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A First Latin Reader/137-140

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Herbert Chester Nutting
A First Latin Reader
Lesson 137-140.
On the Eastern Frontier
1912

fons: librum vide
 Map: Asia Minor
ON THE EASTERN FRONTIER
(Cicero, Ad Familiārēs, XV, 4)
LESSON 137

About ten years after the suppression of the conspiracy of Catiline, Cicero, much against his inclination, was appointed governor of Cilicia and neighboring districts. Below are given extracts from a letter which he wrote from the east to a friend at Rome, telling some of his experiences as a provincial officer.

Cum[1] in prōvinciam pr. K. Sext.[2] vēnissem, et propter annī tempus ad exercitum mihi cōnfēstim[3] esse eundum[4] vīderem, biduum[5] Lāodicēae[6] fuī[7], deinde Apamēae quadrīduum, trīduum Synnadīs[8], totidem[9] diēs Philomēliī[10]. Quibus in oppidīs cum magnī conventūs[11] fuissent[12], multās cīvitātēs acerbissimīs tribūtīs[13] et gravissimīs ūsūrīs[14] et falsō aere aliēnō līberāvī. Cumque[15] ante adventum meum sēditiōne[16] quādam[17] exercitus esset dissipātus[18], quīnque cohortēs sine lēgātō, sine tribūnō mīlitum, dēnique etiam sine centuriōne ūllō apud[19] Philomēlium cōnsēdissent, reliquus[20] exercitus esset in Lycāoniā, M. Annēiō lēgātō imperāvī, ut eās quīnque cohortēs ad reliquum exercitum dūceret, coāctōque in ūnum locum exercitū, castra in Lycāoniā apud Īconium faceret. Quod[21] cum ab illō dīligenter esset factum, ego in castra a. d. vii K. Sept.[22] vēnī, cum[23] intereā superiōribus[24] diēbus ex[25] senātūs cōnsultō[26] et[27] ēvocātōrum[28] fīrmam manum[29] et equitātum sānē[30] idōneum et populōrum līberōrum[31] rēgumque sociōrum auxilia voluntāria[32] comparāvissem[33].

LESSON 138
A War Scare

Interim, cum exercitū lūstrātō[34] iter in Ciliciam facere coepissem, K. Sept.[35] lēgātī ā rēge Commāgēnō[36] ad mē missī[37], tumultuōsē[38] neque tamen nōn vērē[39] Parthōs[40] in Syriam trānsīsse nūntiāvērunt; quō audītō, vehementer sum commōtus cum . . . tum[41] dē Syriā tum dē meā[42] prōvinciā, dē reliquā dēnique Asiā[43].

Itaque in Cappadociā[44] extrēmā[45] nōn longē ā Taurō apud oppidum Cybistra[46] castra fēcī, ut et Ciliciam tuērer et Cappadociam tenēns[47] nova . . . cōnsilia[48] fīnitimōrum[49] impedīrem.

Intereā cōgnōvī multōrum litterīs atque nūntiīs magnās Parthōrum cōpiās et Arabum ad oppidum Antiochēam accessisse, magnumque eōrum[50] equitātum, quī in Ciliciam trānsīsset, ab equitum meōrum turmīs[51] et a cohorte praetōriā, quae erat Epiphanēae praesidiī causā, occidiōne occisum[52]. Quāre, cum vidērem ā Cappadociā Parthōrum cōpiās āversās, nōn longē ā fīnibus esse Ciliciae, quam potuī maximīs[53] itineribus, ad Amānum[54] exercitum dūxī. Quō ut vēnī[55], hostem ab[56] Antiochēā recessisse[57], Bibulum[58] Antiochēae esse cōgnōvī. Dēiotarum[59] cōnfēstim iam ad[60] mē venientem[61] cum magnō et fīrmō[62] equitātū et peditātū et cum omnibus suīs cōpiīs[63] certiōrem fēcī nōn vidērī esse causam, cūr abesset[64] ā rēgnō, mē[65]que ad eum, sī quid[66] novī[67] forte[68] accidisset, statim litterās nūntiōsque missūrum esse.

