De Bello Civili 1.76

BC 1.76.1Quibus rēbus cōnfectīs flēns Petrēius manipulōs circumit mīlitēsque appellat, neu sē neu Pompēium absentem imperātōrem suum adversāriīs ad supplicium trādant, obsecrat.

When this was done, Petreius in tears goes round the maniples and appeals to the soldiers; he begs them not to hand over himself or their absent general Pompey to their enemies for punishment.

Note. neu … neu …: 'neither … nor …', introducing his plea in reported speech (trādant, subjunctive). Pompeium absentem: Pompey was in Greece.

BC 1.76.2fit celeriter concursus in praetōrium.

A crowd quickly gathers at the general's tent.

Note. praetōrium: the general's tent in the camp.

BC 1.76.2postulat, ut iūrent omnēs sē exercitum ducēsque nōn dēsertūrōs neque prōditūrōs neque sibi sēparātim ā reliquīs cōnsilium captūrōs.

He demands that they all swear that they will not desert or betray the army and its leaders, nor make plans for themselves apart from the rest.

Note. sē … nōn dēsertūrōs: the content of the oath, future infinitives. sibi sēparātim: 'for themselves, apart'.

BC 1.76.3prīnceps in haec verba iūrat ipse;

He himself is the first to swear in these words;

Note. prīnceps: 'first'. in haec verba: 'in these words', the formula for an oath.

BC 1.76.3idem iūsiūrandum adigit Afrānium;

he makes Afranius take the same oath;

Note. iūsiūrandum adigit Afrānium: adigō with two accusatives, 'makes Afranius swear the oath'.

BC 1.76.3subsequuntur tribūnī mīlitum centuriōnēsque;

the military tribunes and centurions follow;

BC 1.76.3centuriātim prōductī mīlitēs idem iūrant.

the soldiers are brought forward century by century and swear the same.

Note. centuriātim: 'century by century'.

BC 1.76.4ēdīcunt, penes quem quisque sit Caesaris mīles, ut prōdūcat: prōductōs palam in praetōriō interficiunt.

They give orders that anyone with whom a soldier of Caesar's was staying should bring him out; those brought out they kill publicly in front of the general's tent.

Note. penes quem: 'in whose keeping'. prōductōs: 'those brought out', the participle used as a noun.

BC 1.76.4sed plērōsque iī quī recēperant cēlant noctūque per vallum ēmittunt.

But most were hidden by those who had taken them in, and let out over the rampart at night.

Note. plērōsque … cēlant: 'most of them are hidden', literally 'they hide most of them'.

BC 1.76.5sīc terror oblātus ā ducibus, crūdēlitās in suppliciō, nova religiō iūrisiūrandī spem praesentis dēditiōnis sustulit mentēsque mīlitum convertit et rem ad prīstinam bellī ratiōnem redēgit.

So the terror inspired by the commanders, the cruelty of the punishment, and the new obligation of the oath took away the hope of an immediate surrender, turned the soldiers' minds, and brought matters back to the old state of war.

Note. The three subjects (terror, crūdēlitās, religiō) take singular verbs: sustulit, convertit, redēgit. religiō iūrisiūrandī: 'the binding force of the oath'.