De Bello Civili 2.32

BC 2.32.1Dīmissō cōnsiliō cōntiōnem advocat mīlitum.

After dismissing the council he called an assembly of the soldiers.

Note. Africa, 49 BC. Curio has landed with legions that had served under Domitius and surrendered to Caesar at Corfinium; there are rumours that they will go back to their old side. Dīmissō cōnsiliō: ablative absolute, 'the council having been dismissed'. contiōnem advocat: he calls an assembly of the whole army to address it.

BC 2.32.1commemorat, quō sit eōrum ūsus studiō ad Corfīnium Caesar, ut magnam partem Ītaliae beneficiō atque auctōritāte eōrum suam fēcerit.

He reminded them how Caesar had made use of their zeal at Corfinium, so that through their service and their example he had won a large part of Italy to his side.

Note. Indirect speech begins. quō … studiō: indirect question, 'with what zeal'; quō is an interrogative adjective with studiō. ūsus sit: perfect subjunctive of the deponent ūtor, which takes the ablative. ut … fēcerit: result clause, 'so that he made … his own'.

BC 2.32.2"vōs enim vestrumque factum," inquit, "omnia deinceps mūnicipia sunt secūta, neque sine causā et Caesar amīcissimē dē vōbīs et illī gravissimē iūdicāvērunt."

"For you and your action," he said, "all the towns followed in turn, and not without reason did Caesar judge you most kindly and the other side most harshly."

Note. The speech now becomes direct. vōs … vestrumque factum: objects of secūta sunt, 'followed you and your act'. sequor is deponent: secūta sunt is active in meaning. illī: the Pompeians. amīcissimē, gravissimē: superlative adverbs.

BC 2.32.3"Pompēius enim nūllō proeliō pulsus vestrī factī praeiūdiciō dēmōtus Ītaliā excessit;

"For Pompey, beaten in no battle, but driven out by the precedent your action set, left Italy;

Note. praeiūdiciō: a 'prior judgement' that decides later ones; Curio means that the surrender at Corfinium set the pattern for the rest of Italy. dēmōtus: from dēmoveō, 'moved away, dislodged'. Ītaliā: ablative of separation with excessit.

BC 2.32.3Caesar mē, quem sibi cārissimum habuit, prōvinciam Siciliam atque Āfricam, sine quibus urbem atque Ītaliam tuērī nōn potest, vestrae fideī commīsit."

Caesar has entrusted me, whom he held most dear, and the provinces of Sicily and Africa, without which he cannot protect Rome and Italy, to your loyalty."

Note. quem sibi cārissimum habuit: 'whom he held most dear to himself'. sine quibus: the two provinces were Rome's grain supply, which is why Curio says Caesar cannot protect Rome without them. vestrae fideī commīsit: 'entrusted to your loyalty'.

BC 2.32.4"at sunt quī vōs hortentur, ut ā nōbīs dēscīscātis.

"But there are men urging you to desert us.

Note. sunt quī + subjunctive: 'there are people who …'; the subjunctive hortentur marks a relative clause of characteristic. dēscīscātis: 'revolt, fall away', with ā nōbīs.

BC 2.32.4quid enim est illīs optātius quam ūnō tempore et nōs circumvenīre et vōs nefāriō scelere obstringere?

For what could they want more than at one stroke to trap us and to bind you to a monstrous crime?

Note. quid … optātius: 'what more desirable', comparative of optātus. quam … circumvenīre … obstringere: the infinitives say what would be more desirable. nefāriō scelere obstringere: 'to bind you to an unspeakable crime', i.e. treason.

BC 2.32.4aut quid īrātī gravius dē vōbīs sentīre possunt, quam ut eōs prōdātis, quī sē vōbīs omnia dēbēre iūdicant, in eōrum potestātem veniātis, quī sē per vōs perīsse exīstimant?"

Or what worse could they in their anger wish on you than that you should betray those who think they owe you everything, and come into the power of those who think you ruined them?"

Note. quid … gravius … sentīre: 'think anything worse about you'. quam ut prōdātis … veniātis: 'than that you should betray … and come'. sē … dēbēre and sē … periisse: indirect statements after iūdicant and exīstimant.

BC 2.32.5"an vērō in Hispāniā rēs gestās Caesaris nōn audīstis?

"Or have you not heard of Caesar's achievements in Spain?

Note. an introduces a question that expects 'yes': 'Or have you really not heard …?' audīstis: contracted form of audīvistis. In Spain Caesar had just defeated Afranius and Petreius at Ilerda (Book 1).