LESSON 139
Mountain Brigands claim the Governor’s Attention

Cum[69]que eō animō[70] vēnissem, ut utrīque prōvinciae[71], sī ita tempus ferret[72], subvenīrem[73], tum[74] id, quod iam ante statueram vehementer interesse[75] utrīusque prōvinciae, pācāre[76] Amānum et perpetuum hostem[77] ex eō monte tollere, agere perrēxī[78]. Cumque[79] mē discēdere ab eō monte simulāssem et aliās partīs Ciliciae petere, abessemque ab Amānō iter ūnīus diēī et castra apud Epiphanēam[80] fēcissem, a. d. iiii Īd. Oct.[81], cum advesperāsceret[82], expeditō[83] exercitū ita noctū iter fēcī, ut a. d. iii Īd. Oct.[84], cum lūcīsceret[85], in Amānum ascenderem; distribūtīs[86]que cohortibus et auxiliīs (cum aliīs Quīntus frāter[87] lēgātus mēcum simul, aliīs C. Pomptīnus lēgātus, reliquīs M. Annēius et L. Tullius lēgātī praeessent[88]), plērōsque[89] necopīnantīs[90] oppressimus: quī occīsī captīque sunt, interclūsī fugā[91]. Eranam[92] autem (quae fuit nōn vīcī īnstar[93] sed urbis, quod[94] erat Amānī caput) itemque[95] Sepyram et Commorim, ācriter et diū repugnantibus[96], Pomptīnō illam partem Amānī tenente[97] ex antelūcānō[98] tempore usque ad hōram diēī X[99], magnā multitūdine hostium occīsā, cēpimus, castellaque vī capta[100] complūra incendimus. Hīs rēbus ita gestīs, castra in rādicibus[101] Amānī habuimus apud Ārās Alexandrī quadrīduum, et in reliquiīs[102] Amānī dēlendīs agrīsque vāstandīs[103], quae pars eius montis meae prōvinciae est[104], id tempus omne cōnsūmpsimus.

LESSON 140
Completion of the Destruction of their Strongholds

Cōnfectīs hīs rēbus, ad oppidum Eleutherocilicum Pindenissum[105] exercitum addūxī. Quod cum esset[106] altissimō et mūnītissimō locō, ab iīsque incolerētur[107], quī[108] nē rēgibus[109] quidem umquam pāruissent, cum et fugitīvōs[110] reciperent, et Parthōrum adventum acerrimē exspectārent, ad exīstimātiōnem[111] imperī[112] pertinēre arbitrātus sum comprimere[113] eōrum audāciam, quō[114] facilius etiam cēterōrum animī, quī aliēnī essent ab imperiō[115] nostrō, frangerentur.

Vāllō et fossā circumdedī[116], sex castellīs castrīsque maximīs saepsī[117], aggere, vīneīs, turribus oppugnāvī, ūsusque tormentīs[118] multīs, multīs sagittāriīs[119], magnō labōre meō, sine ūllā molestiā[120] sūmptū[121]ve sociōrum[122], septimō quinquāgēsimō diē rem cōnfēcī, ut[123] omnibus partibus urbis disturbātīs[124] aut incēnsīs, compulsī[125] in potestātem meam pervenīrent.

Hīs[126] erant fīnitimī parī[127] scelere[128] et audāciā Tebarānī[129]. Ab iīs, Pindenissō captō, obsidēs accēpī; exercitum in hiberna dīmīsī; Quīntum frātrem negōtiō[130] praeposuī, ut in vīcis aut captīs[131] aut male pācātīs exercitus collocārētur.[132]

