Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 2
De Bello Civili 2.44
Juba's cruelty
Caesar, De Bello Civili II. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 2.44.1Quibus rēbus accidit, ut paucī mīlitēs patrēsque familiae, quī aut grātiā aut misericordiā valērent aut nāvēs adnāre possent, receptī in Siciliam incolumēs pervenīrent.
The result was that only a few soldiers and heads of families, who had influence or aroused pity or could swim out to the ships, were taken on board and reached Sicily safely.
Note. Quibus rēbus accidit, ut: 'the result was that'. quī … valērent aut … possent: relative clauses of characteristic. adnāre: 'swim to'.
BC 2.44.1reliquae cōpiae missīs ad Vārum noctū lēgātōrum numerō centuriōnibus sēsē eī dēdidērunt.
The rest of the troops sent centurions to Varus by night as envoys and surrendered to him.
Note. lēgātōrum numerō: 'as envoys'. sēsē … dēdidērunt: 'surrendered themselves'.
BC 2.44.2quōrum cohortēs mīlitum posterō diē ante oppidum Iuba cōnspicātus, suam esse praedicāns praedam, magnam partem eōrum interficī iussit, paucōs ēlēctōs in regnum remīsit, cum Vārus suam fidem ab eō laedī quererētur neque resistere audēret.
The next day Juba saw their cohorts before the town and, declaring that they were his booty, ordered most of them to be killed and sent a few picked men back to his kingdom, while Varus complained that his good faith was being violated by him but did not dare to resist.
Note. suam esse praedam: indirect statement, 'that they were his booty'. cum Vārus … quererētur neque resistere audēret: cum with the subjunctive, 'while Varus complained … but did not dare'. The digital text misprints quererētur as 'uereretur'. Juba treats Roman citizens as a king's plunder.
BC 2.44.3ipse equō in oppidum vectus prōsequentibus complūribus senātōribus, quō in numerō erat Ser. Sulpicius et Licinius Damasippus, paucīs quae fierī vellet, Uticae cōnstituit atque imperāvit, diēbus aequē post paucīs sē in regnum cum omnibus cōpiīs recēpit.
Juba himself rode into the town on horseback, escorted by many senators, among them Servius Sulpicius and Licinius Damasippus; in a few words he settled and ordered at Utica what he wanted done, and a few days later he withdrew to his kingdom with all his forces.
Note. equō … vectus: 'riding'. Ser. Sulpicius and Licinius Damasippus: Roman senators of Pompey's party. paucīs: 'in a few words'. Uticae: locative, 'at Utica'. diēbus … post paucīs: 'a few days later'. Book 2 ends with the defeat in Africa; Book 3 turns to Caesar's campaign against Pompey in Greece.
Vocabulary
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| accidō, -cidere, -cidī | fall to or upon; befall, happen |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj. | few |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| pater, patris, m. | father |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| familia, -ae f. | household (incl. slaves and dependents) |
| aut, conj. | or; aut ... aut, either ... or |
| grātia, -ae, f. | favor; gratitude, thanks; plur., thanks; grātiās agere, to give thanks, thank; grātiam referre, to return a favor, show gratitude, requite |
| misericordia, -ae, f; | pity, compassion |
| valeō, -ēre, -uī, -itūrus | be strong or effectual, have effect, prevail |
| nāvis, -is, f. | ship |
| adnō (annō), -āre, -āvī | swim to, reach by sea |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| recipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | take or get back, recover; sē recipere, to betake oneself, withdraw; to collect oneself, recover |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| incolumis, -e | unhurt, safe |
| perveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus | come through, come, arrive, reach |
| reliquus, -a, -um | left, the remaining, the other, the rest of |
| cōpia, -ae, f. | supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| noctū, adv. | at or by night |
| lēgātus, -ī, m. | ambassador |
| numerus, -ī, m. | number |
| centuriō, -ōnis m. | centurion (officer commanding about 80 men) |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| dēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditus | give away or up |
| cohors, cohortis f. | cohort (a tenth of a legion); company |
| posterus, -a, -um | following, next |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| ante, prep, with acc. and adv. | before |
| oppidum, -ī, n. | town |
| cōnspicor, -ārī, -ātus sum | catch sight of |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| praedicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | proclaim; boast of |
| praeda, -ae, f. | booty, spoil, plunder |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| pars, partis, f. | part, side, direction |
| interficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | put out of the way, kill |
| iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussus | bid, order, command |
| ēligō, -ere, ēlēgī, ēlēctum | pick out, choose |
| regnum, -ī, n. | royal power, rule, throne; kingdom, realm |
| remittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missum | send back; give up, remit |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| fidēs, -eī f. | faith, trust; pledge |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| laedō, -ere, laesī, laesus | hurt, injure; break (an oath) |
| queror, -ī, questus sum | complain |
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| resistō, -sistere, -stitī | stand back, resist |
| audeō, audēre, ausus sum | dare |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| equus, -ī, m. | horse |
| vehō, vehere, vexī, vectus | carry |
| prōsequor, -sequī, -secūtus | follow forward, follow |
| complūrēs, -plūra, plur. adj. | several, many |
| senātor, -ōris m. | senator, elder |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| fīō, fierī, factus sum | be done or made, become, happen |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | set together or up; appoint; determine |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| imperō, -perāre, -perāvī, -perātus | command, order, enjoin |
| aequē (adv.) | equally, just as; aequē ac: just as |
| post, adv. | after, later; prep. with acc., after, behind |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| omnis, -e | all, every |