391. +raptis+ = _speedily won_. --H.]
B. At hostes sine fide tempus atque occasionem fraudis ac doli quaerunt; interiectisque aliquot diebus, nostris languentibus atque animo remissis, {10} subito meridiano tempore, c.u.m alius discessisset, alius ex diutino labore in ipsis operibus quieti se dedisset, arma vero omnia reposita contectaque essent, portis se foras erumpunt, secundo magnoque vento ignem operibus inferunt. Hunc sic distulit {15} ventus, uti uno tempore agger, plutei, testudo, turris, tormenta flammam conciperent, et prius haec omnia consumerentur, quam quem ad modum accidisset animadverti posset. Nostri repentina fortuna permoti arma, quae possunt, arripiunt; alii ex castris {20} sese incitant. Fit in hostes impetus eorum, sed muro sagittis tormentisque fugientes persequi prohibentur.
Illi sub murum se recipiunt, ibique musculum turrimque latericiam libere incendunt. Ita multorum mensium labor hostium perfidia et vi {25} tempestatis puncto temporis interiit.
CAESAR, _de Bello Civili_, ii. 14.
[Linenotes: 13. +contecta:+ i.e. the shield kept in a leather casing.
16. +plutei+ = _screens_ or _mantlets_ of hurdles covered with raw hides.
17. +tormenta+ (_torqu + mentum_) = _artillery_, engines for throwing missiles by _twisted_ ropes; e.g. the _ballista_, _catapulta_.
24. +musculum+ = _sapping-shed_.
+turrim latericiam+ = _brick tower_.
25. +multorum mensium+, i.e. from May to August 49 B.C.]
B54
CIVIL WAR, 49-45 B.C. (5)
"_Nothing in his life Became him like the leaving it._"
Quid nunc rostra tibi prosunt turbata forumque Unde tribunicia plebeius signifer arce 800 Arma dabas populis? Quid prodita iura senatus Et gener atque socer bello concurrere iussi?
Ante iaces quam dira duces Pharsalia confert, Spectandumque tibi bellum civile negatum est. 804 Libycas en n.o.bile corpus 809 Pascit aves nullo contectus Curio busto. 810 At tibi nos, quando non proderit ista silere A quibus omne aevi senium sua fama repellit, Digna damus, iuvenis, meritae praeconia vitae.
Haud alium tanta civem tulit indole Roma, Aut cui plus leges deberent recta sequenti. 815 Perdita nunc urbi nocuerunt saecula, postquam Ambitus et luxus et opum metuenda facultas Transverso mentem dubiam torrente tulerunt; Momentumque fuit mutatus Curio rerum Gallorum captus spoliis et Caesaris auro. 820 Ius licet in iugulos nostros sibi fecerit ense Sulla potens Mariusque ferox et Cinna cruentus Caesareaeque domus series; cui tanta potestas Concessa est? Emere omnes, hic vendidit urbem.
LUCAN, _Pharsalia_, iv. 799-804, 809-end.
+Context.+ In 49 B.C. Curio was sent by Caesar to wrest the corn-province of Africa from the Pompeians. He won a signal success over Varus (allied with Juba) at Utica, but allowed himself to be surprised on the plain of the Bagradas, and, when all was lost, died sword in hand.
[Linenotes: 800. +tribunicia arce+ = _from the citadel of the tribune_, i.e. the inviolability of the office and the right of veto. As tribune Curio played an all-important part in the crisis of 50 B.C.
801. +prodita iura senatus+, i.e. of the right of the senators to appoint governors of the provinces. --Haskins.
802. +gener atque socer:+ by the early death of Julia (54 B.C.)--a beloved wife and daughter--the personal relation between Pompeius and Caesar was broken up.
812. +senium+ (_senex_) = _decay_ (of lapse of time).
813. +digna ... vitae+ = _such a panegyric_ (+praeconia+) _as thy life deserves_. --H.
815-818. As tribune Curio for a time played the part of an independent republican, till his talent induced Caesar to buy him up.
819. +momentum+ (= _movi + mentum_) +rerum+ = _that which turned the scale of history_. --H.
824. +vendidit+: perh. referred to by Verg. _Aen._ vi. 621-2: _Vendidit hic auro patriam dominumque potentem Imposuit; fixit leges pretio atque refixit._]
B55
CIVIL WAR, 49-45 B.C. (6)
_Dyrrachium. Caesar"s line of circ.u.mvallation, 48 B.C._
Erat nova et inusitata belli ratio c.u.m tot castellorum numero tantoque spatio et tantis munitionibus et toto obsidionis genere, tum etiam reliquis rebus. Nam quic.u.mque alterum obsidere conati sunt, perculsos atque infirmos hostes adorti aut proelio superatos {5} aut aliqua offensione permotos continuerunt, c.u.m ipsi numero equitum militumque praestarent; causa autem obsidionis haec fere esse consuevit, ut frumento hostes prohiberent. At tum integras atque incolumes copias Caesar inferiore militum {10} numero continebat, c.u.m illi omnium rerum copia abundarent; cotidie enim magnus undique navium numerus conveniebat, quae commeatum supportarent, neque ullus flare ventus poterat, quin aliqua ex parte secundum cursum haberent. Ipse autem consumptis {15} omnibus longe lateque frumentis summis erat in angustiis. Sed tamen haec singulari patientia milites ferebant.
Recordabantur enim eadem se superiore anno in Hispania perpessos labore et patientia maximum bellum confecisse, meminerant ad {20} Alesiam magnam se inopiam perpessos, multo etiam maiorem ad Avaric.u.m maximarum se gentium victores discessisse.
