēiō arbitrātur, simul iūdiciōrum metus atque ostentātiō suī et adūlātiō potentium, quī in rē pūblicā iūdiciīsque tum plūrimum pollēbant.

Scipio is spurred by the same hope of a province and armies, which he reckons he will share with Pompey because of their family tie, and at the same time by fear of the courts, by vanity, and by the flattery of the powerful men who were then most influential in politics and the courts.

Note. prō necessitūdine: 'because of their relationship' (Pompey had married Scipio's daughter). iūdiciōrum metus: Scipio had faced prosecution. ostentātiō suī: 'love of display', literally 'showing off of himself'.

BC 1.4.4ipse Pompēius ab inimīcīs Caesaris incitātus, et quod nēminem dignitāte sēcum exaequārī volēbat, tōtum sē ab eius amīcitiā āverterat et cum commūnibus inimīcīs in grātiam redierat, quōrum ipse maximam partem illō adfīnitātis tempore iniūnxerat Caesarī;

Pompey himself, urged on by Caesar's enemies, and because he wanted no one to be his equal in standing, had turned wholly away from Caesar's friendship and been reconciled with their common enemies, most of whom he himself had brought upon Caesar at the time of their alliance by marriage;

Note. nēminem dignitāte sēcum exaequārī: 'that no one should be made equal with him in standing'. adfīnitātis tempore: Pompey had married Caesar's daughter Julia (died 54 BC); the alliance is called adfīnitās, kinship by marriage.

BC 1.4.5simul īnfāmiā duārum legiōnum permōtus, quās ab itinere Asiae Syriaeque ad suam potentiam dominātumque converterat, rem ad arma dēdūcī studēbat.

at the same time, troubled by the disgrace over the two legions, which he had diverted from their march to Asia and Syria to serve his own power and domination, he was eager for the matter to be brought to war.

Note. ab itinere Asiae Syriaeque: the legions had supposedly been destined for the East against Parthia. rem ad arma dēdūcī: 'that the affair should be brought to arms'.