Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 1
De Bello Civili 1.56
Massilia's fleet sails out
Caesar, De Bello Civili I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 1.56.1Dum haec ad Ilerdam geruntur, Massiliēnsēs ūsī L. Domitī cōnsiliō nāvīs longās expediunt numerō xvii, quārum erant xi tēctae.
While this was going on at Ilerda, the Massilians, on the advice of Lucius Domitius, fitted out seventeen warships, eleven of which were decked.
Note. Massilia (Marseille) had closed its gates to Caesar and taken in his enemy L. Domitius Ahenobarbus. nāvīs longās: 'warships'. tēctae: 'decked', with a deck to protect rowers.
BC 1.56.2multa hūc minōra nāvigia addunt, ut ipsā multitūdine nostra classis terreātur.
They added many smaller vessels, so that our fleet would be frightened by their very number.
Note. ut … terreātur: purpose clause. ipsā multitūdine: 'by their very number'.
BC 1.56.2magnum numerum sagittāriōrum, magnum Albicōrum, dē quibus suprā dēmōnstrātum est, inpōnunt, atque hōs praemiīs pollicitātiōnibusque incitant.
They put on board a great number of archers and a great number of the Albici, of whom we spoke above, and spurred them on with rewards and promises.
Note. magnum (numerum) Albicōrum: the noun is understood from the first phrase. dē quibus suprā dēmōnstrātum est: 'about whom I spoke above', Caesar referring back to his own text.
BC 1.56.3certās sibi dēposcit nāvīs Domitius atque hās colōnīs pāstōribusque, quōs sēcum addūxerat, complet.
Domitius demanded certain ships for himself and filled them with tenants and herdsmen whom he had brought with him.
Note. certās … nāvīs: 'particular ships'. colōnīs pāstōribusque: Domitius' tenants and herdsmen from his estates, an army of dependants.
BC 1.56.4sīc omnibus rēbus īnstrūctā classe magnā fīdūciā ad nostrās nāvīs prōcēdunt, quibus praeerat D. Brūtus.
With the fleet thus equipped in every way, they advanced with great confidence against our ships, which Decimus Brutus commanded.
Note. omnibus rēbus īnstrūctā classe: ablative absolute. quibus praeerat: praesum takes the dative. D. Brūtus: Decimus Brutus, who had commanded Caesar's fleet against the Veneti.
BC 1.56.4hae ad īnsulam, quae est contrā Massiliam, statiōnēs obtinēbant.
These lay at anchor at the island opposite Massilia.
Note. ad īnsulam: probably one of the islands off Marseille. statiōnēs obtinēbant: 'kept their station'.
Vocabulary
| dum, conj. | while, as; as long as; until |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus | carry, wear; carry on, do |
| ūtor, ūtī, ūsus | use |
| cōnsilium, -ī, n. | advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence |
| nāvis, -is, f. | ship |
| longus, -a, -um | long; tedious |
| expediō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | free, set clear; get ready; arrange, settle |
| numerus, -ī, m. | number |
| Roman numeral | a number written with letters: I 1, V 5, X 10, L 50, C 100, D 500, M 1000 |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| tegō, tegere, tēxī, tēctus | cover |
| multus, -a, -um | much, great; plur., many |
| hūc, adv. | to this place, hither |
| parvus, -a, -um | little, small |
| nāvigium, -ī n. | vessel, ship |
| addō, -ere, -didī, -ditus | add, put to |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| multitūdō, -tūdinis, f. | multitude |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| classis, -is f. | fleet |
| terreō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | frighten, terrify |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| sagittārius, -ī m. | archer |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| suprā, adv. and prep. with acc. | above, before |
| dēmōnstrō, -mōnstrāre, -mōnstrāvī, -mōnstrātus | point out, show; make known |
| impōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positus | place or lay upon, impose; embark |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| praemium, -ī, n. | reward |
| pollicitātiō, -ōnis f. | promise |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| incitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | stir up, provoke |
| certus, -a, -um | determined, fixed, certain; certiōrem facere, to make more certain, inform |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| dēposcō, -ere, -poposcī | demand, call for |
| colōnus, -ī m. | settler, colonist; farmer |
| pāstor, -tōris, m. | shepherd |
| addūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead to, bring, take; induce, influence |
| compleō, -plēre, -plēvī, -plētus | fill full, fill up |
| sīc, adv. | so, thus |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| īnstruo, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctus | build in or into; draw up; equip, furnish, |
| fīdūcia, -ae f. | confidence, trust, reliance |
| prōcēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessum | go forward, advance |
| praesum, -esse, -fuī | be before, preside over, have charge of, command |
| decimus, -a, -um | tenth |
| īnsula, -ae, f. | island |
| contrā, prep, with acc. | against, contrary to |
| statiō, -ōnis f. | outpost, picket |
| obtineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold |