De Bello Civili 3.79

A race to reach Domitius

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BC 3.79.1Hīs dē causīs uterque eōrum celeritātī studēbat, et suīs ut esset auxiliō, et ad opprimendōs adversāriōs nē occāsiōnī temporis dēesset.For these reasons each of them was intent on speed, both to help his own men and not to miss the chance of crushing his opponents.Note. uterque eōrum: 'each of the two'. suīs … auxiliō: double dative, 'a help to their own'. nē occāsiōnī … deesset: 'so as not to miss the opportunity'. BC 3.79.2sed Caesarem Apollōnia ā dērēctō itinere āverterat;But Apollonia had turned Caesar aside from the direct route;Note. dērēctō: 'direct', an old spelling of dīrēctō. The detour to Apollonia cost Caesar time. BC 3.79.2Pompēius per Candāviam iter in Macedoniam expedītum habēbat.Pompey had an easy road through Candavia into Macedonia.Note. Candāvia: the mountainous stretch of the Via Egnatia, the road from Dyrrachium east to Macedonia. BC 3.79.3accessit etiam ex imprōvīsō aliud incommodum, quod Domitius cum diēs complūrēs castrīs Scīpiōnis castra collāta habuisset, reī frūmentāriae causā ab eō discesserat et Hēraclīam Senticam quae est subiecta Candāviae, iter fēcerat, ut ipsa fortūna illum obicere Pompēiō vidērētur.Another unforeseen setback was added: Domitius, after keeping his camp close to Scipio's for several days, had left him to find grain and had marched to Heraclea Sintica, which lies below Candavia, so that fortune herself seemed to be throwing him in Pompey's way.Note. accessit … incommodum, quod: 'another setback was added, namely that'. castrīs Scīpiōnis castra collāta: 'his camp placed close to Scipio's'. ut ipsa fortūna … obicere … vidērētur: result clause, 'so that fortune herself seemed to throw him in Pompey's way'. BC 3.79.3haec ad id tempus Caesar ignōrābat.Caesar was unaware of all this up to that time. BC 3.79.4simul ā Pompēiō litterīs per omnēs prōvinciās cīvitātēsque dīmissīs dē proeliō ad Dyrrachium factō ēlātius īnflātiusque multō, quam rēs erat gesta, fāma percrēbruerat pulsum fugere Caesarem paene omnibus cōpiīs āmissīs.At the same time, because Pompey had sent letters through all the provinces and states about the battle at Dyrrachium, exaggerated and inflated far beyond what had really happened, a rumour had spread that Caesar had been beaten and was in flight, having lost almost all his forces.Note. ēlātius īnflātiusque multō quam: 'much more boastfully and pompously than'. fāma percrēbruerat: 'a rumour had spread' + indirect statement pulsum fugere Caesarem.

BC 3.79.4haec itinera īnfesta reddiderat, haec cīvitātēs nōnnūllās ab eius amīcitiā āvertēbat.This rumour had made the roads dangerous, and this was turning some states away from friendship with him.Note. haec … haec: the rumour (fāma) is the subject both times, a strong anaphora. BC 3.79.5quibus accidit rēbus, ut plūribus dīmissī itineribus ā Caesare ad Domitium et ā Domitiō ad Caesarem nūllā ratiōne iter cōnficere possent.As a result, although several messengers were sent by different routes from Caesar to Domitius and from Domitius to Caesar, none of them could get through by any means.Note. plūribus … itineribus: 'by several routes'. nūllā ratiōne: 'in no way'. BC 3.79.6sed Allobrogēs, Roucillī atque Aecī familiārēs, quōs perfūgisse ad Pompēium dēmōnstrāvimus, cōnspicātī in itinere explōrātōrēs Domitī, seu prīstinā suā cōnsuētūdine, quod ūnā in Galliā bella gesserant, seu glōriā ēlātī, cūncta, ut erant ācta, exposuērunt et Caesaris profectiōnem, adventum Pompēī docuērunt.But some Allobroges, friends of Roucillus and Aecus, who, as we have related, had deserted to Pompey, caught sight of Domitius' scouts on the road; and whether out of their old familiarity, because they had served together in Gaul, or carried away by boastfulness, they told them everything as it had happened and informed them of Caesar's departure and Pompey's approach.Note. Allobrogēs: men of a Gallic people from the Roman province; Roucillus and Aecus were Allobrogian brothers who had deserted Caesar (III.59–61). sīve … sīve: 'whether … or'. ut erant ācta: 'as they had happened'. BC 3.79.7ā quibus Domitius certior factus vix iiii hōrārum spatiō antecēdēns hostium beneficiō perīculum vītāvit et ad Aegīnium, quod est obiectum oppositumque Thessaliae, Caesarī venientī occurrit.Informed by them, Domitius, barely four hours ahead, escaped danger thanks to the enemy, and met Caesar as he came at Aeginium, which lies facing Thessaly and in the way of anyone entering it.Note. certior factus: 'informed'. vix IIII hōrārum spatiō: 'by a margin of barely four hours'. hostium beneficiō: 'thanks to the enemy' — an ironic touch.

