De Bello Civili 2.18

BC 2.18.1Dīlēctum habuit tōtā prōvinciā, legiōnibus conplētīs duābus cohortēs circiter xxx ālāriās addidit.

He held a levy throughout the province; after filling up two legions he added about thirty auxiliary cohorts.

Note. dīlēctum habuit: 'held a levy'. cohortēs … ālāriās: auxiliary cohorts of non-citizens, normally posted on the wings (ālae). xxx: thirty, written in Roman numerals.

BC 2.18.1frūmentī magnum numerum coēgit, quod Massiliēnsibus, item quod Afrāniō Petrēiōque mitteret.

He collected a great quantity of grain to send to the Massilians and also to Afranius and Petreius.

Note. quod … mitteret: a relative clause of purpose, 'to send'; the subjunctive expresses intention.

BC 2.18.1nāvēs longās x Gāditānīs ut facerent imperāvit, complūrīs praetereā Hispalī faciendās cūrāvit.

He ordered the people of Gades to build ten warships, and in addition had several built at Hispalis.

Note. Gāditānīs … imperāvit ut facerent: imperō takes the dative of the person and an ut clause. Hispalī: locative, 'at Hispalis' (Seville). faciendās cūrāvit: cūrō with a gerundive, 'had them built'.

BC 2.18.2pecūniam omnem omniaque ōrnāmenta ex fānō Herculis in oppidum Gādīs contulit;

He brought all the money and all the treasures from the temple of Hercules into the town of Gades;

Note. fānum Herculis: the famous temple of Hercules (Melqart) at Gades, rich in offerings. in oppidum Gādīs: Gādīs is in apposition to oppidum.

BC 2.18.2eō sex cohortēs praesidiī causā ex prōvinciā mīsit Gāiumque Gallōnium equitem Rōmānum familiārem Domitī, quī eō prōcūrandae hērēditātis causā vēnerat missus ā Domitiō, oppidō Gādibus praefēcit;

he sent six cohorts there from the province as a garrison, and put Gaius Gallonius, a Roman knight and a friend of Domitius, who had come there sent by Domitius to look after an inheritance, in command of the town of Gades;

Note. eō: adverb, 'there' (eō#2). praesidiī causā: 'as a garrison'. prōcūrandae hērēditātis causā: gerundive with causā, 'to look after an inheritance'. oppidō … praefēcit: praeficiō takes the dative of what someone is put in charge of.

BC 2.18.2arma omnia prīvāta ac pūblica in domum Gallōnī contulit.

he brought all weapons, private and public, into Gallonius' house.

Note. Varro gathers all the weapons in one place, presumably so that nobody can arm against him.

BC 2.18.3ipse habuit gravēs in Caesarem cōntiōnēs.

He himself made harsh speeches against Caesar.

Note. contiōnēs habēre: 'to make speeches to a public assembly'.

BC 2.18.3saepe ex tribūnālī praedīcāvit adversa Caesarem proelia fēcisse, magnum numerum ab eō mīlitum ad Afrānium perfūgisse;

He often announced from the tribunal that Caesar had fought unsuccessful battles and that a great number of soldiers had deserted from him to Afranius;

Note. From adversa onwards, indirect statement depends on praedicāvit: Caesarem fēcisse, numerum perfūgisse.

BC 2.18.3haec sē certīs nūntiīs, certīs auctōribus comperisse.

he said he had learned this from reliable messengers and reliable sources.

Note. Still indirect speech: sē … comperisse, 'that he had learned'. certīs auctōribus: 'from reliable sources'.

BC 2.18.4quibus rēbus perterritōs cīvīs Rōmānōs eius prōvinciae sibi ad rem pūblicam administrandam HS ccxxx et argentī pondō xx mīlia, trīticī modiōs cxx mīlia pollicērī coēgit.

By these means he forced the Roman citizens of that province, thoroughly frightened, to promise him for the administration of the state 230,000 sesterces and 20,000 pounds of silver, and 120,000 measures of wheat.

Note. HS ccxxx: 'two hundred and thirty sestertia', i.e. 230,000 sesterces; HS is the usual abbreviation for sēstertius. argentī pondō xx mīlia: 'twenty thousand pounds of silver'; pondō is an old indeclinable word meaning 'by weight'. modiōs: a modius was a dry measure of about 9 litres. pollicērī coēgit: 'forced them to promise'.

BC 2.18.5quās Caesarī esse amīcās cīvitātēs arbitrābātur, hīs graviōra onera iniungēbat praesidiaque eō dēdūcēbat, et iūdicia in prīvātōs reddēbat, quī verba atque ōrātiōnem adversus rem pūblicam habuissent;

On the communities that he thought were friendly to Caesar he imposed heavier burdens and stationed garrisons there, and he passed judgements against private persons who had uttered words or speeches against the republic;

Note. quās … cīvitātēs: the antecedent is drawn into the relative clause, 'the communities which he thought …'. hīs: dative with iniungēbat. iūdicia in prīvātōs reddēbat: 'gave judgements against private persons'. quī … habuissent: subjunctive in a relative clause giving the grounds.

BC 2.18.5eōrum bona in pūblicum addīcēbat.

he confiscated their property to the state.

Note. in pūblicum addīcēbat: 'he assigned to the state', i.e. confiscated.

BC 2.18.5prōvinciam omnem in sua et Pompēī verba iūsiūrandum adigēbat.

He made the whole province swear an oath of loyalty to himself and Pompey.

Note. in sua et Pompeī verba iūsiūrandum adigēbat: 'he made (them) take an oath in his and Pompey's words', i.e. an oath of loyalty dictated by them.

BC 2.18.6cognitīs iīs rēbus quae sunt gestae in citeriōre Hispāniā, bellum parābat.

When he learned what had happened in Nearer Spain, he prepared for war.

Note. in citeriōre Hispāniā: Caesar's victory over Afranius and Petreius at Ilerda (Book 1).

BC 2.18.6ratiō autem haec erat bellī, ut sē cum ii legiōnibus Gādīs cōnferret, nāvēs frūmentumque omne ibi continēret;

His plan of campaign was this: to go to Gades with two legions and keep the ships and all the grain there;

Note. ratiō … bellī: 'his plan for the war', explained by the ut clause. ii: two. Gādīs: accusative of place to which, 'to Gades'.

BC 2.18.6prōvinciam enim omnem Caesaris rēbus favēre cognōverat.

for he had learned that the whole province favoured Caesar's cause.

Note. Caesaris rēbus favēre: faveō takes the dative.

BC 2.18.6in īnsulā frūmentō nāvibusque comparātīs bellum dūcī nōn difficile exīstimābat.

With grain and ships collected on the island, he thought, it would not be difficult to drag the war out.

Note. in īnsulā: Gades stood on an island. frūmentō nāvibusque comparātīs: ablative absolute. bellum dūcī: 'that the war could be drawn out'; dūcō here means 'prolong'.

BC 2.18.7Caesar etsī multīs necessāriīsque rēbus in Ītaliam revocābātur, tamen cōnstituerat nūllam partem bellī in Hispāniīs relinquere, quod magna esse Pompēī beneficia et magnās clientēlās in citeriōre prōvinciā sciēbat.

Caesar, although many pressing matters were calling him back to Italy, had nevertheless decided to leave no part of the war unfinished in the two Spains, because he knew that Pompey's favours and his bodies of clients in the Nearer province were great.

Note. etsī … tamen: 'although … nevertheless'. in Hispāniīs: the plural means the two Spanish provinces, Nearer and Further. clientēlās: networks of clients bound to Pompey by past favours, a real political force in the provinces.