De Bello Civili 1.85

BC 1.85.1Ad ea Caesar respondit: nūllī omnium hās partīs vel querimōniae vel miserātiōnis minus convēnisse.

To this Caesar replied that this role of complaint and pity suited no one less than him.

Note. nūllī omnium … minus convēnisse: 'that this part suited no one at all less'. partīs: accusative plural, = partēs.

BC 1.85.2reliquōs enim omnīs officium suum praestitisse: sē, quī etiam bonā condiciōne et locō et tempore aequō cōnflīgere nōluerit, ut quam integerrima essent ad pācem omnia;

All the others had done their duty: he himself, by refusing to fight even on good terms, at a favourable place and time, so that everything might be as unspoiled as possible for peace;

Note. Caesar's reply is all in reported speech. reliquōs omnīs: 'all the others'. ut quam integerrima essent: 'so that everything might be as unspoiled as possible'.

BC 1.85.2exercitum suum, quī iniūriā etiam acceptā suīsque interfectīs, quōs in suā potestāte habuerit, cōnservārit et tēxerit;

his army, by sparing and protecting the men in its power, even after being wronged and having its own men killed;

Note. exercitum suum (officium praestitisse). conservārit: contracted from conservāverit.

BC 1.85.2illīus dēnique exercitūs mīlitēs, quī per sē dē conciliandā pāce ēgerint, quā in rē omnium suōrum vītae cōnsulendum putārint.

and finally the soldiers of Afranius' army, who had discussed making peace on their own, in which they thought they were looking after the lives of all their comrades.

Note. illīus … exercitūs mīlitēs: the Pompeian soldiers. omnium suōrum vītae cōnsulendum: impersonal gerundive with the dative vītae, 'that the lives of all their comrades must be looked after'.

BC 1.85.3sīc omnium ōrdinum partīs in misericordiā cōnstitisse, ipsōs ducēs ā pāce abhorruisse;

So the ranks of every order had shown mercy; only the commanders had shrunk from peace;

Note. omnium ordinum partīs: 'the ranks of every order'.

BC 1.85.3eōs neque colloquiī neque indūtiārum iūra servāsse et hominēs imperītōs et per colloquium dēceptōs crūdēlissimē interfēcisse.

they had kept the rights neither of a conference nor of a truce, and had most cruelly killed inexperienced men who had been deceived by the talks.

Note. servāsse: contracted from servāvisse.

BC 1.85.4accidisse igitur hīs, quod plērumque hominibus nimiā pertināciā atque adrogantiā accidere soleat, utī eō recurrant et id cupidissimē petant, quod paulō ante contempserint.

So what usually happens to men through too much stubbornness and arrogance had happened to them: they ran back to the very thing they had despised a little before, and sought it most eagerly.

Note. id … quod paulō ante contempserint: 'the very thing they had despised a little before', i.e. peace.

BC 1.85.5neque nunc sē illōrum humilitāte neque aliquā temporis opportūnitāte postulāre, quibus rēbus opēs augeantur suae;

Nor was he now using their humiliation or any advantage of the moment to demand anything that would increase his own power;

Note. illōrum humilitāte: 'by their humiliation'.

BC 1.85.5sed eōs exercitūs, quōs contrā sē multōs iam annōs aluerint, velle dīmittī.

he wanted the armies they had maintained against him for so many years to be disbanded.

Note. Caesar's real aim: to break up the Pompeian armies in Spain.

BC 1.85.6neque enim sex legiōnēs aliā dē causā missās in Hispāniam septimamque ibi cōnscrīptam, neque tot tantāsque classīs parātās neque submissōs ducēs reī mīlitāris perītōs.

For six legions had been sent to Spain and a seventh raised there, so many great fleets made ready, and commanders skilled in warfare sent out, for no other reason.

Note. neque … aliā dē causā: 'for no other reason'. septimam: the seventh legion, raised in Spain.

BC 1.85.7nihil hōrum ad pācandās Hispāniās, nihil ad ūsum prōvinciae prōvīsum, quae propter diūturnitātem pācis nūllum auxilium dēsīderārit.

None of this had been provided to pacify the Spanish provinces, none of it for the use of a province that, after a long peace, had needed no help.

Note. Hispāniās: the two Spanish provinces, Nearer and Further Spain.

BC 1.85.8omnia haec iam prīdem contrā sē parārī;

All this had long been made ready against him;

BC 1.85.8in sē novī generis imperia cōnstituī, ut īdem ad portās urbānīs praesideat rēbus et duās bellicōsissimās prōvinciās absēns tot annōs obtineat;

in his case new kinds of command were being set up, so that the same man could watch over affairs in the city from its gates and hold two very warlike provinces for so many years in his absence;

Note. in sē: 'in his case'. The charge is aimed at Pompey, who governed the Spanish provinces through legates while staying near Rome.

BC 1.85.9in sē iūra magistrātuum commūtārī, nē ex praetūrā et cōnsulātū, ut semper, sed per paucōs probātī et ēlēctī in prōvinciās mittantur;

in his case the rights of magistrates were being changed, so that men were sent to the provinces not, as always, after a praetorship or consulship, but approved and chosen by a few;

Note. per paucōs probātī: 'approved by a few', a dig at the oligarchs around Pompey.

BC 1.85.9in sē aetātis excūsātiōnem nihil valēre, quīn superiōribus bellīs probātī ad optinendōs exercitūs ēvocentur;

in his case the excuse of age counted for nothing, and men proven in earlier wars were called out to command armies;

BC 1.85.10in sē ūnō nōn servārī, quod sit omnibus datum semper imperātōribus, ut rēbus fēlīciter gestīs aut cum honōre aliquō aut certē sine ignōminiā domum revertantur exercitumque dīmittant.

in his case alone the right always given to every general was not kept: that after a successful campaign he should return home with some honour, or at least without disgrace, and disband his army.

BC 1.85.11quae tamen omnia et sē tulisse patienter et esse lātūrum;

All this he had borne patiently, and would bear;

Note. laturum: future infinitive (esse laturum), 'that he would bear'.

BC 1.85.11neque nunc id agere, ut ab illīs abductum exercitum teneat ipse, quod tamen sibi difficile nōn sit, sed nē illī habeant, quō contrā sē utī possint.

nor was he aiming now to take the army from them and keep it himself, though that would not be hard for him, but to stop them having it to use against him.

Note. quod tamen sibi difficile nōn sit: 'though that would not be hard for him'. quō … ūtī possint: relative clause of purpose, 'something to use'.

BC 1.85.12proinde, ut esset dictum, prōvinciīs excēderent exercitumque dīmitterent;

Therefore, as had been said, they should leave the provinces and disband the army;

BC 1.85.12sī id sit factum, sē nocitūrum nēminī.

if that was done, he would harm no one.

Note. sē nocitūrum nēminī: noceō takes the dative.

BC 1.85.12hanc ūnam atque extrēmam esse pācis condiciōnem.

This was the one and final condition of peace.