Translation M. Annaei Lucani - De Bello Civili 1.

We sing about the wars worse than civil over the Emathian plains, 2. And the rule given for the crime, and the powerful people 3. Who turned their victorious right hand against their own flesh 4. And blood related battle lines, and when the covenant of the kingdom shattered 5. All the forces of the shaken world struggled 6. Against the communal abomination, and the banners were exposed to aggressive 7. Banners, The eagles were matched and javelin threatened javelin. 8. What madness, O fellow citizens, of which the license of the sword was so great? 9. Latium offered slaughters to the hated clans 10. And when arrogant Babylon would be plundered for its trophies 11. In Ausonia and the unpunished ghost of Crassus would wander 12. And it seemed good to wage wars that would have no triumphs? 13. Alas, how much of the earth and open sea was able to be prepared 14. By this which the citizens right hands had shed blood, 15. From where the Titan comes and where the gleaming night hides 16. And which the middle of the day is agitated by burning airs 17. And which the stiff winter and also no spring can melt 18. Binds the icy sea with the Scythian cold! 19. Now the Chinese might have been under our yokes, now the rough Araxes 20. And any nation that is situated being the accomplice of the arisen Nile. 21. Then, if the love of the abominable war is so great to you, O Rome, 22. You would leave the whole world with misery under Latins, 23. With your hand in control: and your enemy not yet fallen down. 24. But yet now the city walls which protect the half-ruined 25. Cities of Italy hang down and the enormous 26. Rocks lay on the fallen banks and the scanty house is maintained by no guard 27. And The inhabitant wanders about the ancient cities, 28. Which are shaggy with thorn bushes 29. And Hesperia is unplowed throughout many years, 30. Not you, O Unbrindled Pyrrhus, nor you O Carthaginian author are the doers 31. To these whole destructions: By no sword is it able to be penetrated so deeply; 32. The great wounds of the civil right hand sit about. 33. But if fate could come no other way to 34. The arrival of Nero and the eternal kingdom at a high price 35. Is prepared by gods and the heavens were not able to be ruled 36. By its own Tonantus after the wars of the fierce giants, 37. We now complain about nothing, O Gods; the crimes and sins themselves 38. Are agreeable with this cost. Let Pharsalia satisfy its horrible fields 39. And let the spirit of the Carthaginian be satisfied, 40. Let the last be engaged in fatal Munda 41. Let the hunger of Perusia and toils of Mutina, O Caesar, 42. Be added to these fates and the fleets pressed hard at stormy 43. Leucas and servile wars at the foot of burning Etna, 44. However Rome owes much to civil military power 45. Because the matter which was incited for you. You, when you complete your post 46. You finally seek the stars, the heavenly palace of the sky 47. Greets you in the delighting sky: Whether to have the kingdom 48. Or to mount on top of the fiery chariot of Phoebus 49. And with the moving fire help to go around earth not at all 50. Being terrified by the wandering sun, every god is submitted 51. By you, and the nature of your own law is left to you

