non magis

Latin Learning Latin
1

Dimicatum est enim non magis cum hostibus quam — quae dimicatio maior atque periculosior est — cum proditione ac perfidia sociorum.

This is from Orberg’s LLPSI Cap XLIII. I’m pretty sure what it means but I’m just trying to get clear in my mind Orberg’s explanation of ‘…non magis…’ He explains as follows non magis… quam = non tam… quam. Now magis is a comparative adverb (magnopere, magis, maxime) meaning more or by a greater degree. But here Orberg seems to be saying that the phrase non magis…quam means not so much as… rather than not more than which is what a reading of magis would normally suggest.

So the actual meaning of the paragraph seems, with Orberg’s pointers, to be more intuitive.

So it was fought, not so much with the enemy as - which is the greater and more violent fight - with treason and treacherous allies..

I’m taking it that the clause quae dimicatio [dimicatio, -onis (f) < dimicare] maior atque periculosior est refers to what follows.

Do I have this right?

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"I’m taking it that the clause quae dimicatio [dimicatio, -onis (f) < dimicare] maior atque periculosior est refers to what follows.

“Do I have this right?”

Yes.

Translated literally, the Latin reads “not more with the enemy . . . than with the treason and perfidy of allies.” But your translation “not so much with . . . as” gets the point across in idiomatic English.

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Many thanks Qimmik