CIVIL WAR BREAKS OUT BETWEEN CÆSAR AND POMPEY; THE BATTLE OF PHARSALIA [1]
Nē cōnfectō quidem bellō Gallicō, bellum cīvīle inter Caesarem et Pompēium exortum est. Nam Pompēius, quī summum imperium petēbat, senātuī persuāserat ut Caesarem reī pūblicae hostem iūdicāret et exercitum eius dīmittī iubēret. Quibus cognitīs rēbus Caesar exercitum suum dīmittere recūsāvit, atque, hortātus mīlitēs ut ducem totiēns victōrem ab inimīcōrum iniūriīs dēfenderent, imperāvit ut sē Rōmam sequerentur. Summā cum alacritāte mīlitēs pāruērunt, et trānsitō Rubicōne initium bellī cīvīlis factum est.
Italiae urbēs quidem omnēs ferē rēbus Caesaris favēbant et eum benignē excēpērunt. Quā rē commōtus Pompēius ante Caesaris adventum Rōmā excessit et Brundisium pervēnit, inde paucīs post diēbus cum omnibus cōpiīs ad Ēpīrum mare trānsiit. Eum Caesar cum septem legiōnibus et quīngentīs equitibus secūtus est, et īnsignis inter Caesaris comitātum erat Pūblius.
review: connecting relative
Quibus cognitīs rēbus …
Quā rē commōtus …
[1] A connecting relative pronoun is a relative pronoun (quī, quae, quod) used at the beginning of a new sentence to link it closely to the previous sentence. In this position it does not introduce a subordinate relative clause in the usual way, nor does it normally translate as “which” but instead continues the narrative by referring back to a person, thing, or idea already mentioned.
It is often rendered in English, depending on context, with a pronoun or demonstrative, for example:
[i] Caesar Rubicōnem trānsiit. [ii] Quī posterā diē adversus Rōmam profectus est.
- [i] Caesar crossed the Rubicon. On the next day [ii] he set out towards Rome.
[2] It is common in translation to connect the two sentences with ‘and’:
[i] Ancilla tandem advēnit. [ii] Quam ubi vīdī, laetissimus eram
- [i] The slave girl arrived. When I saw [ii] her, I was very happy, [or: The slave girl arrived, and when I saw her, …]
Frātrēs [i] amīcum suum vidēre voluērunt; [ii] quem cum vidēre possent, laetī erant.
- The brothers wanted to see their friend. (And) when they were able to see him, they were happy.
[3] In this example the connective relative quod does not refer to a neuter noun, but to the entire thought in the previous sentence.
[i] Imperātor interfectus est. [ii] quod cum mīlitēs vīdissent, fūgērunt.
- The commander was killed. (And) when the soldiers had seen this, they fled.
[4] In the extracts from this text, the connecting relative does not refer back to a specific noun but to an entire idea within the preceding sentence:
Nam Pompēius … senātuī persuāserat ut Caesarem reī pūblicae hostem iūdicāret et exercitum eius dīmittī iubēret. Quibus cognitīs rēbus …
- For Pompey had persuaded the Senate to declare Caesar an enemy of the state and to order that his army be disbanded. When these things had become known… [or: … and when these things had become known …]
Italiae urbēs quidem omnēs ferē rēbus Caesaris favēbant et eum benignē excēpērunt. Quā rē commōtus …
- Almost all the towns of Italy were favouring Caesar’s cause and received him kindly. Moved by this event (fact / matter) …
[5] Examples from earlier sections of the Dooge texts:
Exercitus … multīs perīculīs circumdatus est. Quae perīcula ut vītāret, …
- The army … is surrounded by many dangers. In order to avoid these dangers, …
Tandem … Pūblius, … nūntiāvit partem mūrī ictibus arietis labefactam concidisse. Quā rē audītā …
- Finally … Publius … reported that part of the wall, weakened by the blows of the battering ram, had collapsed. When this (thing / matter) was heard, …
Locus habēbatur idōneus castrīs quī facile dēfendī posset et prope aquam esset. Quā dē causā …
- A site was considered suitable for a camp which could easily be defended and was near water. For this reason, …”
Praesertim vērō ingentem silvam mīrābātur, quae tantae magnitūdinis esse dīcēbātur ut nēmō eam trānsīre posset, nec quisquam scīret aut initium aut fīnem. Quā dē rē plūra cognōverat ā mīlite quōdam …
- Above all, however, he was admiring a vast forest, which was said to be of such great size that no one could cross it, and that no one knew either its beginning or its end. About this matter he had learned more from a certain soldier …”
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Even before the Gallic War had been brought to an end, a civil war broke out between Caesar and Pompey. For Pompey, who was seeking supreme command, had persuaded the Senate to declare Caesar an enemy of the state and to order that his army be disbanded. When these matters became known, Caesar refused to disband his army and, after urging his soldiers to defend a commander so often victorious from the wrongs of his enemies, ordered them to follow him to Rome. With the greatest eagerness the soldiers obeyed, and, once the Rubicon had been crossed, the beginning of the civil war was made.
Nearly all the towns of Italy, in fact, favoured Caesar’s cause and received him kindly. Moved by this, Pompey left Rome before Caesar’s arrival and reached Brundisium; from there, a few days later, he crossed the sea to Epirus with all his forces. Caesar followed him with seven legions and five hundred cavalry, and among Caesar’s entourage Publius was a notable figure.
