De Bello Civili 3.109

BC 3.109.1Dē hīs rēbus cum agerētur apud Caesarem, isque maximē vellet prō commūnī amīcō atque arbitrō contrōversiās rēgum compōnere, subitō exercitus rēgius equitātusque omnis venīre Alexandrīam nūntiātur.

While these matters were being discussed before Caesar, and he was especially eager to settle the royal pair's quarrels as their common friend and arbiter, it was suddenly reported that the royal army and all the cavalry were coming to Alexandria.

Note. cum agerētur: impersonal passive, 'when the matter was being discussed'. prō commūnī amīcō atque arbitrō: 'as a common friend and arbiter'. nūntiātur: personal passive with the infinitive venīre, 'the army is reported to be coming'.

BC 3.109.2Caesaris cōpiae nēquāquam erant tantae, ut eīs, extrā oppidum sī esset dīmicandum, cōnfīderet.

Caesar's forces were by no means large enough for him to trust them if he had to fight outside the town.

Note. tantae, ut … cōnfīderet: result clause. sī esset dīmicandum: impersonal passive periphrastic, 'if it were necessary to fight'.

BC 3.109.2relinquēbātur, ut sē suīs locīs oppidō tenēret cōnsiliumque Achillae cognōsceret.

It remained for him to keep to his positions in the town and learn Achillas' plan.

Note. relinquēbātur, ut: 'it remained that', a noun clause of result. suīs locīs: 'in his own positions'.

BC 3.109.3mīlitēs tamen omnēs in armīs esse iussit rēgemque hortātus est, ut ex suīs necessāriīs, quōs habēret maximae auctōritātis, lēgātōs ad Achillam mitteret et, quid esset suae voluntātis, ostenderet.

Yet he ordered all the soldiers to be under arms, and urged the king to send envoys to Achillas from those of his close friends who had the greatest influence, and to show what his wishes were.

Note. hortātus est: from the deponent hortor. quōs habēret maximae auctōritātis: genitive of description, 'those of the greatest influence'. quid esset suae voluntātis: indirect question with a partitive genitive, 'what his wish was'.

BC 3.109.4ā quō missī Dioscoridēs et Serāpiōn, quī ambō lēgātī Rōmae fuerant magnamque apud patrem Ptolomaeum auctōritātem habuerant, ad Achillān pervēnērunt.

Sent by him, Dioscorides and Serapion, who had both been envoys at Rome and had had great influence with Ptolemy the father, reached Achillas.

Note. ā quō: 'by him', the king. Achillan: Greek accusative of Achillas.

BC 3.109.5quōs ille, cum in cōnspectum eius vēnissent, priusquam audīret aut, cuius reī causā missī essent, cognōsceret, corripī atque interficī iussit;

When they came into his presence, before he heard them or learned why they had been sent, he ordered them to be seized and killed;

Note. quōs: connecting relative. priusquam audīret: subjunctive with priusquam, implying he deliberately did not hear them. cuius reī causā: 'for what reason', an indirect question.

BC 3.109.5quōrum alter acceptō vulnere occupātus per suōs prō occīsō sublātus, alter interfectus est.

one of them received a wound and was carried off by his friends as if dead, the other was killed.

Note. quōrum alter … alter: 'one of them … the other'. prō occīsō: 'as if killed'. sublātus (est): 'was carried off'.

BC 3.109.6quō factō, rēgem ut in suā potestāte habēret, Caesar effēcit, magnam rēgium nōmen apud suōs auctōritātem habēre exīstimāns, et ut potius prīvātō paucōrum et latrōnum quam rēgiō cōnsiliō susceptum bellum vidērētur.

After this, Caesar made sure that he had the king in his power, thinking that the royal name carried great authority among his people, and so that the war might appear to have been undertaken by the private plan of a few brigands rather than by the king's design.

Note. quō factō: ablative absolute. ut … habēret: noun clause after effēcit, 'he made sure that he had'. magnam rēgium nōmen … auctōritātem habēre: indirect statement after exīstimāns. prīvātō paucōrum et latrōnum … cōnsiliō: 'by the private plan of a few brigands'. Caesar keeps the king in his hands so that the war looks like a mutiny, not a war against Rome by Egypt.