Caesar Commentary
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Commentary on Caesar, De Bello Civili, 1.1-33 Charles E. Muntz AG = Allen and Greenough’s New Latin Grammar OLD = Oxford Latin Dictionary Chapter 1 1. …litteris C. Caesaris consulibus redditis: It seems likely that several sentences have been lost from the start of De Bello Civili. e letter referred to was delivered by C. Curio, a staunch supporter of Caesar, to the senate on January 1, 49, and repeats Caesar’s offer that both Pompey and himself give up their military commands. e anti-Caesarian faction in the senate wanted Caesar alone to give up his command. consulibus: L. Lentulus and C. Marcellus, both steadfast opponents of Caesar. redditis: A letter was said to be “restored,” the implication that it was an answer to a previous letter. impetratum est: Impersonal construction “it was granted” - essentially, the subject is the substantive result clause that follows (AG §569). his: the consuls. tribunorum: Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) and Q. Cassius Longinus, both supporters of Caesar. referretur: Another impersonal construction. Ad senatum referre is the technical expression for bringing an issue to the senate floor for debate. e senate could not legally debate an issue unless it was introduced by one of the magistrates. 2. infinite: “in general,” that is, the consuls were bringing up the general political situation rather than the proposal in Caesar’s letter. ey were afraid that if Caesar’s proposal came to a vote, it would pass since most senators favored peace. defuturum: sc. esse. desum normally governs the dative case. velint…respiciant…sequantur…fecerint: subjunctives in subordinate clauses in indirect discoruse (AG §580). 3. ut: here “as.” sibi: dative of reference (AG §376-7). obtemperaturum: verbs expressing obediance normally govern the dative. habere se quoque ad Caesaris gratiam atque amicitiam receptum: presumably, Lentulus, who had substantial debts, is threatening to join Caesar’s side if the price is right. receptum: < receptus, -us. 4. Scipio: P. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica became Pompey’s father-in-law in 52, aer Pompey turned down an offer from Caesar to marry Caesar’s great-niece Octavia (sister of the future Emperor Augustus). Pompey had earlier been married to Caesar’s daughter Julia, but she died in childbirth. Pompeio esse in animo rei publicae non deesse: e main verb of this sentence in indirect discourse is esse. e subject is non deesse, which also governs rei publicae. Pompeio is another dative of reference, associated with animo. Chapter 2 1. Pompeiusque aderat: Pompey, as a proconsul with imperium, could not technically cross the sacred boundary (pomerium) of Rome without losing his command, and had to remain just outside the city. videbatur: here, “seemed” (OLD, uideo, 20d) not “was being seen.” 2. ut: “as,” “for example.” non oportere ante de ea re ad senatum referri: oportere and referri are both impersonal, but oportere is the main verb of the clause and governs referri. ante: separated from quam, ie, antequam. dilectus: nominative plural. tota Italia: ablative of place where. In is sometimes omitted when a place name is modified by totus (AG §429.2). habiti …conscripti essent: e pluperfect subjunctives take the place of the future perfect indicative, showing a completed action in future time, in indirect statement (AG §484c, 551c). quo: = ut eo introducing a clause of purpose (AG §531.2a note). tuto: adverb. 3. ut: introducing an indirect command. in suas provincias: the two provinces of Spain, which Pompey was governing through legates while he remained just outside Rome. qua: = aliqua following ne (AG §531.1). Caesarem: subject of timere in indirect discourse. duabus legionibus: Pompey and Caesar were each obligated to contribute a legion from their armies for the coming war against Parthia in the east. Pompey chose a legion he had previously loaned Caesar, thereby depriving Caesar of two legions instead of one. ne: introduces a clause of fearing. ad eius periculum: “for his [Caesar’s] danger,” ie, to endanger Caesar himself. periculum takes a genitive of the person or thing endangered, the objective genitive. (OLD, periculum, 2b). ad urbem: “near the city.” 4. correpti exagitabantur: note how Latin uses a participle and verb where English would use two verbs joined by a conjunction. 5. sententiam…pronuntiaturum: sententiam pronuntio is the technical term for “put a motion to a vote.” a sua sententia discessit: ie, he withdrew his proposal. 6. terrore praesentis exercitus: presumably the troops Pompey had near Rome, see above 1.2.3. uti: = ut, introducing an indirect command, contained in the sententiam of Scipio. faciat: present subjunctive for future indicative in indirect discourse. 