De Bello Civili 1.74

BC 1.74.1Quōrum discessū līberam nactī mīlitēs colloquiōrum facultātem volgō prōcēdunt, et quem quisque in castrīs nōtum aut mūnicipem habēbat, conquīrit atque ēvocat.

With them gone, the soldiers, having gained a free chance to talk, come out in crowds, and each looks for and calls out anyone he knew in the camp, or any man from his own town.

Note. liberam … facultātem: 'a free opportunity'. volgō: 'in crowds, everywhere' (= vulgō). mūnicipem: 'a man from the same town'.

BC 1.74.2prīmum agunt grātiās omnēs omnibus, quod sibi perterritīs prīdiē pepercissent;

First they all thank everyone, because they had spared them the day before when they were terrified:

Note. quod … pepercissent: subjunctive because it gives the soldiers' reason. parcō takes the dative (sibi).

BC 1.74.2eōrum sē beneficiō vīvere.

they were alive, they said, by their kindness.

Note. eōrum … beneficiō: 'by their kindness'; sē vīvere is reported speech.

BC 1.74.2deinde imperātōris fidem quaerunt, rēctēnē sē illī sint commissūrī, et quod nōn ab initiō fēcerint armaque quod cum hominibus necessāriīs et cōnsanguineīs contulerint, queruntur.

Then they ask about the general's good faith, whether they would be right to entrust themselves to him, and they complain that they had not done it from the start, and that they had taken up arms against their own kinsmen and relatives.

Note. rēctēne: rēctē + -ne, an indirect question, 'whether they would rightly entrust themselves'. commissūrī sint: the future participle with sint makes a future subjunctive.

BC 1.74.3hīs prōvocātī sermōnibus fidem ab imperātōre dē Petrēī atque Afrānī vītā petunt, nēquod in sē scelus concēpisse neu suōs prōdidisse videantur.

Encouraged by these conversations, they ask the general for a promise to spare the lives of Petreius and Afranius, so as not to seem to have planned some crime against them or betrayed their own leaders.

Note. fidem … petunt: 'ask for a promise'. nēquod … concēpisse: 'so that they might not seem to have plotted any crime'; nēquod = nē + quod.

BC 1.74.3quibus cōnfirmātīs rēbus sē statim signa trānslātūrōs cōnfirmant lēgātōsque dē pāce prīmōrum ōrdinum centuriōnēs ad Caesarem mittunt.

When these points are settled, they declare that they will at once bring over their standards, and they send centurions of the first rank to Caesar as envoys to treat for peace.

Note. sē … trānslātūrōs: 'that they would bring over their standards', i.e. change sides.

BC 1.74.4interim aliī suōs in castra invītandī causā addūcunt, aliī ab suīs abdūcuntur, adeō ut ūna castra iam facta ex bīnīs vidērentur;

Meanwhile some bring their friends into the camp to entertain them, and others are taken off by their friends, so that the two camps now seemed to have become one;

Note. invītandī causā: 'to entertain them'. ūna castra … ex bīnīs: castra is plural in form, so bīnīs, 'two sets of camp', and ūna, 'a single camp'.

BC 1.74.4complūrēsque tribūnī mīlitum et centuriōnēs ad Caesarem veniunt sēque eī commendant.

and a good many military tribunes and centurions come to Caesar and put themselves in his hands.

Note. sēque eī commendant: 'put themselves under his protection'.

BC 1.74.5idem hoc fit ā prīncipibus Hispāniae, quōs illī ēvocāverant et sēcum in castrīs habēbant obsidum locō.

The same is done by the leading men of Spain, whom the Pompeians had called up and were keeping with them in camp as hostages.

Note. obsidum locō: 'as hostages', literally 'in the place of hostages'. sēcum: 'with them' (cum is attached to the pronoun).

BC 1.74.5hī suōs nōtōs hospitēsque quaerēbant, per quem quisque eōrum aditum commendātiōnis habēret ad Caesarem.

These were looking for their acquaintances and guest-friends, through whom each of them might gain a recommendation to Caesar.

Note. per quem … habēret: relative clause of purpose, 'through whom each might get'.

BC 1.74.6Afrānī etiam fīlius adulēscēns dē suā ac parentis suī salūte cum Caesare per Sulpicium lēgātum agēbat.

Even Afranius' young son was negotiating with Caesar, through the legate Sulpicius, for his own safety and his father's.

Note. Afrānī: genitive of Afrānius (one -i). Sulpicius is Publius Sulpicius Rufus, one of Caesar's legates.

BC 1.74.7erant plēna laetitiā et grātulātiōne omnia et eōrum quī tanta perīcula vītāsse, et eōrum quī sine volnere tantās rēs cōnfēcisse vidēbantur, magnumque frūctum suae prīstinae lēnitātis omnium iūdiciō Caesar ferēbat, cōnsiliumque eius ā cūnctīs probābātur.

Everything was full of joy and congratulation, both from those who seemed to have escaped such great dangers and from those who seemed to have achieved so much without a wound; and in everyone's judgement Caesar was reaping a great reward for his earlier mildness, and his decision was approved by all.

Note. The two eōrum quī … clauses depend on gratulātiōne. pristinae lēnitātis: Caesar's clemency, his famous policy in the civil war.