De Bello Civili 3.78

BC 3.78.1Caesarī ad sauciōs dēpōnendōs, stīpendium exercituī dandum, sociōs cōnfirmandōs, praesidium urbibus relinquendum necesse erat adīre Apollōniam.

Caesar needed to go to Apollonia to leave the wounded, pay the army, reassure his allies and leave garrisons in the towns.

Note. Caesarī … necesse erat adīre: 'Caesar needed to go'. The four gerundive phrases with ad give the purposes: 'to leave the wounded, to pay the army, to reassure the allies, to leave garrisons'.

BC 3.78.2sed hīs rēbus tantum temporis tribuit, quantum erat properantī necesse.

But he gave these matters only as much time as a man in a hurry could afford.

Note. tantum temporis … quantum: 'as much time as'. properantī: 'for one in a hurry'.

BC 3.78.2timēns Domitiō, nē adventū Pompēī praeoccupārētur, ad eum omnī celeritāte et studiō incitātus ferēbātur.

Fearing for Domitius, that he might be caught by Pompey's arrival before him, he hurried to join him with all speed and energy.

Note. timēns Domitiō: 'fearing for Domitius' (dative). This is Cn. Domitius Calvinus, Caesar's legate, who had been sent into Macedonia against Scipio — not the Pompeian L. Domitius Ahenobarbus of sentences 62 and 64.

BC 3.78.3tōtīus autem reī cōnsilium hīs ratiōnibus explicābat, ut sī Pompēius eōdem contenderet, abductum illum ā marī atque ab iīs cōpiīs quās Dyrrachiī comparāverat, frūmentō ac commeātū abstractum parī condiciōne bellī sēcum dēcertāre cōgeret;

He worked out the plan for the whole campaign on these lines: if Pompey made for the same place, he would draw him away from the sea and from the stores he had collected at Dyrrachium, cut him off from grain and supplies, and force him to fight it out on equal terms;

Note. Caesar sets out three possibilities, each with sī: this is the first. abductum … abstractum: participles agreeing with illum (Pompey). parī condiciōne: 'on equal terms', away from his supply base.

BC 3.78.3sī in Ītaliam trānsīret, coniūnctō exercitū cum Domitiō per Illyricum Ītaliae subsidiō proficīscerētur;

if Pompey crossed into Italy, Caesar would join forces with Domitius and march through Illyricum to the defence of Italy;

Note. Italiae subsidiō: double dative, 'to the help of Italy'. Pompey's natural move after a victory might have been to cross back into Italy, which Caesar had taken from him the year before.

BC 3.78.3sī Apollōniam Ōricumque obpugnāre et sē omnī maritimā ōrā exclūdere cōnārētur, obsessō Scīpiōne necessāriō illum suīs auxilium ferre cōgeret.

if Pompey tried to attack Apollonia and Oricum and shut him off from the whole coast, he would besiege Scipio and so force Pompey to come to the help of his own side.

Note. obsessō Scīpiōne: 'by besieging Scipio' — Q. Metellus Scipio, Pompey's father-in-law, was bringing an army from Syria through Macedonia. suīs: 'to his own men'.

BC 3.78.4itaque praemissīs nūntiīs ad Cn. Domitium Caesar scrīpsit et quid fierī vellet ostendit praesidiōque Apollōniae cohortibus iiii, Lissī ūnā, iii Ōricī relictīs quīque erant ex vulneribus aegrī dēpositīs per Ēpīrum atque Athamāniam iter facere coepit.

So Caesar sent messengers ahead and wrote to Gnaeus Domitius, telling him what he wanted done; he left garrisons of four cohorts at Apollonia, one at Lissus and three at Oricum, left behind those who were sick from their wounds, and began to march through Epirus and Athamania.

Note. praesidiō: dative of purpose, 'as a garrison'. quīque erant ex vulneribus aegrī: 'and those who were sick from wounds'. Epirus and Athamania lie on the mountain route east from the coast toward Thessaly.

BC 3.78.5Pompēius quoque dē Caesaris cōnsiliō coniectūrā iūdicāns ad Scīpiōnem properandum sibi exīstimābat, sī Caesar iter illō habēret, ut subsidium Scīpiōnī ferret, sī ab ōrā maritimā Ōricōque discēdere nōllet, quod legiōnēs equitātumque ex Ītaliā expectāret, ipse ut omnibus cōpiīs Domitium adgrederētur.

Pompey too, guessing at Caesar's plan, thought he should hurry to Scipio, so that if Caesar headed that way he could bring Scipio help; but if Caesar was unwilling to leave the coast and Oricum, because he was waiting for legions and cavalry from Italy, Pompey himself would attack Domitius with all his forces.

Note. dē … coniectūrā iūdicāns: 'judging by guesswork'. properandum sibi: 'that he himself must hurry'. ipse ut … adgrederētur: ut is postponed, 'that he himself would attack'.