7. Intercedit: “vetoed.” Singular because it is attracted to the nearest subject. Tribunes had the right to block or veto any decree of the senate except the senatus consultum ultimum. A veto could not be legally overridden, but the senate nevertheless begins to discuss doing just that. 8. ut…ita: coordinating adverbs, “as anyone…thus he was…” quam: goes with the superlative adverb. Chapter 3 1. ad vesperum: Legally, the senate and other assemblies could not meet aer sunset. eius ordinis: what type of genitive? evocantur: Pompey could not legally enter the city (above, on 2.1), and so he summoned the senate to meet him outside the pomerium. 2. ordinum: military ranks, ie, promotions. evocantur: to call up soldiers from reserve status (OLD, euoco, 3c). Many soldiers from Pompey’s earlier campaigns in Spain and the East were settled throughout Italy. 3. clivus: sc. Capitolinus, the slope of the Capitoline Hill. comitium: An open spot in the forum adjacent to the senate house where assemblies were held. Notice how there are no conjunctions joining the three subjects, a literary technique called asyndeton. tribunis centurionibus evocatis: ablatives of means with a verb of filling (AG §409a). e tribunes here are not the tribunes of the people, but rather military officers. ere were six in each legion. 4. necessarii: close associates (OLD necessarius2) 5. plerisque: why ablative? 6. L. Piso: Caesar’s father-in-law. L. Roscius: one of Caesar’s former officers. qui: introduces a relative clause of purpose. sex dies… spati: = spatium sex dierum, the time necessary to travel to Caesar and back. Chapter 4 1. resistitur: resisto governs a dative and is impersonal in the passive (AG §372). Catonis: Marcus Porcius Cato the Younger, the leader of the most conservative, anti-Caesarian faction in the senate. repulsae: Cato had stood for the consulship in 52 and lost, apparently due in part to Caesar’s supporters. 2. aeris alieni: debt. regum appellandorum largitionibus: Rulers and would be rulers on the fringes of Rome’s territory oen appealed to the Senate and Roman officials for official recognition as means of securing their positions. Bribery was a common part of such appeals, and a Roman official could gain the king as his client. fore: future infinitive of esse, = futurum esse. Sullam: L. Cornelius Sulla had been the victor of a civil war between 88-82. Aerwards he was named dictator and instituted a reactionary regime that saw hundred of political opponents murdered or exiled. 3. partiturum: < pario. pro necessitudine: See on 1.4. iudiciorum metus: Scipio was apparently threatened with prosecution for bribery and electoral malfeasance during 53 and 52. sui: objective genitive. plurimum: adverbial. 4. dignitate: ablative of specification (AG §418). maximam partem illo adfinitatis tempore: in other words, when Pompey and Caesar first allied in 60, Caesar acquired all of Pompey’s enemies, with whom Pompey has now made common cause against Caesar. 5. infamia duarum legionum: See on 2.3. Asiae Syriaeque: Presumably genitive, but the usage is obscure although the meaning is clear. Chapter 5 1. docendi Caesaris: depends on spatium. propinquis: supporters. nec tribunis plebis… facultas tribuitur: the subject of this entire clause is facultas, on which all the genitives depend. extremi iuris: the last of their rights, that is, the most important of their rights as tribunes. intercessione: probably ablative of means, “by exercising their veto.” quod L. Sulla reliquerat: Not entirely accurate - Sulla did not abolish the veto, but he did severely restrict its use. 2. septimo die: January 7. quod: = id quod, “a thing which,” that is, looking aer their own safety. illi turbulentissimi superioribus temporibus tribuni plebis: Numerous tribunes had clashed with the senate before 49, especially since 133. Most of them wound up dead aer months of agitating, but in 49 the tribunes have to look to their safety aer only seven days! consuerant: syncopated form of consueverant. 3. Decurritur: impersonal. consultum: the senatus consultum ultimum ordered the consuls to take whatever steps were necessary for the safety of the Republic, similar to a declaration of martial law. A decree of the senate was not actually legally binding, but did carry considerable moral force. It had been passed only seven times before. quo nisi…discessum est: A difficult, and possibly corrupt, sentence. quo: adverbial meaning “to which end.” latorum audacia: “because of the recklessness of those passing laws,” ablative of cause. dent operam consules…: the actual wording of the senatus consultum ultimum. 4. a.d. VII Id. Ian.: = ante diem septimum Idus Ianuarias, seven days before the Ides of January, or January 7. V primis diebus… biduo excepto comitiali: January 3-4 were comitial days, days set aside for meeting of the assembly. e senate could not meet on those days. Caesar’s point is that the senate met on every legal day it could to debate this matter. decernitur: impersonal. 5. Ravennae: city in Italy just north of the Rubicon River, which marked the official boundary of Caesar’s province. suis lenissimis postulatis: naturally, Caesar will not characterize his demands as unreasonable! qua: = aliqua, why? Chapter 6 1.