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Grammar in this passage: gerunds and gerundives ×1, purpose clauses ×2, cum clauses ×1, ablative absolute ×1, indirect statement ×3

Latin vocabulary for this passage (115 words)

hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
dē, prep, with abl.	down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
causa, -ae, f.	cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of
uterque, utraque, utrumque	each, either, both
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
celeritās, -tātis, f.	swiftness, quickness, speed
studeō, -ēre, -uī	be eager, give attention, apply oneself
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
suus, -a, -um	his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
auxilium, -ī, n.	help, aid
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
opprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressus	press against, overpower, crush
adversārius, -ī m.	opponent, enemy
nē, adv.	not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
occāsiō, -ōnis, f.	chance, opportunity
tempus, temporis, n.	time, season
dēsum, deesse, dēfuī	be lacking, fail
sed, conj.	but
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
dērēctus, -a, -um (= dīrēctus)	straight, direct
iter, itineris, n.	a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march
āvertō, -ere, āvertī, āversum	turn away, turn aside
per, prep, with ace.	through, by means of
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
expedītus, -a, -um	unobstructed, easy; lightly equipped
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	have, hold; consider
accēdō, -ere, accessī, accessum	come near, approach; be added
etiam, adv.	and now, also, too, even
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)	out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
imprōvīsus, -a, -um	unexpected (dē imprōvīsō: unexpectedly)
alius, -a, -ud	another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
incommodum, -ī, n.	inconvenience
quod, conj.	that, in that, because
cum, conj.	when, while, after; since; although
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.	day
complūrēs, -plūra, plur. adj.	several, many
castra, -ōrum, n. plur.	camp
cōnferō, cōnferre, contulī, conlātus	bring together; grant, confer; sē cōnferre, to betake oneself, make one's way
rēs, reī, f.	thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
frūmentārius, -a, -um	of grain (rēs frūmentāria: grain supply)
discēdō, -cēdere, -cessī, -cessus	go apart, withdraw, depart
Senticus, -a, -um	Sintic, of the Sinti (a Thracian people): Hēraclēa Sentica, Heraclea in their country
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
subiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus	throw or place under
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
fortūna, -ae, f.	fortune
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
obiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus	throw in the way or to
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
ignōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	be ignorant of
simul, adv.	at the same time; simul atque or ac, as soon as
litterae, -ārum f. pl.	letters (of the alphabet); a letter, dispatch
omnis, -e	all, every
prōvincia, -ae f.	province; here, the Roman Province in southern Gaul
cīvitās, -tātis, f.	state
que, enclitic conj.	and
dīmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus	send different ways, send forth or away, despatch; let slip, lose
proelium, -ī, n.	battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle
ēlātē (adv.; comp. ēlātius)	loftily, boastfully
īnflātē (adv.; comp. īnflātius)	in an inflated way, with exaggeration
multō, adv.	by much or far, much, far
quam, adv.	how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus	carry, wear; carry on, do
fāma, -ae, f.	report, rumor
percrēbrēscō, -ere, -crēbruī	become widespread, spread abroad (of a report)
pellō, pellere, pepulī, pulsus	drive, drive away, beat, rout
fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrus	flee, run away
paene, adv.	almost, nearly
cōpia, -ae, f.	supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops
āmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus	send away, lose
īnfestus, -a, -um	unsafe, dangerous
reddō, -dere, -didī, -ditus	give back, return, restore; render
nōnnūllus, -a, -um	not none, some, several
amīcitia, -ae f.	friendship, alliance
accidō, -cidere, -cidī	fall to or upon; befall, happen
multus, -a, -um	much, great; plur., many
nūllus, -a, -um	not any, none, no
ratiō, -ōnis, f.	plan, means, method, manner; reason; account
cōnficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus	make or do completely, complete, finish, accomplish, make; wear out
possum, posse, potuī	be able, have power, can
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
familiāris, -e; as noun, -is m.	of the household (rēs familiāris: private property); friend
perfugiō, -ere, -fūgī	flee for refuge, desert
dēmōnstrō, -mōnstrāre, -mōnstrāvī, -mōnstrātus	point out, show; make known
cōnspicor, -ārī, -ātus sum	catch sight of
explōrātor, -ōris, m.	explorer, scout, spy
sīve or seu, conj.	or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or
prīstinus, -a, -um	former
cōnsuētūdō, -inis f.	custom, habit; way of life
ūnā	together, along
bellum, -ī, n.	war
glōria, -ae, f.	glory
efferō, -ferre, extulī, ēlātum	carry out, bring out
cūnctus, -a, -um	all, the whole
agō, agere, ēgī, āctus	drive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
expōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positus	put out, set forth; put on shore, land; explain
profectiō, -ōnis, f.	departure, start
adventus, -ūs, m.	approach, arrival
doceo, -ēre, -uī, -tus	teach, explain
certus, -a, -um	determined, fixed, certain; certiōrem facere, to make more certain, inform
vix, adv.	with difficulty, scarcely, hardly, barely
Roman numeral	a number written with letters: I 1, V 5, X 10, L 50, C 100, D 500, M 1000
hōra, -ae, f.	hour
spatium, -ī, n.	space, interval; space of time, time
antecēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessum	go before; surpass
hostis, -is, m. and f.	enemy, foe
beneficium, -ī, n.	well-doing, kindness, service, benefit
perīculum, -ī, n.	danger, peril, risk
vītō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	avoid, escape
oppōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positus	set against, place opposite
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus	come
occurrō, -currere, -currī, -cursus	run against, meet

Caesar, De Bello Civili III. Latin text: R. du Pontet, C. Iuli Caesaris Commentariorum pars posterior (Oxford, 1901), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: LatinCy, then every word checked and corrected by hand. English translation, notes and grammar hints: written for this app.