De Bello Civili 3.101

BC 3.101.1Īsdem ferē temporibus Cassius cum classe Syrōrum et Phoenīcum et Cilicum in Siciliam vēnit, et cum esset Caesaris classis dīvīsa in duās partēs, dīmidiae partī praeesset P. Sulpicius praetor Vibōne ad fretum, dīmidiae M. Pompōnius ad Messānam, prius Cassius ad Messānam nāvibus advolāvit, quam Pompōnius dē eius adventū cognōsceret, perturbātumque eum nactus nūllīs custōdiīs neque ōrdinibus certīs, magnō ventō et secundō conplētās onerāriās nāvēs taedā et pice et stuppā reliquīsque rēbus, quae sunt ad incendia, in Pompōniānam classem immīsit atque omnēs nāvēs incendit xxxv, ē quibus erant xx cōnstrātae.

At about the same time Cassius came to Sicily with a fleet of Syrians, Phoenicians and Cilicians; and since Caesar's fleet was divided into two parts, with the praetor Publius Sulpicius commanding one half at Vibo on the strait and Marcus Pomponius the other half at Messana, Cassius swooped on Messana with his ships before Pomponius learned of his arrival; and finding him thrown into confusion, with no guards and no fixed order, he sent merchant ships, filled with pine-torches, pitch, tow and the other things that serve for fires, against Pomponius' fleet with a strong and favourable wind, and burned all thirty-five ships, of which twenty were decked.

Note. A very long sentence: the main verbs are vēnit, advolāvit, immīsit and incendit, all with Cassius as subject. Cassius here is Gaius Cassius Longinus, the later murderer of Caesar, commanding a Pompeian squadron. dīmidiae parti praeesset: praesum takes the dative. prius … quam: 'before', split around advolāvit. nactus: from nancīscor, 'having found'. quae sunt ad incendia: 'which serve for fires'. xxxv and xx are Roman numerals: 35 and 20. cōnstrātae: 'decked', i.e. with a full deck, the larger warships.

BC 3.101.3tantusque eō factō timor incessit, ut cum esset legiō praesidiō Messānae, vix oppidum dēfenderētur, et nisi eō ipsō tempore quīdam nūntiī dē Caesaris victōriā per dispositōs equitēs essent allātī, exīstimābant plērīque futūrum fuisse, utī āmitterētur.

And such fear arose from this deed that, although there was a legion as a garrison at Messana, the town was barely defended; and most people thought that it would have been lost if at that very moment certain messengers had not brought news of Caesar's victory by relays of horsemen.

Note. tantus … ut: result clause. cum esset legiō praesidiō Messānae: concessive cum, 'although'; praesidiō is a dative of purpose with the dative Messānae, 'as a protection for Messana'. nisi … essent allātī: a past unreal condition inside indirect statement; futūrum fuisse uti āmitterētur is the indirect form of 'it would have been lost'. uti = ut.

BC 3.101.4sed opportūnissimē nūntiīs allātīs oppidum fuit dēfēnsum;

But the news arrived at the most opportune moment, and the town was defended.

Note. opportūnissimē: superlative of the adverb opportūnē. fuit dēfēnsum: a perfect passive formed with fuit instead of est, common in Caesar.

BC 3.101.4Cassiusque ad Sulpiciānam inde classem profectus est Vibōnem, adplicātīsque nostrī ad terram nāvibus propter eundem timōrem parī atque anteā ratiōne secundum nānctus ventum onerāriās nāvēs praeparātās ad incendium immīsit, et flamma ab utrōque cornū comprēnsa nāvēs sunt conbūstae quīnque.

Cassius then set out for Sulpicius' fleet at Vibo, and since our men had drawn their ships up to the shore because of the same fear, he caught a favourable wind and, in the same way as before, sent in merchant ships prepared for burning; and the flames caught at both wings and five ships were burned.

Note. profectus est: perfect of the deponent proficīscor. adplicātīs … nāvibus: ablative absolute, 'our men having drawn their ships to land'. parī atque anteā ratiōne: 'in the same way as before'; pār … atque, 'the same as'. ab utrōque cornū: 'at both wings' of the fleet.

BC 3.101.5cumque ignis magnitūdine ventī lātius serperet, mīlitēs, quī ex veteribus legiōnibus erant relictī praesidiō nāvibus ex numerō aegrōrum ignōminiam nōn tulērunt, sed suā sponte nāvēs cōnscendērunt et ā terrā solvērunt impetūque factō in Cassiānam classem quīnquerēmēs duās, in quārum alterā erat Cassius, cēpērunt, sed Cassius exceptus scaphā refūgit;

And when the fire was spreading more widely because of the strength of the wind, the soldiers from the veteran legions who had been left from the number of the sick to guard the ships could not bear the disgrace: of their own accord they boarded the ships, cast off from the land, attacked Cassius' fleet and captured two quinqueremes, in one of which was Cassius; but Cassius was picked up by a skiff and escaped.

Note. cumque … serperet: cum with the imperfect subjunctive, 'when'. ex numerō aegrōrum: they had been left behind as invalids, which is why being burned out was a disgrace (ignōminiam nōn tulērunt). solvērunt: 'cast off' (nāvēs understood). in quārum alterā: 'in one of which'. exceptus scaphā: 'picked up by a skiff'.

BC 3.101.6praetereā duae sunt dēpressae trirēmēs.

Besides, two triremes were sunk.

Note. dēpressae: from dēprimō, 'sunk'.

BC 3.101.7neque multō post dē proeliō factō in Thessaliā cognitum est, ut ipsīs Pompēiānīs fidēs fieret;

Not long afterwards news came of the battle fought in Thessaly, so that even the Pompeians believed it;

Note. proeliō factō in Thessaliā: the battle of Pharsalus (9 August 48 BC). ut … fidēs fieret: result clause, 'so that belief arose', i.e. so that they believed it. ipsīs Pompeiānīs: 'even to the Pompeians themselves'.

BC 3.101.7nam ante id tempus fingī ā lēgātīs amīcīsque Caesaris arbitrābantur.

for until then they had thought that it was being invented by Caesar's legates and friends.

Note. fingī: present passive infinitive in indirect statement, 'that it was being made up'; the subject (the news) is understood.

BC 3.101.7quibus rēbus cognitīs ex hīs locīs Cassius cum classe discessit.

When these things were known, Cassius left those parts with his fleet.

Note. quibus rēbus cognitīs: ablative absolute with a connecting relative, 'these things being known'.