De Bello Civili 3.60

BC 3.60.1Caesar neque tempus illud animadversiōnis esse exīstimāns et multa virtūtī eōrum concēdēns rem tōtam dispulit;

Caesar, thinking that this was not the time for punishment and making many allowances for their courage, put the whole matter aside;

Note. neque … existimāns et … concēdēns: two present participles describing Caesar. animadversiōnis: 'of punishment'.

BC 3.60.1illōs sēcrētō castīgāvit, quod quaestuī equitēs habērent, monuitque ut ex suā amīcitiā omnia expectārent et ex praeteritīs suīs officiīs reliqua spērārent.

he rebuked them in private for making a profit out of the cavalry, and advised them to expect everything from his friendship and to hope for further favours from his past kindnesses.

Note. quod … habērent: subjunctive because it gives the reason as Caesar's charge. quaestuī … habērent: double dative idea, 'treated the cavalry as a source of profit'.

BC 3.60.2magnam tamen haec rēs illīs offēnsiōnem et contemptiōnem ad omnēs adtulit, idque ita esse cum ex aliōrum obiectātiōnibus tum etiam ex domesticō iūdiciō atque animī cōnscientiā intellegēbant.

Yet the affair brought them great resentment and contempt from everyone, and they understood that this was so both from the reproaches of others and also from their own judgement and the consciousness of their minds.

Note. cum … tum: 'both … and especially'. animī cōnscientiā: 'the awareness of their own guilt'.

BC 3.60.3quō pudōre adductī et fortasse nōn sē līberārī, sed in aliud tempus reservārī arbitrātī discēdere ab nōbīs et novam temptāre fortūnam novāsque amīcitiās experīrī cōnstituērunt.

Led by this shame, and perhaps thinking that they were not being let off but saved up for another time, they decided to leave us, to try a new fortune and to make trial of new friendships.

Note. nōn sē līberārī, sed … reservārī: indirect statement after arbitrātī: they feared the punishment was only postponed. experīrī: deponent infinitive, 'to make trial of'.

BC 3.60.4et cum paucīs collocūtī clientibus suīs, quibus tantum facinus committere audēbant, prīmum cōnātī sunt praefectum equitum C. Volusēnum interficere, ut posteā bellō cōnfectō cognitum est, ut cum mūnere aliquō perfūgisse ad Pompēium vidērentur;

And after talking with a few of their dependants, to whom they dared to entrust so great a crime, they first tried to kill the cavalry commander Gaius Volusenus, as was learned later when the war was over, so that they might seem to have deserted to Pompey with some gift;

Note. C. Volusēnum: Gaius Volusenus, a trusted officer familiar from the Gallic War. ut … vidērentur: purpose clause: they wanted to arrive with 'a gift' (Volusenus' death) to win Pompey's favour.

BC 3.60.5postquam id difficilius vīsum est neque facultās perficiendī dabātur, quam maximās potuērunt pecūniās mūtuātī, proinde ac suīs satisfacere et fraudāta restituere vellent, multīs coēmptīs equīs ad Pompēium trānsiērunt cum iīs quōs suī cōnsiliī participēs habēbant.

when this seemed too difficult and no opportunity of carrying it out was given, they borrowed as much money as they could, as if they wished to satisfy their own men and give back what they had cheated them of, bought many horses, and went over to Pompey with those whom they had as partners in their plan.

Note. quam maximās potuērunt pecūniās: quam + superlative, 'as much money as they could'. mūtuātī: from the deponent mūtuor, 'borrow'. proinde ac: 'just as if'.