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.

    Civil War between Augustus and Antony. The Battle of Actium, 31 BCE

    Livy, Epitome 133.e. Velleius. 2.8487; 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).

    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.

     

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