BC 2.32.5duōs pulsōs exercitūs, duōs superātōs ducēs, duās receptās prōvinciās?

Two armies beaten, two generals overcome, two provinces recovered?

Note. A series of accusatives in apposition to rēs gestās: two armies, two generals, two provinces (Nearer and Further Spain).

BC 2.32.5haec ācta diēbus xl, quibus in cōnspectum adversāriōrum vēnerit Caesar?"

All this done in forty days from when Caesar came within sight of his opponents?"

Note. haec ācta (sunt): 'these things were done'. diēbus XL: ablative of time within which. quibus … vēnerit: 'from the day when', literally 'in which'.

BC 2.32.6"an quī incolumēs resistere nōn potuērunt, perditī resistant?

"Or will men who could not resist while they were unbeaten resist now that they are ruined?

Note. quī … nōn potuērunt, perditī resistant?: the subject is 'those who'; incolumēs and perditī contrast 'unharmed' with 'ruined'. resistant is a deliberative-sounding subjunctive in an indignant question.

BC 2.32.6vōs autem incertā victōriā Caesarem secūtī dīiūdicātā iam bellī fortūnā victum sequāminī, cum vestrī officiī praemia percipere dēbeātis?"

And will you, who followed Caesar when victory was uncertain, follow the beaten side now that the fortune of the war has been decided, when you ought to be collecting the rewards for your service?"

Note. incertā victōriā … diiūdicātā … fortūnā: two ablative absolutes, 'when victory was uncertain … when the fortune of the war had been decided'. victum: the beaten man, i.e. Pompey. sequāminī: deliberative subjunctive in an indignant question. cum … dēbeātis: 'when (in fact) you ought'.

BC 2.32.7"dēsertōs enim sē ac prōditōs ā vōbīs dīcunt et priōris sacrāmentī mentiōnem faciunt."

"They say that you deserted and betrayed them, and they talk of your earlier oath."

Note. dēsertōs … sē ac prōditōs: indirect statement after dīcunt, 'they say that they have been deserted and betrayed'. prīōris sacrāmentī: the military oath they swore to Domitius before Corfinium.

BC 2.32.8"vōsne vērō L. Domitium, an vōs Domitius dēseruit?

"But did you desert Lucius Domitius, or did Domitius desert you?

Note. vōsne … an: a double question, 'Did you desert Domitius, or did Domitius desert you?' Domitius had tried to escape from Corfinium secretly, and his soldiers handed him over to Caesar (Book 1).

BC 2.32.8nōnne extrēmam patī fortūnam parātōs prōiēcit ille?

Did he not throw you away when you were ready to endure the worst?

Note. nōnne expects 'yes'. extrēmam patī fortūnam parātōs: 'ready to suffer the worst fate'. prōiēcit: 'threw away, abandoned'.

BC 2.32.8nōn sibi clam vōbīs salūtem fugā petīvit?

Did he not secretly look for his own safety in flight, without telling you?

Note. clam vōbīs: clam can be a preposition with the ablative (or accusative), 'without your knowledge'. fugā: ablative of means.

BC 2.32.8nōn prōditī per illum Caesaris beneficiō estis cōnservātī?"

Were you not saved by Caesar's kindness after he had betrayed you?"

Note. prōditī per illum: 'betrayed by him'; per with a person marks the agent through whom something happens. Caesar had let the men of Corfinium go unharmed.

BC 2.32.9"sacrāmentō quidem vōs tenēre quī potuit, cum prōiectīs fascibus et dēpositō imperiō prīvātus et captus ipse in aliēnam vēnisset potestātem?"

"And how could he hold you by your oath, when he had thrown away his rods of office, laid down his command, and come as a private citizen and a prisoner into another man's power?"

Note. quī: an old ablative used as an adverb, 'how?'. prōiectīs fascibus et dēpositō imperiō: ablative absolutes. The fascēs, the rods carried before a magistrate, were the sign of his command; without them Domitius was a privātus, a private citizen, and could no longer hold soldiers by their oath.

BC 2.32.10"relinquitur nova religiō, ut eō neglēctō sacrāmentō, quō tenēminī, respiciātis illud, quod dēditiōne ducis et capitis dēminūtiōne sublātum est."

"What remains is a strange kind of scruple: that you should ignore the oath that binds you now and look back to the one that was cancelled by your general's surrender and his loss of civic rights."

Note. relinquitur … ut: 'it remains that'. nova religiō: 'a strange scruple'. capitis dēminūtiō: loss of civil status; by being captured Domitius had lost the rights of a citizen, so the oath sworn to him was void.

