Lectitō › Julius Caesar › The African War (Bellum Africum)
Bellum Africum 14
A new kind of fighting
Anonymous, Bellum Africum. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōB. