De Bello Civili 3.112

BC 3.112.1Pharus est in īnsulā turris magnā altitūdine, mīrificīs operibus extrūcta;

Pharos is a tower of great height on an island, built with wonderful workmanship;

Note. Pharus: here the lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the world. magnā altitūdine: ablative of description. exstrūcta: 'built'.

BC 3.112.1quae nōmen ab īnsulā cēpit.

it took its name from the island.

Note. quae: the tower. nōmen ab īnsulā cēpit: it was named after the island, and 'pharos' became the word for a lighthouse.

BC 3.112.2haec īnsula obiecta Alexandrīae portum efficit;

This island, lying opposite Alexandria, forms the harbour;

Note. obiecta Alexandrīae: 'lying in front of Alexandria'; obiciō takes the dative.

BC 3.112.2sed ā superiōribus rēgibus in longitūdinem passuum dcccc in mare iactīs mōlibus angustō itinere et ponte cum oppidō coniungitur.

but it is joined to the town by a narrow road and a bridge, with moles thrown into the sea for a length of nine hundred paces by earlier kings.

Note. superiōribus rēgibus: the earlier Ptolemies. iactīs mōlibus: 'moles (causeways) having been thrown into the sea', the Heptastadion, about 1.3 km long. passuum dcccc: 900 paces.

BC 3.112.3in hāc sunt īnsulā domicilia Aegyptiōrum et vīcus oppidī magnitūdine;

On this island there are dwellings of Egyptians and a settlement the size of a town;

Note. oppidī magnitūdine: ablative of description, 'of the size of a town'.

BC 3.112.3quaeque ubīque nāvēs imprūdentiā aut tempestāte paulum suō cursū dēcessērunt, hās mōre praedōnum dīripere cōnsuērunt.

and whatever ships anywhere have strayed a little from their course through carelessness or a storm, these they are accustomed to plunder like pirates.

Note. quaeque … nāvēs: 'and whatever ships'. imprūdentiā aut tempestāte: ablatives of cause. hās: resumes the ships, 'these'. mōre praedōnum: 'in the manner of pirates'.

BC 3.112.4iīs autem invītīs, ā quibus Pharos tenētur, nōn potest esse propter angustiās nāvibus introitus in portum.

Moreover, against the will of those who hold Pharos, ships cannot enter the harbour because of the narrowness of the channel.

Note. iīs invītīs: ablative absolute, 'those being unwilling', i.e. against their will. Pharos: Greek nominative form. nāvibus: dative of possession with esse … introitus.

BC 3.112.5hoc tum veritus Caesar hostibus in pugnā occupātīs mīlitibusque expositīs Pharon prehendit atque ibi praesidium posuit.

Fearing this, Caesar, while the enemy were busy with the fighting, landed his soldiers, seized Pharos and placed a garrison there.

Note. hōc veritus: 'fearing this'. hostibus … occupātīs: ablative absolute, 'the enemy being busy'. Pharon: Greek accusative.

BC 3.112.6quibus est rēbus effectum, ut tūtō frūmentum auxiliaque nāvibus ad eum subportārī possent.

By these means it was ensured that grain and reinforcements could be brought to him safely by ship.

Note. quibus … rēbus: ablative of means. effectum est, ut: 'it was brought about that'. tūtō: adverb, 'safely'.

BC 3.112.6dīmīsit enim circum omnēs propinquās prōvinciās atque inde auxilia ēvocāvit.

For he sent to all the neighbouring provinces and summoned reinforcements from there.

Note. dīmīsit: messengers are understood, 'he sent out (men)'. circum: 'around', i.e. to all the neighbouring provinces.

BC 3.112.7reliquīs oppidī partibus sīc est pugnātum ut aequō proeliō discēderētur et neutrī pellerentur— id efficiēbant angustiae locī— paucīsque utrimque interfectīs Caesar loca maximē necessāria conplexus noctū praemūniit.