52. To be what deity you wish, and where to put the kingdom of the world. 53. But neither you had selected your seat in the Arctos 54. Nor the warm pole of the hostile south which is inclined, 55. From where you would observe your Rome to sink down from the side. 56. If you had pressed one part of the endless heavens, 57. The axis would have felt the weight. Hold the weight of the sky 58. By balancing in the middle of earth; let that whole part of the bright heavens 59. Be free and no clouds oppose from Caesar. 60. Then let the human race with laid down weapons consult itself. 61. And instead let all the human race love each other; Let peace having been sent 62. Over the earth restrain the doors of war waging Janus. 63. But now you are a deity to me; unless, If I accept the seer by your heart 64. I would wish to agitate the god moving 65. The Delphic mystery and turn Bacchus away from Nysa: 66. You are sufficient to giving strengths in the Roman songs. 67. My mind brings me to bring forth the causes of these entire things, 68. The immense work is uncovered, which compelled a raging nation 69. In arms, which shall shake out peace from the world. 70. The envious row of fates for a long time was denied 71. To stand in the highest and having fallen down it was the heaviness under the excessive weight 72. Rome not bearing itself. So thus, When the loosened connection 73. Of the world is compressed after so many generations 74. The final hour again is seeking the ancient Chaos, [All 75. The constellations clash in mixed stars. The fiery stars 76. Make for the sea, the earth refuses to extend its shores 77. And shake out its channel, Phoebe shall go in opposition 78. To her brother and put into motion the chariots the slanting earth 79. And request to herself the unworthy day, and all entire opposed 80. Fabric of the broken world shall throw into disorder the laws. 81. The great things collapse against themselves: The measure of these things place this 82. By bringing forth the divinities of these things with joys. 83. Nor did Fortune serve her own jealousy to any nations 84. And against the powerful people of the land and sea. You, the cause 85. Of the evil deeds were made by the three masters of the public, O Rome, 86. Not at any time were the fatal agreements of the kingdom sent against the mob. 87. O Blinded minds from extreme desire, 88. What helps the forces to unite and possess the world 89. In the public eye? So long as the earth lifts up the straight and 90. The air lifts up the earth and The workers fly around the long Titan 91. And the night follows the day in the sky through just as many signs, 92. There is no faith of the kingdom with the comrades, and all the dominion 93. Will be impatient of the partaking. Neither trust in other nations 94. Nor let the examples of fates be sought at length: 95. The most distinguished walls were wet in blood from a brother. 96. Nor was the land and sea the reward of so much madness. 97. Then it was: The small sanctuary united the masters 98. For a short time the inharmonious union remained 99. And peace existed by itself without a leader ; For Crassus in the middle was 100. The only delay of the war about to be. The Isthmos separates 101. The thin paired sea just as the waters which are divided 102. Lest it allows it to bring together the channel, if the sea retires 103. The sea breaks the Ionian Sea from the Aegean, so thus, Crassus 104. Was separating the raging arms of the leaders and in a pitiable burial 105. Stained the Syrian Carrhas with Latin blood. 106. The Parthian losses brought an end to the Roman frenzies. 107. In that battle more to you all, than you think, was set into motion,

108. O Arsacids: With those conquered you all caused the civil war. 109. The kingdom is divided by the sword, and powers of the people, 110. Who possessed the sea, the land, and the entire earth, 111. The fortune was not held by two. For the united pledges 112. Of blood and funeral torches were carried away by a cruel omen 113. To the lower world when Julia was cut off by the cruel hand of Parca. 114. Because if fate would have given 115. Greater hindrances to you in light, then you alone from there would be able 116. To hold back the raging man and also the obedient man 117. And unite the armed hands with a shaken sword, 118. Just as the intervening Sabine women united their husbands with their fathers. 119. Faith was shattered with your death and the consented war 120. Was influenced by leaders. The rivaling excellence brought about the pointed stakes. 121. You, feared that the new acts would darken the old triumphs 122. And his piratical laurel crown would change for his Gallic victories, 123. O Magnus; and now your lineage of skill and hardships 124. Encourages, you are unable to endure the fortune of second place; 125. Now the former Caesar was able to bear 126. Anybody nor Pompey as an equal. Who was more just dressed in military weapons 127. To understand the crimes. Each looked at themselves as a juror in greatness; 128. The victorious cause was agreeable to the gods, But the conquered to Cato. 129. They were not equals. One of the two was in old age with his years drawing to an end 130. And for a long time he was more calm by the familiarity of his toga 131. Now he forgot his lead in peace, to be the candidate to give 132. Many things of public opinion to the people, and he was completely incited 133. By the peoples breath, and delighted in applause of his own theatre, 134. He did not restore his new strengths, and trusted greatly 135. To his former luck. The ghost of his great name stands, 136. Such an oak of ancient loft in the fruitful land of a nation 137. Was carrying the consecrated gifts of the leaders 138. And now hanging on to strong roots it 139. Was fixed by its own weight, and shedding 140. Its bare branches through the air, makes a shade with its trunk, not from its leaves, 141. And however much let it sway about fall under the first Eurus, 142. Let the so many forests with strong wood lift themselves around it, 143. However it alone is worshipped. But the name 144. Was not such in Caesar nor all but the fame of a leader, But his ignorant courage 145. Remained fixed in place, and his honor alone was to not conquer by war. 146. He was sharp and wild, with hope and also anger it would be said, 147. That he carried his hand and never refrained from his sword to be darkened. 148. That his successes urged his own, that he stood to the favor 149. Of the divine majesty, impelling, he obstructed himself by seeking the things 150. Highest. And his rejoicing collapse made a way, 151. Just as a thunderbolt with an impelling sound is forced out 152. From the approaching airs through the clouds and 153. Springs forth from a noise of the world and both shatters the day and 154. Terrifies the people quaking in fear and drawing their eyes with the slanting flame: 155. It rages in its own temple, and no matter can go forth from its 156. Forbidden place and gives both a great falling and great returning 157. Destruction far and wide and collects its scattered fires. 158. These were the causes from the leaders; But the causes of war existed under the public 159. Race, which from the powerful always overwhelmed the people. 160. For, just as fortune carried in great wealth from subduing the world 161. And its morals fell from the second of things 162. And the enemies advised the extravagance of the robbery from the spoils, 163. There was no limit to the gold nor their dwellings, and hunger rejected

