(1) Interim Pompeius pācem rūpit et nāvālī proeliō victus fugiēns ad Asiam interfectus est. Antōnius, quī Asiam et Orientem tenēbat, repudiātā sorōre Caesaris Augustī Octāviānī Cleopatram rēgīnam Aegyptī dūxit uxōrem.
(2) Contrā Persās etiam ipse pūgnāvit. Prīmīs eōs proeliīs vīcit, regrediēns tamen famē et pestilentiā labōrāvit et, cum īnstārent Parthī fugientī, ipse prō victō recessit.
notes
Antony in the East (37–32 BCE)
Livy, Epitome 130.e–132.e. Velleius 2.82. Plutarch, Antony 54.4. Dio 49.39–41.
(1) nāvālī proeliō: Sextus Pompey was defeated at the battle of Naulochus. Shortly afterward Lepidus set up the standard of revolt. He was defeated by Augustus and his power was taken from him, but his life was spared (Hazzard).
repudiātā sorōre: In 37 BCE Antony sent his wife Octavia back to Rome and summoned Cleopatra to Antioch where he possibly "married" her even though still married to Octavia. He divorced Octavia in 32 BCE, upon which Octavian published his will, which acknowledged Caesarion, provided for his children by Cleopatra and arranged for his burial in Alexandria. This was a welcome coup for Octavian (Bird). The historian Cassius Dio sees Antony’s divorce of Octavia as the catalyst for the civil war that culminated with the Battle of Actium, as it caused Marcus Titius and Lucius Munatius Plancus to shift their allegiance and reveal to Octavian the contents of Antony’s will. Dio states that
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And Caesar was very glad to receive them and learned from them all about Antony's affairs, what he was doing, what he had in mind to do, what was written in his will, and the name of the man who had the will; for these two men had attached their seals to it. Thereupon Caesar became still more violently enraged and did not shrink from searching for the document, seizing it, and then carrying it into the senate and later into the assembly, and reading it. For the clauses contained in it were of such a nature that this most lawless procedure on Caesar's part brought upon him no reproach from the citizens; for Antony had borne witness to Caesarion that he was truly sprung from Caesar, had given some enormous presents to his children by the Egyptian queen, who were being reared by him, and had ordered that his body be buried in Alexandria by her side. This caused the Romans in their indignation to believe that the other reports in circulation were also true, to the effect that if Antony should prevail, he would bestow their city upon Cleopatra and transfer the seat of power to Egypt (50.3.3–4.1, Trans. Earnest Cary).
(2) Contrā Persās: In 36 BCE Antony invaded Parthia with an army of over 100,000 men and penetrated Media Atropatene but failed to capture its chief city Phraaspa (near Tabriz). He retreated through Armenia with severe losses and was unable to resume the offensive until 34 BCE when he overran Armenia and dethroned King Artavasdes II. In 33 BCE he again reached Atropatene but was forced to turn back to deal with Octavian (Bird).
ipse pūgnāvit: ipse refers to Antony. Antony lacked the engines necessary for reducing the strongly fortified cities of the enemy, and besides he was very anxious to return to Alexandria (Hazzard).
cum īnstārent Parthī fugientī: fugientī refers to Antony, a present active participle, and the dative object of instō (LS insto I.B).
prō victō: "for conquered/as if conquered" (Hazzard), perfect passive participle > vincō.
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
|
Pompēius, ī, m. |
(1) Cn. Pompēius, consul 89 B.C.; (2) Cn. Pompēius, surnamed Magnus, the triumvir, consul 70 B.C.; (3) Cn. Pompēius, son of the triumvir; (4) Q. Pompēius, consul 141 B.C.; (5) Sex. Pompēius, younger son of the triumvir |
|
nāvālis, e [nāvis], adj. |
naval |
|
Asia, ae, f. |
Asia; the Roman province of Asia Minor |
|
Antōnius, ī, m. |
the name of a Roman gens, C. Antōnius, consul 63 B.C., L. Antōnius, consul 41 B.C., M. Antōnius, the friend of Caesar and member of the Second Triumvirate, consul 44 B.C. |
|
Oriēns, entis [orior], m. (sc. sōl) |
the rising sun, the East, the Orient |
|
repudiō, āre, āvī, ātus |
to cast off, divorce; reject, scorn |
|
Caesar, aris, m. |
a family name in the Julian gens. (1) C. Iūlius Caesar, the famous dictator; (2) Sex. Iūlius Caesar, uncle of the dictator. Consul 91 B.C.; (3) C. Octāviānus, the emperor Augustus |
|
Augustus, ī, m. |
a title of honor given to Octavianus in 27 BC and after him to all the Roman emperors |
|
Octāviānus, ī, m. |
C. Iūlius Caesar Octāviānus, Roman emperor, 27 B.C.—14 A.D. |
|
Cleopatra, ae, f. |
the famous queen of Egypt |
|
rēgīna, ae [rēx], f. |
a queen |
|
Aegyptus, ī, m. |
Egypt |
|
Persae, ārum, pl. m. |
the Persians 2 |
|
regredior, gredī, gressus sum |
to step back, retreat, return |
|
pestilentia, ae [pestis, plague], f. |
a pestilence, plague |
|
īnstō, āre, stitī, statūrus |
to draw near, be present; press on, pursue |
|
Parthī, ōrum, pl. m. |
a Scythian people southeast of the Caspian Sea |