In the other parts of the town the fighting was such that they parted on equal terms and neither side was driven back (the narrowness of the place caused this); a few were killed on each side, and Caesar enclosed the most essential positions and fortified them during the night.

Note. sīc est pugnātum ut … discēderētur … pellerentur: result clause; discēderētur is impersonal passive, 'they parted'. neutrī: 'neither side'. id efficiēbant angustiae locī: a parenthesis, 'the narrowness of the place caused this'. complexus: from complector, 'having taken in'.

BC 3.112.8in eō tractū oppidī pars erat rēgiae exigua, in quam ipse habitandī causā initiō erat inductus, et theātrum coniūnctum domuī, quod arcis tenēbat locum aditūsque habēbat ad portum et ad rēgia nāvālia.

In that quarter of the town there was a small part of the palace, into which he had at first been brought to live, and a theatre joined to the house, which served as a citadel and had approaches to the harbour and to the royal dockyards.

Note. rēgiae: genitive of rēgia, 'the palace'. habitandī causā: 'for the purpose of living'. theātrum: the theatre next to the palace served as a citadel (arcis … locum).

BC 3.112.9hās mūnītiōnēs īnsequentibus auxit diēbus, ut prō mūrō obiectās habēret neu dīmicāre invītus cōgerētur.

He strengthened these defences on the following days, so as to have them in front of him as a wall and not be forced to fight against his will.

Note. īnsequentibus … diēbus: 'on the following days'. prō mūrō: 'as a wall'. neu = nēve, 'and not'. invītus: 'unwillingly', an adjective used where English has an adverb.

BC 3.112.10interim fīlia minor Ptolomaeī rēgis vacuam possessiōnem regnī spērāns ad Achillam sēsē ex rēgiā trāiēcit ūnāque bellum administrāre coepit.

Meanwhile the younger daughter of King Ptolemy, hoping for the vacant possession of the throne, crossed over from the palace to Achillas and began to direct the war together with him.

Note. fīlia minor: Arsinoe, Cleopatra's younger sister. vacuam possessiōnem regnī: since the king was in Caesar's hands, the throne seemed empty. ūnā: adverb, 'together'.

BC 3.112.11sed celeriter est inter eōs dē prīncipātū contrōversiā orta, quae rēs apud mīlitēs largītiōnēs auxit;

But a quarrel soon arose between them about the leadership, and this increased the bribes paid to the soldiers;

Note. contrōversia orta: 'a quarrel arose', from the deponent orior. quae rēs: 'and this'.

BC 3.112.11magnīs enim iactūrīs sibi quisque eōrum animōs conciliābat.

for each of them tried to win over their loyalty with great outlays.

Note. iactūrīs: 'outlays, expenses', i.e. bribes. sibi … conciliābat: 'tried to win over to themselves'.

BC 3.112.12haec dum apud hostēs geruntur, Pothīnus, nūtrīcius puerī et prōcūrātor regnī, in parte Caesaris, cum ad Achillam nūntiōs mitteret hortārēturque, nē negōtiō dēsisteret nēve animō dēficeret, indicātīs dēprehēnsīsque internūntiīs ā Caesare est interfectus.

While this was going on among the enemy, Pothinus, the boy's guardian and regent of the kingdom, who was on Caesar's side, was sending messengers to Achillas and urging him not to give up the enterprise or lose heart; his go-betweens were informed on and caught, and he was put to death by Caesar.

Note. haec dum … geruntur: dum with the present, 'while these things were going on'. in parte Caesaris: Pothinus was inside the part of the town Caesar held. nē … dēsisteret nēve … dēficeret: indirect command. indicātīs dēprehēnsīsque internūntiīs: ablative absolute, 'his messengers having been informed on and caught'.

BC 3.112.12haec initia bellī Alexandrīnī fuērunt.

Such was the beginning of the Alexandrian war.

Note. Haec initia bellī Alexandrīnī fuērunt: with this sentence the Civil War breaks off. Caesar never finished it; the story of the Alexandrian war is continued in the Bellum Alexandrinum, written by one of his officers, probably Hirtius.