De Bello Civili 3.17

BC 3.17.1Quibus rēbus neque tum respondendum Caesar exīstimāvit, neque nunc, ut memoriae prōdātur, satis causae putāmus.

To these points Caesar did not think it necessary to reply at the time, nor do we now think there is enough reason to record them.

Note. respondendum: impersonal gerundive with esse understood, 'that a reply must be made'. ut memoriae prōdātur: 'for it to be handed down to memory', i.e. to record it. Caesar the author speaks in the plural, putāmus.

BC 3.17.2postulābat Caesar, ut lēgātōs sibi ad Pompēium sine perīculō mittere licēret idque ipsī fore reciperent aut acceptōs per sē ad eum perdūcerent.

Caesar demanded that he be allowed to send envoys to Pompey without danger, and that they themselves guarantee that this would happen, or else receive the envoys and escort them to him themselves.

Note. ut … licēret: noun clause after postulābat. idque ipsī fore reciperent: 'and that they themselves would guarantee that this would happen'; fore is the future infinitive of sum. recipiō here means 'undertake, guarantee'.

BC 3.17.3quod ad indūtiās pertinēret, sīc bellī ratiōnem esse dīvīsam, ut illī classe nāvēs auxiliaque sua impedīrent, ipse ut aquā terrāque eōs prohibēret.

As for the truce, the conduct of the war had been divided in such a way that they with their fleet were hindering his ships and auxiliaries, while he was keeping them from water and land.

Note. Indirect speech of Caesar's reply. quod ad indūtiās pertinēret: 'as for what concerned the truce'. ita … ut: 'divided in such a way that'.

BC 3.17.4sī hoc sibi remittī vellent, remitterent ipsī dē maritimīs custōdiīs;

If they wanted this concession made to them, they should give up their guard of the sea;

Note. hoc sibi remittī: 'this to be relaxed for them', i.e. if they wanted him to relax his blockade of the land. remitterent: subjunctive for an imperative in indirect speech.

BC 3.17.4sī illud tenērent, sē quoque id retentūrum.

if they kept to that, he too would keep to this.

Note. retentūrum: future infinitive (esse understood). illud and id: their blockade of the sea and his of the land.

BC 3.17.4nihilōminus tamen agī posse dē compositiōne, ut haec nōn remitterentur, neque hanc rem illī esse impedīmentō.

Nevertheless, a settlement could still be negotiated without these things being given up, and this matter was no obstacle to it.

Note. nihilōminus tamen: a doubled 'nevertheless'. ut haec nōn remitterentur: 'even if these things were not given up'. illī esse impedīmentō: double dative, 'to be a hindrance to it (the settlement)'.

BC 3.17.5Libō neque lēgātōs Caesaris recipere neque perīculum praestāre eōrum, sed tōtam rem ad Pompēium rēicere;

Libo would neither receive Caesar's envoys nor guarantee their safety, but referred the whole matter to Pompey;

Note. Indirect speech continues without a verb of saying: Libo said he would neither receive the envoys nor guarantee (praestāre) their safety. reicere: 'to refer'.

BC 3.17.5ūnum īnstāre dē indūtiīs vehementissimēque contendere.

on one point only he insisted and argued most vehemently, the truce.

Note. ūnum īnstāre dē indūtiīs: 'that he insisted on one thing, the truce'. vehementissimē: superlative adverb.

BC 3.17.6quem ubi Caesar intellēxit praesentis perīculī atque inopiae vītandae causā omnem ōrātiōnem īnstituisse, neque ūllam spem aut condiciōnem pācis adferre, ad reliquam cōgitātiōnem bellī sēsē recēpit.

When Caesar realised that he had arranged the whole conversation for the sake of escaping his present danger and want, and that he was bringing no hope or terms of peace, he turned his mind back to the conduct of the war.

Note. praesentis perīculī atque inopiae vītandae causā: 'for the sake of avoiding his present danger and want'; the gerundive agrees with the nearer noun. ad reliquam cōgitātiōnem bellī sēsē recēpit: 'turned back to thinking about the war'.