Hīc quoque ingēns bellum cīvīle commōvit cōgente uxōre Cleopatrā rēgīnā Aegyptī, dum cupiditāte muliebrī optat etiam in urbe rēgnāre. Victus est ab Augustō nāvālī pūgnā clārā et inlūstrī apud Actium, quī locus in Ēpīrō est; ex quā fūgit in Aegyptum et dēspērātīs rēbus, cum omnēs ad Augustum trānsīrent, ipse sē interēmit. Cleopatra sibi aspidem admīsit et venēnō eius extīncta est. Aegyptus per Octāviānum Augustum imperiō Rōmānō adiecta est praepositusque eī C. Cornēlius Gallus; hunc prīmum Aegyptus Rōmānum iūdicem habuit.
notes
Civil War between Augustus and Antony. The Battle of Actium, 31 BCE
Livy, Epitome 133.e. Velleius. 2.84–87; Plutarch, Antony 63–86.
Hīc: Antōny
cōgente uxōre Cleopatrā: ablative absolute with a present active participle (AG 419). As seen in the previous chapter, Octavian uses Antony's ties to Cleopatra for propagandistic purposes.
optat: = optāns, "hoping" (Hazzard)
in urbe: Rōmae
ab Augustō: an anachronistic title, as Octavian was given the title Augustus in 27 BCE and the Battle of Actium occured in 31 BCE.
apud Actium: The Battle of Actium occurred on September 2, 31 BCE. Antony had collected a large naval and land force, but his ships were too large to be handled easily, and many of his land forces deserted. In the midst of the fight Cleopatra fled in her galley, and Antony basely deserted his forces and followed her (Hazzard). In Vergil's Aeneid, this battle is seen as the definitive event that ensures the emperor’s political supremacy. It appears depicted at the center of the marvelous shield made by Vulcan that Venus gives to Aeneas at the end of Book 8.
in Ēpīrō: Actium is located in Epirus.
ex quā: pūgnā
dēspērātīs rebus: ablative absolute with a perfect passive participle (AG 419)
trānsīrent: "deserted" (LS transeo I.B.1)
adiecta est: Aegyptus is feminine (LS Aegyptus I).
C. Cornēlius Gallus: Octavian annexed Egypt, which he administered directly as a private possession through an equestrian prefect, C. Cornelius Gallus (Bird).
iūdicem: Eutropius uses the term iudex (judge) to describe Gallus' position, which is in keeping with late imperial usage when iudex could indicate any official endowed with administrative or jurisdictional power (Bird).
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
cīvīlis, e [cīvis], adj. |
pertaining to a citizen; civil; polite, moderate |
commoveō, ēre, mōvī, mōtus |
to arouse, disturb, move, influence |
Cleopatra, ae, f. | the famous queen of Egypt |
rēgīna, ae [rēx], f. | a queen |
Aegyptus, ī, m. | Egypt |
cupiditās, ātis [cupidus, desirous], f. |
desire, longing; greediness, avarice |
muliebris, e [mulier, a woman], adj. |
pertaining to a woman, womanlike |
rēgnō, āre, āvī, ātus [rēgnum] | to be king, rule |
Augustus, ī, m. |
a title of honor given to Octavianus in 27 BC and after him to all the Roman emperors |
nāvālis, e [nāvis], adj. | naval |
illūstris, e, adj. | clear, distinguished, glorious |
Actium, ī, n. |
a town in Epirus; a promontory near the town |
Ēpīrus, ī, f. |
a country on the Ionian Sea, northwest of Greece proper |
dēspērō, āre, āvī, ātus [dē + spērō, to hope] | to give up hope, despair |
interimō, ere, ēmī, ēmptus | to take from the midst of, kill |
aspis, idis, f. | an asp, viper |
admittō, ere, mīsī, missus |
to permit, admit, give audience to |
venēnum, ī, n. | poison |
exstinguō, ere, stīnxī, stīnctus [ex + stinguō, to extinguish] |
to quench, kill, blot out, destroy, extinguish, put an end to |
Octāviānus, ī, m. |
C. Iūlius Caesar Octāviānus, Roman emperor, 27 B.C.—14 A.D. |
adiciō, ere, iēcī, iectus | to throw to, fling; add |
praepōnō, ere, posuī, positus | to set over, put in charge of |
C. |
abbreviation of the praenomen Gaius |
Cornēlius, ī, m. |
the name of a large and important gens at Rome. See Asina, Cinna, Dolābella, Faustus, Fuscus, Galbus, Lentulus, Rūfinus, Scīpiō, Sulla. |
Gallus, a, um |
pertaining to Gaul. Gallī, ōrum, pl. m., the Gauls. Gallus, ī, m., a Roman cognomen: (1) C. (Cn.) Cornēlius Gallus, governor of Egypt under Augustus; (2) Gallus Hostīliānus, Roman emperor 251–253 A.D. |