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  1. ↑ Cum: etc.: translate by a particip. clause.
  2. ↑ pr. K. Sext.: i.e. prīdiē Kalendās Sextīlīs, the day before the first of August (Sextīlis, -is, -e), namely, July 29, as the calendar was then arranged.
  3. ↑ cōnfēstim: for the winter would now soon come on (cf. p. 123, l. 1 ff.).
  4. ↑ eundum: not eundem.
  5. ↑ biduum: n, cf. biduī, p. 158, l. 4.
  6. ↑ Lāodicēae: see the western end of the map on p. 179.
  7. ↑ fuī: I stopped.
  8. ↑ Synnadīs: pl. city names have the same form for loc. and abl..
  9. ↑ totidem: indecl. adj., the same number of.
  10. ↑ Philomēliī: for case, cf. domī.
  11. ↑ conventūs: conventus, -ūs: m, circuit court.
  12. ↑ fuissent: freely, had been held.
  13. ↑ acerbissimīs tribūtīs, etc.: for syntax, cf. aere aliēnō, p. 174, l. 12.
  14. ↑ ūsūrīs: ūsūra, -ae: f, rate of interest.
  15. ↑ cumque: and inasmuch as.
  16. ↑ sēditiōne: sēditiō, -ōnis: f, mutiny.
  17. ↑ quādam: a sort of.
  18. ↑ dissipātus: dissipō, 1: Supply et after this verb, and after cōnsēdissent, l. 4., disrupt.
  19. ↑ apud: i.e. ad; so also in l. 7.
  20. ↑ reliquus: the rest.
  21. ↑ Quod: relative.
  22. ↑ a. d. vii K. Sept.: i.e. ante diem septimum Kalendās Septembrēs, the seventh (we would say, sixth) day before the first of September, namely, August 24, as the calendar was then arranged.
  23. ↑ cum: etc.: translate by a particip. phrase.
  24. ↑ superiōribus: the preceding.
  25. ↑ ex: in accordance with.
  26. ↑ cōnsultō: cōnsultum, -ī: n, decree.
  27. ↑ et . . . et . . . et: both . . . and . . . and.
  28. ↑ ēvocātōrum: ēvocātus, -ī: m, reenlisted man.
  29. ↑ manum: f, band.
  30. ↑ sānē: adv., quite.
  31. ↑ līberōrum: The genitives may be rendered freely “supplied by”; cf. Gallōrum, p. 159, l. 11., free.
  32. ↑ voluntāria: voluntārius, -a, -um: volunteer.
  33. ↑ comparāvissem: comparō, 1: get together.
  34. ↑ lūstrātō: lūstrō, 1: review.
  35. ↑ K. Sept.: i.e. Kalendīs Septembribus (abl. of time when).
  36. ↑ Commāgēnō: adj..
  37. ↑ missī: not mīsī.
  38. ↑ tumultuōsē: adv., in great alarm.
  39. ↑ nōn vērē: without foundation in fact, (vērē, adv., lit. truthfully).
  40. ↑ Parthōs: two years before, the Romans had suffered crushing defeat at the hands of this warlike people.
  41. ↑ cum . . . tum: not only . . . but also, edit with reference to dē.
  42. ↑ meā: note the position of the word.
  43. ↑ Asiā: f, as on p. 169, l. 6.
  44. ↑ Cappadociā: f, see the map on p. 179.
  45. ↑ extrēmā: extrēmus, -a, -um: lit. farthest; translate freely (cf. the rendering of prīmus, summus, etc.).
  46. ↑ Cybistra: in apposition with oppidum; render, however, as if a genitive.
  47. ↑ tenēns: while occupying, Cicero anticipated that the Parthian invaders would take this more northern route..
  48. ↑ nova . . . cōnsilia: cf. rēs novās, p. 28, l. 10.
  49. ↑ fīnitimōrum: translate the gen. “on the part of.”.
  50. ↑ eōrum: of theirs.
  51. ↑ turmīs: f, cf. p. 161, l. 7. The forces here mentioned Cicero had sent south at a venture (cf. the note on l. 7)..
  52. ↑ occidiōne occisum: had been annihilated, (occīsiō, -ōnis, F., utter destruction).
  53. ↑ quam potuī maximīs: i.e. the longest possible; cf. the note on p. 142, l. 5.
  54. ↑ Amānum: m, a mountain range near the eastern border of Cilicia.
  55. ↑ ut: i.e. ubi.
  56. ↑ ab: cf. the note on p. 79, l. 21; the town name without the prep. would mean rather “from”, from the neighborhood of.
  57. ↑ recessisse: recēdō, 3, -cessī, -cessum est: fall back.
  58. ↑ Bibulum: the (Roman) governor of Syria; supply -que with this clause.
  59. ↑ Dēiotarum: a friendly native king, whose offer of aid Cicero had been glad to accept.
  60. ↑ ad: i.e. to join.
  61. ↑ venientem: translate by a relative clause.
  62. ↑ et . . . et . . . et: the first of these conjunctions connects the two adjectives; the remaining two may be rendered “and . . . and in fact”.
  63. ↑ suīs cōpiīs: his following.
  64. ↑ nōn vidērī esse causam, cūr abesset: lit. what?, there did not seem to be (any) occasion for him to absent himself.
  65. ↑ mē: subject of a new main clause in indirect discourse.
