De Bello Civili 2.13

BC 2.13.1Quibus rēbus commōtī lēgātī mīlitēs ex opere dēdūcunt, oppugnātiōne dēsistunt;

Moved by this, the legates lead the soldiers away from the work and stop the siege;

Note. legātī: Caesar's legates at the siege, Trebonius on land and Brutus at sea.

BC 2.13.1operibus custōdiās relinquunt.

they leave guards on the works.

Note. operibus: dative, 'at the works'.

BC 2.13.2indūtiārum quōdam genere misericordiā factō adventus Caesaris expectātur.

A kind of truce having been made out of pity, Caesar's arrival is awaited.

Note. indūtiārum quōdam genere: 'by a kind of truce'. misericordiā: ablative of cause, 'out of pity'.

BC 2.13.2nūllum ex mūrō, nūllum ā nostrīs mittitur tēlum;

Not a missile is thrown from the wall, not one by our men;

Note. nūllum … nūllum … tēlum: the repetition stresses the calm.

BC 2.13.2ut rē cōnfectā omnēs cūram et dīligentiam remittunt.

as if the matter were settled, everyone relaxes his care and watchfulness.

Note. ut rē cōnfectā: 'as if the matter were finished'; ut here means 'as, as though', with an ablative absolute.

BC 2.13.3Caesar enim per litterās Trebōniō magnopere mandāverat, nē per vim oppidum expugnārī paterētur, nē gravius permōtī mīlitēs et dēfectiōnis odiō et contemptiōne suī et diūtinō labōre omnēs pūberēs interficerent;

For Caesar had strictly ordered Trebonius by letter not to allow the town to be taken by storm, so that the soldiers, provoked too far by hatred of the revolt, by the contempt shown to them and by their long labour, should not kill all the grown men;

Note. mandāverat, nē … paterētur: indirect command, 'had ordered him not to allow'. nē … interficerent: purpose, 'so that the soldiers should not kill'. contemptiōne suī: 'by the contempt (shown) for them'. pūberēs: 'grown men', those old enough to bear arms. Caesar wanted Massilia, an old ally of Rome, spared.

BC 2.13.4quod sē factūrōs minābantur aegrēque tunc sunt retentī, quīn oppidum inrumperent, graviterque eam rem tulērunt, quod stetisse per Trebōnium, quōminus oppidō potīrentur, vidēbātur.

they were threatening to do this, and were then held back with difficulty from bursting into the town, and they took it badly, because it seemed that Trebonius had stood in the way of their taking the town.

Note. quod sē factūrōs minābantur: 'which they were threatening to do'. stetisse per Trebōnium quōminus … potīrentur: 'that it was due to Trebonius that they did not take'; stat per aliquem quōminus is an idiom, 'it is someone's doing that … not'. potior takes the ablative (oppidō).