Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 2
De Bello Civili 2.36
Utica besieged; news of Juba
Caesar, De Bello Civili II. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 2.36.1Posterō diē Cūriō obsidēre Uticam vallōque circummūnīre īnstituit.
The next day Curio began to besiege Utica and to surround it with a rampart.
Note. obsidēre … circummūnīre: infinitives with īnstituit, 'began to'. Utica was the capital of the Roman province of Africa.
BC 2.36.1erat in oppidō multitūdō īnsolēns bellī diūturnitāte ōtiī, Uticēnsēs prō quibusdam Caesaris in sē beneficiīs illī amīcissimī, conventus is quī ex variīs generibus cōnstāret, terror ex superiōribus proeliīs magnus.
In the town there was a population unused to war after a long peace; the people of Utica, very friendly to Caesar for certain kindnesses he had done them; a community of Roman residents made up of different kinds of people; and great terror after the earlier battles.
Note. A list of the town's weaknesses. multitūdō īnsolēns bellī: 'a crowd unused to war'. conventus: the community of Roman citizens living in a provincial town. cōnstāret: subjunctive in a relative clause of characteristic.
BC 2.36.2itaque dē dēditiōne omnēs iam palam loquēbantur et cum P. Attiō agēbant, nē suā pertināciā omnium fortūnās perturbārī vellet.
So everyone was already talking openly about surrender, and they were pressing Publius Attius not to let his own obstinacy ruin the fortunes of all.
Note. cum P. Attiō agēbant, nē …: 'they were pleading with Attius not to …'. omnium fortūnās perturbārī: indirect statement after vellet.
BC 2.36.3haec cum agerentur, nūntiī praemissī ab rēge Iubā vēnērunt, quī illum adesse cum magnīs cōpiīs dīcerent et dē custōdiā ac dēfēnsiōne urbis hortārentur.
While this was going on, messengers sent ahead by King Juba arrived to say that he was near with great forces and to urge them to guard and defend the city.
Note. Juba, king of Numidia, was Pompey's ally and Curio's personal enemy: as tribune Curio had proposed annexing his kingdom. quī … dīcerent … hortārentur: relative clause of purpose, 'to say … and to urge'.
BC 2.36.3quae rēs eōrum perterritōs animōs cōnfirmāvit.
This news strengthened their frightened spirits.
Note. Quae rēs: connecting relative, 'this news'.
Vocabulary
| posterus, -a, -um | following, next |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| obsideō, -sidēre, -sēdī, -sessus | beset, besiege |
| vallum, -ī n. | rampart, palisade |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| circummūniō, -īre, -īvī, -ītum | wall around, enclose |
| īnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | decide upon, determine |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| oppidum, -ī, n. | town |
| multitūdō, -tūdinis, f. | multitude |
| īnsolēns, -entis | unaccustomed (to: gen.); excessive, arrogant |
| bellum, -ī, n. | war |
| diūturnitās, -ātis f. | long duration |
| ōtium, -ī n. | leisure, rest; peace, quiet |
| prō, prep. with abl. | before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for |
| quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron. | a certain, certain |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| beneficium, -ī, n. | well-doing, kindness, service, benefit |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| amīcus, -ī, m. | friend |
| conventus, -ūs m. | meeting, assembly |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| varius, -a, -um | various |
| genus, generis, n. | kind, nature |
| cōnstō, -stāre, -stitī, -stātūrus | stand together, agree; consist; |
| terror, -ōris, m. | terror, fright |
| superior, -ius, adj. | higher; former, previous, preceding |
| proelium, -ī, n. | battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| itaque, adv. | and so, accordingly, therefore |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| dēditiō, -ōnis f. | surrender |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| iam, adv. | now, already |
| palam (adv.) | openly, publicly |
| loquor, loquī, locūtus | speak |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| agō, agere, ēgī, āctus | drive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| pertinācia, -ae f. | stubbornness |
| fortūna, -ae, f. | fortune |
| perturbō, -turbāre, -turbāvi, -turbātus | greatly disturb, disturb, agitate, throw into confusion |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| nūntius, -ī, m. | messenger; message |
| praemittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missum | send ahead |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| rēx, rēgis, m. | king |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| adsum, adesse, adfuī | be present, be at hand |
| cōpia, -ae, f. | supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops |
| dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus | say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day |
| custōdia, -ae f. | guard, protection |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| dēfēnsiō, -ōnis f. | defence |
| urbs, urbis, f. | city |
| hortor, -ārī, -ātus | exhort, encourage, urge |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| perterreō, -terrēre, -terrui, -territus | thoroughly frighten, terrify |
| animus, -ī, m. | mind; heart; spirit, courage |
| cōnfirmō, -firmāre, -firmāvī, -firmātus | strengthen, establish; declare, assert |