Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 3
De Bello Civili 3.39
Acilius secures Oricum
Caesar, De Bello Civili III. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
Tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and track your reading.
Read in LectitōBC 3.39.1Dēductīs ōrae maritimae Caesar praesidiīs, ut suprā dēmōnstrātum est, iii cohortēs Ōricī oppidī tuendī causā relīquit īsdemque custōdiam nāvium longārum trādidit, quās ex Ītaliā trādūxerat.
When Caesar had withdrawn the garrisons from the coast, as was shown above, he left three cohorts at Oricum to guard the town and entrusted to the same men the guarding of the warships he had brought over from Italy.
Note. ut suprā dēmōnstrātum est: Caesar refers back to III.34. Ōricī oppidī tuendī causā: gerundive with causā, 'to guard the town of Oricum'. nāvium longārum: 'warships'.
BC 3.39.1huic officiō oppidōque M'. Acīlius lēgātus praeerat.
Manius Acilius, a legate, was in charge of this duty and of the town.
Note. huic officiō oppidōque: datives with praeerat, 'was in charge of'. M'. = Manius.
BC 3.39.2is nāvēs nostrās interiōrem in portum post oppidum redūxit et ad terram dēligāvit faucibusque portūs nāvem onerāriam submersam obiēcit et huic alteram coniūnxit;
He brought our ships back into the inner harbour behind the town and moored them to the shore, sank a merchant ship to block the mouth of the harbour, and fastened another to it;
Note. faucibus … portūs: 'at the mouth of the harbour'. nāvem … submersam obiēcit: Acilius blocks the harbour mouth by sinking a ship in it.
BC 3.39.2super quam turrim effectam ad ipsum introitum portūs opposuit et mīlitibus conplēvit tuendamque ad omnīs repentīnōs cāsūs trādidit.
on top of this he built a tower facing the very entrance of the harbour, filled it with soldiers and handed it over to be defended against any sudden attack.
Note. super quam: 'on top of which'. ad omnīs … cāsūs: omnīs is the older accusative plural of omnis.
Vocabulary
| dēdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead down or away, bring; nāvem dēdūcere, to draw down or launch a ship |
| ōra, -ae f. | coast, shore |
| maritimus, -a, -um | of the sea, coastal |
| praesidium, -ī, n. | protection; guard, escort |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| suprā, adv. and prep. with acc. | above, before |
| dēmōnstrō, -mōnstrāre, -mōnstrāvī, -mōnstrātus | point out, show; make known |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| Roman numeral | a number written with letters: I 1, V 5, X 10, L 50, C 100, D 500, M 1000 |
| cohors, cohortis f. | cohort (a tenth of a legion); company |
| oppidum, -ī, n. | town |
| tueor, -ērī, tuitus sum | watch over, protect, defend |
| causa, -ae, f. | cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron. | the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| custōdia, -ae f. | guard, protection |
| nāvis, -is, f. | ship |
| longus, -a, -um | long; tedious |
| trādō, -dere, -didī, -ditus | give across, over, or up, deliver; hand down, relate, report |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| trādūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead across |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| officium, -ī, n. | service; duty |
| lēgātus, -ī, m. | ambassador |
| praesum, -esse, -fuī | be before, preside over, have charge of, command |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| noster, -tra, -trum | our |
| interior, -ius, adj. | interior, inner |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| portus, -ūs, m. | harbor, haven, port |
| post, adv. | after, later; prep. with acc., after, behind |
| redūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductus | lead or bring back; restore |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| terra, -ae, f. | land, earth |
| dēligō, -ligere, -lēgī, -lēctus | choose out, choose, select |
| faucēs, -ium f. pl. | throat; narrow pass, gorge |
| onerārius, -a, -um | for freight; nāvis onerāria: transport ship |
| submergō, -mergere, -mersī, -mersus | plunge under, sink, overwhelm |
| obiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus | throw in the way or to |
| alter, -era, -erum | one or the other (of two); another, second |
| coniungō, -iungere, -iūnxī, -iūnctus | join together, join |
| super (prep. + acc. or abl.; also adv.) | over, above, on top of; upon; about, concerning |
| turris, -is f. | tower; siege tower |
| efficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | make or work out, accomplish, effect |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| introitus, -ūs, m. | entrance |
| oppōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positus | set against, place opposite |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| compleō, -plēre, -plēvī, -plētus | fill full, fill up |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| repentīnus, -a, -um | sudden |
| cāsus, -ūs, m. | fall; chance, accident |