Lectitō › Julius Caesar › Civil War, Book 3
De Bello Civili 3.90
Caesar addresses his army
Caesar, De Bello Civili III. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōBC 3.90.1Exercitum cum mīlitārī mōre ad pugnam cohortārētur suaque in eum perpetuī temporis officia praedicāret, in prīmīs commemorāvit testibus sē mīlitibus utī posse, quantō studiō pācem petīsset, quae per Vatīnium in colloquiīs, quae per Aulum Clōdium cum Scīpiōne ēgisset, quibus modīs ad Ōricum cum Libōne dē mittendīs lēgātīs contendisset.
When he was encouraging his army for battle in the military way and recounting his services to them through all that time, he reminded them above all that he could call the soldiers as witnesses of how eagerly he had sought peace, what he had negotiated through Vatinius in the conferences and through Aulus Clodius with Scipio, and in what ways he had striven at Oricum with Libo about sending envoys.
Note. mīlitārī mōre: 'in the military custom' of a speech before battle. testibus … mīlitibus: 'with the soldiers as witnesses'. quae per Vatīnium … ēgisset: indirect questions after commemorāvit, describing Caesar's peace attempts earlier in 48 BC.
BC 3.90.2neque sē umquam abūtī mīlitum sanguine neque rem pūblicam alterutrō exercitū prīvāre voluisse.
He had never wished to squander the soldiers' blood, nor to deprive the state of either of its armies.
Note. alterūtrō exercitū: 'of either army'. Caesar presents himself as the one who wanted peace.
BC 3.90.3hāc habitā ōrātiōne exposcentibus mīlitibus et studiō pugnae ārdentibus tubā signum dedit.
When this speech had been made, and the soldiers were demanding it and burning with eagerness for battle, he gave the signal with the trumpet.
Note. hāc habitā ōrātiōne: ablative absolute. exposcentibus mīlitibus … ārdentibus: another ablative absolute, 'while the soldiers were demanding it'.
Vocabulary
| exercitus, -ūs, m. | army |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| mīlitāris, -e | military, warlike; rēs mīlitāris, art of war, warfare |
| mōs, mōris, m. | way, manner, habit, custom |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| pugna, -ae, f. | fighting, battle, combat |
| cohortor, -hortārī, -hortātus | encourage, exhort |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| perpetuus, -a, -um | continuous, perpetual; in perpetuum, for all time, forever |
| tempus, temporis, n. | time, season |
| officium, -ī, n. | service; duty |
| praedīcō, -dīcere, -dīxī, -dictus | say beforehand, foretell, predict |
| prīmus, -a, -um | first, foremost |
| commemorō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | mention, recount |
| testis, -is m./f. | witness |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| mīles, mīlitis, m. | soldier |
| ūtor, ūtī, ūsus | use |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| quantus, -a, -um | how great or much? |
| studium, -ī, n. | eagerness, zeal; study, pursuit |
| pāx, pācis f. | peace |
| petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītus | seek, ask; attack |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| per, prep, with ace. | through, by means of |
| colloquium (conloquium), -ī n. | conference, talk |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| agō, agere, ēgī, āctus | drive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia |
| quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj. | what? |
| modus, -ī, m. | way, manner |
| dē, prep, with abl. | down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus | send |
| lēgātus, -ī, m. | ambassador |
| contendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch, hasten |
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| umquam, adv. | ever |
| abūtor, -ūtī, -ūsus sum | use up; abuse, take advantage of (+ abl.) |
| sanguis, sanguinis, m. | blood |
| rēs, reī, f. | thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really |
| pūblicus, -a, -um | public, of the state (rēs pūblica: the state) |
| alteruter, -tra, -trum | one or the other; ad alterutrum: to one another (Late Latin) |
| prīvō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | deprive (of: abl.) |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus | have, hold; consider |
| ōrātiō, -ōnis, f. | speech; ōrātiōnem habēre, to deliver an oration, speak |
| exposcō, -ere, -poposcī | demand earnestly, call for |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| ārdeō, ārdēre, ārsī, ārsus | be on fire, burn |
| tuba, -ae f. | trumpet |
| signum, -ī, n. | sign, signal |
| dō, dare, dedī, datus | give |