BC 2.32.11"at, crēdō, sī Caesarem probātis, in mē offenditis.

"But, I suppose, if you approve of Caesar, it is with me that you are displeased.

Note. at, crēdō: ironic, 'but, I suppose'. Curio now turns to himself.

BC 2.32.11quī dē meīs in vōs meritīs praedicātūrus nōn sum, quae sunt adhūc et meā voluntāte et vestrā exspectātiōne leviōra;

I am not going to boast of what I have done for you, which is still less than I would wish and you expect;

Note. praedicātūrus nōn sum: 'I am not going to proclaim', future participle of praedicō, -āre. quae sunt … leviōra: 'which are slighter than both my wish and your expectation'.

BC 2.32.11sed tamen suī labōris mīlitēs semper ēventū bellī praemia petīvērunt, quī quālis sit futūrus, nē vōs quidem dubitātis.

yet soldiers have always sought the rewards of their labour from the outcome of the war, and what that will be not even you doubt.

Note. suī labōris: 'of their labour'. ēventū bellī: 'from the outcome of the war'. quī quālis sit futūrus: 'what kind it will be', an indirect question with the future participle and the subjunctive of sum.

BC 2.32.11dīligentiam quidem nostram aut, quem ad fīnem adhūc rēs prōcessit, fortūnam cūr praeteream?"

Why should I pass over my own diligence, or my good fortune so far as things have gone?"

Note. quem ad fīnem: 'to what point', i.e. 'so far as'. cūr praeteream?: deliberative subjunctive, 'why should I pass over?'

BC 2.32.12"an paenitet vōs, quod salvum atque incolumem exercitum nūllā omnīnō nāvī dēsīderātā trādūxerim?

"Or are you sorry that I brought the army across safe and sound without losing a single ship?

Note. an paenitet vōs, quod …: paenitet is impersonal; the person regretting is in the accusative and the cause here in a quod clause. nūllā … nāvī dēsīderātā: ablative absolute, 'not a single ship being lost'.

BC 2.32.12quod classem hostium prīmō impetū adveniēns prōflīgāverim?

That on my arrival I scattered the enemy fleet at the first attack?

Note. adveniēns: present participle, 'on arriving'. prōflīgāverim: perfect subjunctive, because the quod clauses report the reasons for possible regret.

BC 2.32.12quod bis per bīduum equestrī proeliō superāverim?

That I beat them twice in two days in cavalry battles?

Note. bis per bīduum: 'twice in two days'. equestrī proeliō: ablative of means.

BC 2.32.12quod ex portū sinūque adversāriōrum cc nāvēs onerātās abdūxerim eōque illōs compulerim, ut neque pedestrī itinere neque nāvibus commeātū iuvārī possint?"

That I took two hundred loaded ships out of the enemy's harbour and bay and drove them into a position where they can be supplied neither by land nor by sea?"

Note. CC nāvēs onerātās: 'two hundred laden ships', i.e. cargo ships. eōque … compulerim, ut: 'and drove them to such a point that'. pedestrī itinere: by land.

BC 2.32.13"hāc vōs fortūnā atque hīs ducibus repudiātīs Corfīniēnsem ignōminiam, Ītaliae fugam, Hispāniārum dēditiōnem, Āfricī bellī praeiūdicia sequiminī!"

"Are you rejecting such fortune and such leaders, to follow the disgrace of Corfinium, the flight from Italy, the surrender of the Spains, and what has already foretold the African war?"

Note. hāc vōs fortūnā atque hīs ducibus repudiātīs: ablative absolute, 'rejecting such fortune and such leaders'. sequiminī is indicative, in an indignant exclamation. Hispāniārum: plural, because Rome had two Spanish provinces. Āfricī bellī praeiūdicia: what has already shown how the African war will go (Curio's victories so far).

BC 2.32.14"equidem mē Caesaris mīlitem dīcī voluī, vōs mē imperātōris nōmine appellāvistis.

"For my part I wished to be called Caesar's soldier; it was you who hailed me as imperator.

Note. imperātor: after a victory soldiers could hail their general as imperātor, an honour Curio's men had given him.

BC 2.32.14cuius sī vōs paenitet, vestrum vōbīs beneficium remittō, mihi meum restituite nōmen, nē ad contumēliam honōrem dedisse videāminī."

If you regret that, I give you back your favour; give me back my own name, so that you do not seem to have given me the honour as an insult."

Note. cuius: connecting relative, referring to the name imperātor, 'and if you regret this name'. vōs paenitet + genitive: 'you regret'. nē … videāminī: purpose clause, 'so that you may not seem'.