  66. ↑ sī quid: if anything.
  67. ↑ novī: as neut. noun.
  68. ↑ forte: cf. the note on p. 85, l. 12.
  69. ↑ Cum: causal.
  70. ↑ animō: m, purpose.
  71. ↑ utrīque prōvinciae: i.e. Cilicia and Syria.
  72. ↑ ita tempus ferret: freely, should have opportunity.
  73. ↑ subvenīrem: subveniō, 4, -vēnī, -ventum est: i.e. auxiliō essem.
  74. ↑ tum: now.
  75. ↑ interesse: interest, -esse, -fuit: with gen., be to the interest (of).
  76. ↑ pācāre: namely, (the project of), reducing to order.
  77. ↑ perpetuum hostem: namely, some troublesome robber bands.
  78. ↑ id . . . agere perrēxī: pergō, 3, perrēxī, perrectum est, proceed, I proceeded to carry out a project.
  79. ↑ -que: translate as if itaque.
  80. ↑ Epiphanēam: see the map on p. 179.
  81. ↑ a. d. iiii Īd. Oct.: i.e. ante diem quārtum Īdūs Octōbrēs, on the fourth (we would say, third) day before the Ides of October, namely, Oct. 12.
  82. ↑ advesperāsceret: grow night.
  83. ↑ expeditōs: adj., cf. the noun use, p. 177, l. 3, at such speed.
  84. ↑ a. d. iii Īd. Oct.: i.e. Oct. 13 (cf. the note on l. 2).
  85. ↑ lūcīsceret: lūcēscit, 3: grow light.
  86. ↑ distribūtīs: distribuō, 3, -uī, -ūtus: divide up, or make a division of.
  87. ↑ frāter: i.e. my brother Quintus.
  88. ↑ praeessent: cf. aliī . . . aliī, p. 20, l. 15.
  89. ↑ plērōsque: sc. hostēs.
  90. ↑ necopīnantīs: off their guard.
  91. ↑ interclūsī: interclūdō, 3, -clūsī, -clūsus: cut off, fugā: translate the abl. “from.”.
  92. ↑ Eranam: (along with the town names of l. 11) object of cēpimus, l. 14.
  93. ↑ īnstar: n, cf. p. 32, l. 5, the size (of).
  94. ↑ quod: and; which; for the gender, cf. quod, p. 30, l. 6.
  95. ↑ item: adv., likewise.
  96. ↑ repugnantibus: i.e. resistentibus (repugnō, 1); abl. absol. with iīs (i.e. incolīs) supplied. The two following clauses also are abl. absolutes..
  97. ↑ tenente: i.e. keeping to.
  98. ↑ antelūcānō: antelūcānus, -a, -um: preceding dawn.
  99. ↑ X: i.e. decimam, ordinal and cardinal having the same sign.
  100. ↑ vī capta: i.e. expugnāta.
  101. ↑ rādicibus: f, foothills, (rādīx, -īcis, F., lit. root).
  102. ↑ reliquiīs: i.e. the remaining landmarks; cf. reliquiās, p. 36, l. 15.
  103. ↑ vāstandīs: vāstō, 1: lay waste.
  104. ↑ quae pars eius montis meae prōvinciae est: i.e. in eam montis partem, quae meae prōvinciae est, belongs to (lit. is of) my province.
  105. ↑ Pindenissum: in apposition with oppidum. The exact location of this town is not known.
  106. ↑ quod cum esset: since this was (located).
  107. ↑ incolerētur:.
  108. ↑ quī: with subjunctive, such (people) as.
  109. ↑ rēgibus: namely, of their own.
  110. ↑ fugitīvōs: fugitīvus, -ī: m, runaway slave.
  111. ↑ exīstimātiōnem: exīstimātiō, -ōnis: f, prestige.
  112. ↑ imperī: n, (our) government.
  113. ↑ comprimere: comprimō, 3, -pressī, -pressus: put a stop to.
  114. ↑ quō: note the compar. in the clause, aliēnī . . . ab: ill disposed toward; cf. p. 148, l. 17.
  115. ↑ imperiō: n, rule.
  116. ↑ circumdedī: sc. oppidum.
  117. ↑ saepsī: saepiō, 4, saepsī, saeptus: surround.
  118. ↑ tormentīs: tormentum, -ī: n, cf. the ballista shown on p. 29, engine, -eris, M., wound (of earth or other material); catapult.
  119. ↑ sagittāriīs: sagittārius, -ī: m, bowman, med: on my part.
  120. ↑ molestiā: molestia, -ae: f, inconvenience.
  121. ↑ sūmptū: sūmptus, -ūs: m, expense.
  122. ↑ sociōrum: (lit. of) the friendly natives (from whom a Roman governor usually felt at liberty to extort any service he desired).
  123. ↑ ut: introducing a result clause.
  124. ↑ disturbātīs: disturbō, 1: wreck.
  125. ↑ compulsī: freely, in despair; lit. forced (to it); sc. hostēs.
  126. ↑ Hīs: the people just subdued.
  127. ↑ parī: pār, paris: adj., equal.
  128. ↑ scelere: scelus, -eris: n, guilt, lit. crime, The whole abl. phrase expresses quality..
  129. ↑ Tebarānī: subject of erant.
  130. ↑ negōtiō . . . ut . . . exercitus collocārētur: n, lit. what?, the business of quartering the army.
  131. ↑ aut captīs, etc.: translate by a relative clause.
  132. ↑ exercitus collocārētur: freely, the business of quartering the army; lit. what?.
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