164. The former meals; men scarcely wore decorum for women 165. The seas seized; the fruitful poverty of men 166. Fled and was summoned from all the world 167. Which each nation perished; Then they joined the long boundaries 168. Of land and formerly having been plowed by the enduring Camillus 169. They spread out the ancient mattocks and 170. Expanded to spacious farms for the unknowing country-workers. 171. That nation did not exist which calm peace would help, 172. Which its own freedom would nourish its motionless weapons. 173. And thence they were easily angry, because the vile crimes had recommended 174. The removals, and great glory was able to be more powerful 175. Than its own country and the measure of law 176. Was strength . Here were the collected laws and knowledge of the plebs 177. And the laws of the tribune were thrown into confusion with the consuls; 178. Here the high office was seized by a bribe and the people themselves 179. Were the buyers of their own favor and the circuit being the annual contest 180. At the Campus brings a venal death to the city; 181. Here was the voracious use and the interest greedy in times 182. And trust was shattered and war was profitable for many

183. Now Caesar with rapid motion had gone above the icy Alps 184. And had taken in his heart both the enormous rebellion and the war about to be. 185. And as he arrived at the streams of the little Rubicon, 186. The great and clear image of his country to the leader was seen 187. Through the dark night as the most gloomy face, 188. Shedding its grey hairs from its tower-bearing crown, 189. And stood mangled by Caesar with bare arms 190. And said with a mixed sigh: Why do you all strive further? 191. Why do you all carry my standards, O men? If you all come with right, 192. If you are citizens, as far as hither is permitted. Then dread struck 193. The limbs of the leader, His hairs were stiff and a faintness restraining 194. His step held his feet among the outermost bank. 195. Thereupon he said: O Tonans who from the Tarpeian cliff you looked towards 196. The walls of the great city, O Trojan Penates 197. Of the of the clan of Iulus and the secrets of Janus which were snatched 198. And Jupiter Latiaris residing in lofty Alba 199. And the Vestal hearth and, Rome, the likeness of the highest divinity, 200. Be favorable to my undertakings; I am not attacking you with raging arms; 201. Behold! I am Caesar the conqueror of both land and sea 202. Everywhere your soldier - If only it were permitted, and also now. 203. That man shall be, That guilty man, who made me your enemy. 204. From there he released his delays of the war and quickly carried 205. His standards over the swollen river: Just in the overgrown fields 206. Of heat-bringing Libya when the lion sees his enemy at hand 207. He being uncertain sits down, meanwhile he collects his entire rage; 208. Soon, when he incites himself with a lash of his fierce tail 209. And he raises his mane and with his enormous open jaws growls a dignified roar, 210. Then, if the twisted spear of the light-armed Moor 211. Would cleave his bearing flesh or the hunting-spears would approach, 212. He passes through the sword, unconcerned of the whole wound.