De Bello Civili 3.40

BC 3.40.1Quibus cognitīs rēbus Cn. Pompēius fīlius, quī classī Aegyptiae praeerat, ad Ōricum vēnit submersamque nāvem remulcō multīsque contendēns fūnibus abdūxit atque alteram nāvem, quae erat ad custōdiam ab Acīliō posita, plūribus adgressus nāvibus, in quibus ad lībram fēcerat turrēs, ut ex superiōrī pugnāns locō integrōsque semper dēfatīgātīs submittēns et reliquīs partibus simul ex terrā scālīs et classe moenia oppidī temptāns, utī adversāriōrum manūs dīdūceret, labōre et multitūdine tēlōrum nostrōs vīcit dēiectīsque dēfēnsōribus, quī omnēs scaphīs exceptī refūgērunt, eam nāvem expugnāvit.

When he learned of this, Gnaeus Pompeius the son, who commanded the Egyptian fleet, came to Oricum, dragged away the sunken ship with a towing line, hauling on many ropes, and attacked the other ship, which Acilius had posted as a guard, with several ships on which he had built towers to a level, so that fighting from a higher position, always sending fresh men in to replace the tired, and at the same time testing the town walls on the other sides from the land with ladders and from the sea with his fleet, in order to divide the enemy's forces, he overcame our men by persistence and the mass of missiles; the defenders were driven off and all escaped, picked up by small boats, and he took that ship.

Note. Gnaeus Pompeius the son (Pompey's elder son) commands the Egyptian contingent of his father's fleet. remulcō: 'with a towing line'. ad lībram: 'to a level', i.e. towers built to the height of the enemy's tower. uti … dīdūceret: 'in order to split up'. scaphīs exceptī: 'picked up by small boats'.

BC 3.40.2eōdemque tempore ex alterā parte mōlem tenuit nātūrālem obiectam, quae paene īnsulam oppidum effēcerat, iiii birēmēs subiectīs scutulīs inpulsās vectibus in interiōrem portum trānsdūxit.

At the same time, on the other side, he occupied the natural breakwater lying in front, which had made the town almost an island, and brought four biremes over into the inner harbour on rollers placed underneath, pushed by levers.

Note. mōlem … nātūrālem obiectam: a natural spit of land lying across the harbour. subiectīs scutulīs: 'with rollers placed underneath'; the light biremes are dragged over the spit into the inner harbour. trānsdūxit: the edition's spelling of trādūxit.

BC 3.40.3ita ex utrāque parte nāvēs longās adgressus, quae erant dēligātae ad terram atque inānēs, iiii ex hīs abdūxit, reliquās incendit.

So, attacking from both sides the warships, which were moored to the shore and empty, he carried off four of them and burned the rest.

Note. ex utrāque parte: from the sea side and from the harbour side at once.

BC 3.40.4hōc cōnfectō negōtiō D. Laelium ab Asiāticā classe abductum relīquit, quī commeātūs Byllide atque Amantiā inportārī in oppidum prohibēret.

When this business was done, he left Decimus Laelius, taken from the Asian fleet, to stop supplies being brought into the town from Byllis and Amantia.

Note. hōc cōnfectō negōtiō: ablative absolute. quī … prohibēret: relative clause of purpose, 'to prevent'. Byllis and Amantia are inland towns that supplied Oricum.

BC 3.40.5ipse Lissum profectus nāvēs onerāriās xxx ā M. Antōniō relictās intrā portum adgressus omnēs incendit;

He himself went to Lissus, attacked the thirty transports left inside the harbour by Mark Antony, and burned them all;

Note. These were the transports Antony had left at Lissus (III.29).

BC 3.40.5Lissum expugnāre cōnātus, dēfendentibus cīvibus Rōmānīs, quī eius conventūs erant, mīlitibusque, quōs praesidiī causā mīserat Caesar, trīduum morātus paucīs in oppugnātiōne āmissīs rē īnfectā inde discessit.

he tried to storm Lissus, but as it was defended by the Roman citizens of its association and by the soldiers Caesar had sent as a garrison, he stayed three days, lost a few men in the assault, and left without achieving anything.

Note. quī eius conventūs erant: 'who belonged to its association' of Roman citizens (genitive of belonging). rē īnfectā: 'with the job not done'.