Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 3
De Bello Civili 3.6
Caesar crosses to Epirus
Caesar, De Bello Civili III. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 3.6.1Caesar ut Brundisium vēnit, cōntiōnātus apud mīlitēs, quoniam prope ad fīnem labōrum ac perīculōrum esset perventum, aequō animō mancipia atque inpedīmenta in Ītaliā relinquerent, ipsī expedītī nāvēs cōnscenderent, quō maior numerus mīlitum posset inpōnī, omniaque ex victōriā et ex suā līberālitāte spērārent, conclāmantibus omnibus, imperāret quod vellet, quodcumque imperāvisset, sē aequō animō esse factūrōs, ii Nōnās Iānuāriās nāvēs solvit.
When Caesar came to Brundisium, he addressed the soldiers: since they had almost reached the end of their labours and dangers, they should calmly leave their slaves and baggage in Italy, board the ships themselves without packs, so that a greater number of soldiers could be embarked, and hope for everything from victory and from his generosity; when all shouted that he should order what he wished and that whatever he ordered they would do calmly, he set sail on the fourth of January.
Note. A long sentence of indirect speech after contiōnātus. quoniam … esset perventum: impersonal passive, 'since they had reached'. aequō animō: 'calmly, with a good grace'. expedītī: 'without packs, lightly equipped'. quō maior numerus … posset: quō introduces a purpose clause containing a comparative. imperāret … facturōs: the soldiers' shouted reply, also in indirect speech. ii Nōnās Iānuāriās: 'the second day before the Nones of January', i.e. 4 January 48 BC (by the unreformed calendar, in fact early November).
BC 3.6.2impositae, ut suprā dēmōnstrātum est, legiōnēs vii.
Seven legions were embarked, as was stated above.
Note. legiōnēs vii: septem legiōnēs. ut suprā dēmōnstrātum est refers to the account of the shipping in 3.2.
BC 3.6.3postrīdiē terram attigit.
The next day he reached land.
Note. postrīdiē: 'on the next day'.
BC 3.6.3Cerauniōrum saxa inter et alia loca perīculōsa quiētam nānctus statiōnem et portūs omnēs timēns, quod tenērī ab adversāriīs arbitrābantur, ad eum locum quī appellābātur Palaestē, omnibus nāvibus ad ūnam incolumibus mīlitēs exposuit.
Among the rocks of the Ceraunian mountains and other dangerous places he found a quiet anchorage, and, fearing all the harbours, because he believed they were held by the enemy, he landed his soldiers at the place called Palaeste, with all his ships safe to the last one.
Note. Cerauniōrum saxa inter: the preposition follows its noun (anastrophe), 'among the rocks of the Ceraunian mountains'. nactus: 'having found' (nancīscor). omnibus nāvibus ad ūnam incolumibus: ablative absolute, 'with all the ships safe to the last one'.
Vocabulary
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus | come |
| cōntiōnor, -ārī, -ātus sum | address an assembly, make a speech |
| apud, prep, with acc. | among, with |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| quoniam, conj. | since now, since |
| prope (adv. and prep. + acc.) | near, nearly |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| fīnis, -is, m. | end, boundary; plur., borders, territory, country |
| labor, -ōris, m. | labor, toil |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| perīculum, -ī, n. | danger, peril, risk |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| perveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus | come through, come, arrive, reach |
| aequus, -a, -um | level; equal; fair |
| animus, -ī, m. | mind; heart; spirit, courage |
| mancipium, -ī n. | a slave (as property); formal purchase, ownership |
| impedīmentum, -ī n. | hindrance; (pl.) baggage |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| expedītus, -a, -um | unobstructed, easy; lightly equipped |
| nāvis, -is, f. | ship |
| cōnscendō, -scendere, -scendī, -scēnsus | climb; nāvem cōnscendere, to climb the ship, go on board, embark |
| quō, adv. | to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long? |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| numerus, -ī, m. | number |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| impōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positus | place or lay upon, impose; embark |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| victōria, -ae, f. | victory |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| līberālitās, -ātis f. | generosity |
| spērō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | hope |
| conclāmō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | shout out, cry out |
| imperō, -perāre, -perāvī, -perātus | command, order, enjoin |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| quīcumque, quaecumque, quodcumque | whoever, whatever |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj. | two |
| Iānuārius, -a, -um | of January (Kalendae Iānuāriae: 1 January) |
| solvō, solvere, solvī, solūtus | loosen, unbind, release; pay; with or without nāvem, cast off, set sail, put to sea |
| suprā, adv. and prep. with acc. | above, before |
| dēmōnstrō, -mōnstrāre, -mōnstrāvī, -mōnstrātus | point out, show; make known |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| septem | seven |
| postrīdiē, adv. | the day after, the next day |
| terra, -ae, f. | land, earth |
| attingō, -tingere, -tigī, -tāctus | touch at |
| saxum, -ī, n. | rock, stone |
| inter, prep, with acc. | among, between |
| alius, -a, -ud | another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| perīculōsus, -a, -um | dangerous |
| quiētus, -a, -um | quiet, at peace, calm |
| nancīscor, nancīscī, nactus | get, obtain, find |
| statiō, -ōnis f. | outpost, picket |
| portus, -ūs, m. | harbor, haven, port |
| timeō, -ēre, -uī | fear |
| quod, conj. | that, in that, because |
| teneō, -ēre, -uī, -tus | hold, keep; hold back, restrain, stop |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| adversārius, -ī m. | opponent, enemy |
| arbitror, -ārī, -ātus | consider, think, judge |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| appellō, -pellāre, -pellāvī, -pellātus | call, name |
| ūnus, -a, -um | one; only, alone |
| incolumis, -e | unhurt, safe |
| expōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positus | put out, set forth; put on shore, land; explain |