De Bello Civili 3.15

BC 3.15.1Bibulus, ut suprā dēmōnstrātum est, erat cum classe ad Ōricum, et sīcutī marī portibusque Caesarem prohibēbat, ita ipse omnī terrā eārum regiōnum prohibēbātur.

Bibulus, as was shown above, was with his fleet at Oricum, and just as he was keeping Caesar from the sea and the harbours, so he himself was kept from all the land of those regions.

Note. Winter 49/48 B.C.: Caesar has crossed to Epirus, but Pompey's fleet under Bibulus controls the sea. sīcutī … ita: 'just as … so'; the irony is that the blockader is himself blockaded. ut suprā dēmōnstrātum est: Caesar refers back to his own earlier account.

BC 3.15.2Praesidiīs enim dispositīs omnia lītora ā Caesare tenēbantur, neque lignandī atque aquandī neque nāvis ad terram religandī potestās fīēbat.

For since garrisons had been posted, all the shores were held by Caesar, and there was no opportunity of gathering wood or fetching water or of mooring a ship to the land.

Note. Praesidiīs dispositīs: ablative absolute, 'garrisons having been posted'. lignandī atque aquandī: genitive gerunds of the deponents lignor and aquor with potestās, 'the opportunity of getting wood and water'. nāvis … religandī: a gerundive phrase, 'of mooring a ship'.

BC 3.15.3erat rēs in magnā difficultāte, summīsque angustiīs rērum necessāriārum premēbantur, adeō ut cōgerentur sīcutī reliquum commeātum ita ligna atque aquam Corcȳrā nāvibus onerāriīs supportāre, atque etiam ūnō tempore accidit, ut difficiliōribus ūsī tempestātibus ex pellibus, quibus erant tēctae nāvēs, nocturnum excipere rōrem cōgerentur.

Their situation was very difficult, and they were hard pressed by the greatest shortage of necessities, so much so that they were forced to bring in wood and water, like the rest of their supplies, from Corcyra on transport ships; and it even happened on one occasion that, meeting with rather bad weather, they were forced to catch the night dew on the hides with which the ships were covered.

Note. angustiīs rērum necessāriārum: 'by a shortage of necessities'. adeō ut cōgerentur: result clause. Corcȳrā: 'from Corcyra', ablative of place from which, without a preposition. ex pellibus … rōrem: in bad weather they had to catch dew on the leather hides covering the ships to get drinking water.

BC 3.15.5quās tamen difficultātēs patienter atque aequō animō ferēbant, neque sibi nūdanda lītora et relinquendōs portūs exīstimābant.

These difficulties, however, they bore patiently and calmly, and they did not think they ought to leave the shores unguarded and abandon the harbours.

Note. aequō animō: 'with calm mind', i.e. patiently. sibi nūdanda … relinquendōs: gerundives of obligation with existimābant, esse understood: 'they did not think that the shores ought to be left bare by them'.

BC 3.15.6sed cum essent in quibus dēmōnstrāvī angustiīs ac sē Libō cum Bibulō coniūnxisset, loquuntur ambō ex nāvibus cum M'. Acīliō et Statiō Murcō lēgātīs, quōrum alter oppidī mūrīs, alter praesidiīs terrestribus praeerat: velle sē dē maximīs rēbus cum Caesare loquī, sī sibi eius facultās dētur.

But when they were in the straits that I have described, and Libo had joined Bibulus, the two of them speak from their ships with Manius Acilius and Statius Murcus, legates, of whom one commanded the town walls and the other the garrisons on land: they wished, they said, to talk with Caesar about matters of the greatest importance, if they were given the opportunity to do so.

Note. in quibus dēmōnstrāvī angustiīs: the antecedent angustiīs is drawn into the relative clause, 'in the straits which I have described'. M'.: Manius. velle sē … sī sibi eius facultās dētur: indirect statement after loquuntur, giving their words.

BC 3.15.7hūc addunt pauca reī cōnfirmandae causā, ut dē compositiōne āctūrī vidērentur.

To this they add a few words to make it more convincing, so that they seemed about to negotiate a settlement.

Note. huc: 'to this'. reī cōnfirmandae causā: 'for the sake of confirming the matter', gerundive with causā. āctūrī: future participle, 'about to negotiate'.

BC 3.15.7interim postulant, ut sint indūtiae, atque ab eīs impetrant.

Meanwhile they ask that there be a truce, and obtain it from them.

Note. indūtiae: plural noun with singular meaning, 'a truce'. ab eīs: from Acilius and Murcus.

BC 3.15.8magnum enim, quod adferēbant, vidēbātur, et Caesarem id summē sciēbant cupere, et prōfectum aliquid Vibullī mandātīs exīstimābātur.

For what they were offering seemed important, and they knew that Caesar wanted this above all, and it was thought that something had been achieved by Vibullius' mission.

Note. magnum … quod adferēbant: 'what they were offering' is the subject of vidēbātur. profectum aliquid: '(that) something had been achieved', perfect passive infinitive of prōficiō with esse understood. Vibullius had earlier been sent by Caesar to Pompey with peace proposals.