Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 1
De Bello Civili 1.84
Afranius asks for terms
Caesar, De Bello Civili I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 1.84.1Tandem omnibus rēbus obsessī quārtum iam diem sine pābulō retentīs iūmentīs, aquae lignōrum frūmentī inopiā, colloquium petunt et id, sī fierī possit, sēmōtō ā mīlitibus locō.
At last, besieged on every side, their pack animals kept for the fourth day without fodder, and in want of water, wood and corn, they ask for a conference, and that, if possible, in a place away from the soldiers.
Note. quārtum iam diem: accusative of duration, 'now for the fourth day'. sēmōtō … locō: 'in a secluded place'.
BC 1.84.2ubi id ā Caesare negātum, et palam sī colloquī vellent, concessum est, datur obsidis locō Caesarī fīlius Afrānī.
When this was refused by Caesar, and it was granted if they wanted to talk in the open, Afranius' son is handed over to Caesar as a hostage.
Note. obsidis locō: 'as a hostage'.
BC 1.84.2venītur in eum locum quem Caesar dēlēgit.
They come to the place that Caesar chose.
Note. ventum est / venītur: impersonal passive, 'they came'.
BC 1.84.3audiente utrōque exercitū loquitur Afrānius: nōn esse aut ipsīs aut mīlitibus suscēnsendum, quod fidem ergā imperātōrem suum Cn. Pompēium cōnservāre voluerint.
In the hearing of both armies Afranius speaks: neither they nor their soldiers should be blamed for having wanted to keep faith with their general, Gnaeus Pompey.
Note. Afranius' speech is in reported form: nōn esse … suscēnsendum, impersonal gerundive with the datives ipsīs and mīlitibus, 'no one should be angry with them'.
BC 1.84.4sed satis iam fēcisse officiō satisque suppliciī tulisse perpessōs omnium rērum inopiam.
But they had now done enough for duty and suffered punishment enough, having endured the lack of everything.
Note. satis … officiō: 'enough for duty'. satis suppliciī: partitive genitive, 'enough punishment'.
BC 1.84.4nunc vērō paene ut ferās circummūnītōs prohibērī aquā, prohibērī ingressū, neque corpore dolōrem neque animō ignōminiam ferre posse.
Now they were shut in almost like wild beasts, kept from water and kept from moving, and they could bear neither the pain in their bodies nor the disgrace in their minds.
Note. paene ut ferās: 'almost like wild beasts'.
BC 1.84.5itaque sē victōs cōnfitērī;
So they admitted they were beaten;
BC 1.84.5ōrāre atque obsecrāre, sīquī locus misericordiae relinquātur, nē ad ultimum supplicium prōgredī necesse habeant.
they begged and implored that, if any room for mercy remained, they should not have to go on to the last extremity.
Note. sīquī locus: 'if any room' (sī + quī). ad ultimum supplicium: 'to the last extremity'.
BC 1.84.5haec quam potest dēmississimē et subiectissimē expōnit.
He sets this out as humbly and submissively as he can.
Note. quam potest dēmississimē: quam with a superlative adverb, 'as humbly as he can'.
Vocabulary
| tandem, adv. | at length or last, finally |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| obsideō, -sidēre, -sēdī, -sessus | beset, besiege |
| quartus, -a, -um | fourth |
| iam, adv. | now, already |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| sine, prep. with abl. | without |
| pābulum, -ī, n. | food, fodder |
| retineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold or keep back, keep, restrain; hold fast |
| iūmentum, -ī n. | pack animal, beast of burden |
| aqua, -ae, f. | water |
| lignum, -ī, n. | wood |
| frūmentum, -ī, n. | grain |
| inopia, -ae f. | lack, want, scarcity |
| colloquium (conloquium), -ī n. | conference, talk |
| petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītus | seek, ask; attack |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| sī, conj. | if |
| fīō, fierī, factus sum | be done or made, become, happen |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| sēmoveō, -ēre, -mōvī, -mōtus | move apart, set aside; sēmōtus: remote, out of the way |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| ubi, adv. | where; conj., when |
| negō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | say no or not, deny, refuse |
| palam (adv.) | openly, publicly |
| colloquor (conloquor), -ī, -locūtus sum | talk with, confer |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| concēdō, -cēdere, -cessī, -cessus | grant, yield |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| dō, dare, dedī, datus | give |
| obses, obsidis m./f. | hostage |
| fīlius, -ī, m. | son |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| dēligō, -ligere, -lēgī, -lēctus | choose out, choose, select |
| audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus | hear; listen or attend to |
| uterque, utraque, utrumque | each, either, both |
| exercitus, -ūs, m. | army |
| loquor, loquī, locūtus | speak |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| aut, conj. | or; aut ... aut, either ... or |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| suscēnseō, -ēre, -cēnsuī | be angry, be indignant (with: dat.) |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| fidēs, -eī f. | faith, trust; pledge |
| ergā, prep, with acc. | toward, for |
| imperātor, -ōris, m. | commander, general |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| cōnservō, -servāre, -servāvī, -servātus | preserve, keep |
| sed, conj. | but |
| satis, adv. | enough, sufficiently |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| officium, -ī, n. | service; duty |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| supplicium, -ī, n. | punishment, torture |
| ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus | bear, bring |
| perpetior, -petī, -pessus sum | endure, bear to the end |
| nunc, adv. | now |
| vērō, adv. | in truth, indeed; however |
| paene, adv. | almost, nearly |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| fera, -ae, f. | wild animal, beast |
| circummūniō, -īre, -īvī, -ītum | wall around, enclose |
| prohibeō, -hibēre, -hibuī, -hibitus | hold back, prevent, hinder |
| ingressus, -ūs m. | a going in, entrance; access |
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| corpus, corporis, n. | body |
| dolor, -ōris, m. | pain, grief; anger |
| animus, -ī, m. | mind; heart; spirit, courage |
| ignōminia, -ae f. | disgrace, dishonor |
| itaque, adv. | and so, accordingly, therefore |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| vincō, -ere, vīcī, victum | conquer, defeat |
| cōnfiteor, -ērī, -fessus sum | admit, confess |
| ōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | speak; beg, pray |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| obsecrō, -secrāre, -secrāvī, -secrātus | beseech, entreat |
| sī quis, sī qua, sī quid | if anyone, if any (sī + the indefinite quis) |
| misericordia, -ae, f; | pity, compassion |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| ultimus, -a, -um | farthest, last |
| prōgredior, -gredī, -gressus | go forward, advance |
| necesse, indecl. adj. | necessary |
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| quam, adv. | how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible |
| dēmissē (adv.) | humbly, meekly |
| subiectē (adv.) | submissively |
| expōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positus | put out, set forth; put on shore, land; explain |