CAESAR, _de B. C._ iii. 47.
+Context.+ In Jan. (48 B.C.) Caesar set sail from Brundisium and landed safely in Epirus. After a junction with Antonius, who followed him from Brundisium with reinforcements, Caesar established himself close to Dyrrachium (Durazzo), the key of the whole military situation. Pompeius refused to fight, and encamped on a hill close to the sea at Petra, a short distance S. of Dyrrachium, where his fleets could bring him supplies. Caesar now determined to hem him in by a line of circ.u.mvallation.
[Linenotes: 2. +tanto spatio+: eventually the whole circuit of circ.u.mvallation covered at the least 16 miles: to this was afterwards added, just as before Alesia, an outer line of defence.
6. +aut aliqua offensione permotos+ = _or demoralised by some other mishap_ (+offensione+, lit. _stumbling_, and so _failure_).
12-15. Pompeius still had undisputed command of the sea.]
+Caesar"s lines broken.+ Pompeius was informed by Celtic deserters that Caesar had not yet secured by a cross wall the beach between his two chains of entrenchment on his left (200 yards apart), leaving it possible to land troops from the sea into the unprotected s.p.a.ce. Troops were landed by night: Caesar"s outer line of defence was carried, and his lines broken through. "Like Wellington at Burgos in 1812, Caesar failed from want of a sufficient force. In each case the only safe course was a retreat: in each case the retreat was conducted with admirable skill." --W. F.
[Ill.u.s.tration: DYRRACHIUM. [_To face p. 216._]
B56
CIVIL WAR, 49-45 B.C. (7)
_The Eve of Pharsalus. Dream of Pompeius._
At nox, felicis Magno pars ultima vitae, Sollicitos vana decepit imagine somnos.
Nam Pompeiani visus sibi sede theatri Innumeram effigiem Romanae cernere plebis, 10 Attollique suum laetis ad sidera nomen Vocibus, et plausu cuneos certare sonantes.
Qualis erat populi facies clamorque faventis, Olim c.u.m iuvenis primique aetata triumphi Post domitas gentes quas torrens ambit Hiberus, 15 Et quaec.u.mque fugax Sertorius impulit arma, Vespere pacato, pura venerabilis aeque Quam currus ornante toga, plaudente senatu, Sedit adhuc Roma.n.u.s eques: seu fine bonorum Anxia venturis ad tempora laeta refugit, 20 Sive per ambages solitas contraria visis Vaticinata quies magni tulit omina planctus, Seu vet.i.to patrias ultra tibi cernere sedes Sic Romam fortuna dedit. Ne rumpite somnos.
Castrorum vigiles, nullas tuba verberet aures. 25 Crastina dira quies et imagine maesta diurna Undique funestas acies feret undique bellum.
Unde pares somnos populi noctemque beatam?
O felix, si te vel sic tua Roma videret.
LUCAN, _Pharsalia_, vii. 7-29.
[Linenotes: 9. +Pompeiani theatri.+ Pompeius built the first stone theatre at Rome, near the Campus Martius, capable of holding 40,000 people.
10. +Innumeram ... plebis+ = _the image of the countless Roman people_. +innumeram+ which belongs to +plebis+ is transferred to +effigiem+.--Haskins.
14. +Olim ... triumphi+, i.e. over Africa 79 B.C. when only 24, and +adhuc Roma.n.u.s eques+ (l. 19). It was not until 71 B.C. that he triumphed over Spain, after the murder of Sertorius. Lucan confuses the two triumphs.
16. +impulit+ = _set in motion_ (lit. _drive forward_).
17-18. +pura venerabilis ... toga+ = _no less worshipful in pure white gown than_ (he would have been) _in that which usually adorns the car of triumph_, i.e. the _toga picta_. --H.
20. +anxia+ (sc. _quies_) = _his repose full of anxiety for the future_. --H.
21-22. +solitas ... vaticinata+ = _foretelling the opposite of his visions_ i.e. by the +plausus+ of which he dreamed, the +planctus+ which was in store for him was foreshadowed. --H.
25. +nullas+ = _at all_. Cf. Cic. _Ep._: _nullus venit_ = _he never came_.
26. +Crastina ... diurna+ = _to-morrow"s night of horror haunted by the sad image of the day"s events_. --H.
29. +sic+, i.e. in dreams.]
+The Dream of Pompeius.+ Macaulay says "I hardly know an instance of so great an effect produced by means so simple."
B57
CIVIL WAR, 49-45 B.C. (8)
_Pompeius ill-advised at Pharsalus, 48 B.C._
Inter duas acies tantum erat relictum spatii, ut satis esset ad concursum utriusque exercitus. Sed Pompeius suis praedixerat, ut Caesaris impetum exciperent neve se loco moverent aciemque eius distrahi paterentur; idque admonitu C. Triarii {5} fecisse dicebatur, ut primus excursus visque militum infringeretur aciesque distenderetur atque in suis ordinibus dispositi dispersos adorirentur; leviusque casura pila sperabat in loco retentis militibus, quam si ipsi immissis telis occucurrissent, simul fore, ut {10} duplicato cursu Caesaris milites exanimarentur et la.s.situdine conficerentur. Quod n.o.bis quidem nulla ratione factum a Pompeio videtur, propterea quod est quaedam animi incitatio atque alacritas naturaliter innata omnibus, quae studio pugnae incenditur. {15} Hanc non reprimere, sed augere imperatores debent; neque frustra antiquitus inst.i.tutum est, ut signa undique concinerent clamoremque universi tollerent: quibus rebus et hostes terreri et suos incitari existimaverunt. {20}