Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 2
De Bello Civili 2.33
The soldiers answer; both sides draw up
Caesar, De Bello Civili II. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 2.33.1Quā ōrātiōne permōtī mīlitēs crēbrō etiam dīcentem interpellābant, ut magnō cum dolōre īnfidēlitātis suspīciōnem sustinēre vidērentur, discēdentem vērō ex cōntiōne ūniversī cohortantur, magnō sit animō nēubi dubitet proelium committere et suam fidem virtūtemque experīrī.
The soldiers were moved by this speech and kept interrupting him while he spoke, so that they seemed to bear the suspicion of disloyalty with deep resentment; and as he left the assembly they all urged him to take heart and not to hesitate anywhere to give battle and to put their loyalty and courage to the test.
Note. Quā ōrātiōne: connecting relative, 'by this speech'. dīcentem: Curio, while he was speaking. ut … vidērentur: result clause. cohortantur: the text returns to indirect commands without ut: magnō sit animō, 'that he should be of good courage'. nēubi dubitet: 'not to hesitate anywhere'.
BC 2.33.2quō factō commūtātā omnium et voluntāte et opīniōne cōnsēnsū suōrum cōnstituit Cūriō, cum prīmum sit data potestās, proeliō rem committere, posterōque diē prōductōs eōdem locō, quō superiōribus diēbus cōnstiterat, in aciē collocat.
When this had happened and everyone's feeling and opinion had changed, Curio decided with the agreement of his officers to fight as soon as he had the chance, and on the next day he led his men out and drew them up in line in the same place where he had taken position on the previous days.
Note. Quō factō: 'after this had happened'. commūtātā … voluntāte et opīniōne: ablative absolute. cum prīmum: 'as soon as'. proeliō rem committere: 'to settle the matter by a battle'. postero … diē: ablative of time.
BC 2.33.3nē Vārus quidem Attius dubitat cōpiās prōdūcere, sīve sollicitandī mīlitēs sīve aequō locō dīmicandī dētur occāsiō, nē facultātem praetermittat.
Attius Varus too did not hesitate to lead out his forces, so as not to miss the chance, whether of tampering with the soldiers' loyalty or of fighting on equal ground.
Note. Varus is P. Attius Varus, the Pompeian governor of Africa; Caesar names him both 'Varus' and 'Attius'. sīve … sīve: 'whether … or'. sollicitandī mīlitēs: gerund with a direct object, 'of tampering with the soldiers', i.e. of winning them over.
Vocabulary
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| ōrātiō, -ōnis, f. | speech; ōrātiōnem habēre, to deliver an oration, speak |
| permoveō, -ēre, -mōvī, -mōtum | move deeply, influence |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| crēbrō (adv.) | often, again and again |
| etiam, adv. | and now, also, too, even |
| dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus | say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day |
| interpellō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | interrupt, hinder |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| dolor, -ōris, m. | pain, grief; anger |
| īnfidēlitās, -ātis f. | faithlessness, disloyalty |
| suspīciō, -ōnis, f. | suspicion |
| sustineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold or bear up, sustain, withstand |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| discēdō, -cēdere, -cessī, -cessus | go apart, withdraw, depart |
| vērō, adv. | in truth, indeed; however |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| cōntiō, -ōnis f. | assembly, meeting; speech to an assembly |
| ūniversus, -a, -um | all together, whole, entire, all |
| cohortor, -hortārī, -hortātus | encourage, exhort |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| animus, -ī, m. | mind; heart; spirit, courage |
| nē ubi (conj.) | that nowhere, so that ... not anywhere; (here) not to hesitate at any point |
| dubitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | doubt, hesitate |
| proelium, -ī, n. | battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle |
| committō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send together; commit, intrust; expose; proelium committere, to join battle |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| fidēs, -eī f. | faith, trust; pledge |
| virtūs, -tūtis, f. | manliness, courage, bravery |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| experior, -īrī, expertus sum | try, test, experience |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| commūtō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | change |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| voluntās, -tātis, f. | wish, will |
| opīniō, -ōnis, f. | opinion, expectation; reputation |
| cōnsēnsus, -ūs, m. | agreement, consent |
| cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | set together or up; appoint; determine |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| prīmum, adv. | first, in the first place |
| dō, dare, dedī, datus | give |
| potestās, -ātis f. | power, authority |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| posterus, -a, -um | following, next |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| prōdūcō, -ere, -dūxī, -ductum | lead out, bring out |
| īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron. | the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| superior, -ius, adj. | higher; former, previous, preceding |
| cōnsistō, -sistere, -stitī, -stitus | station oneself, take one's stand; consist |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| aciēs, -ēī, f. | line of battle |
| collocō (conlocō), -āre, -āvī, -ātum | place, station; give in marriage |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| quidem, adv. | in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even |
| cōpia, -ae, f. | supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops |
| sīve or seu, conj. | or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or |
| sollicitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | stir up, tempt |
| aequus, -a, -um | level; equal; fair |
| dīmicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | fight |
| occāsiō, -ōnis, f. | chance, opportunity |
| facultās, -tātis, f. | possibility, opportunity, chance, means |
| praetermittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missus | let pass, neglect, omit |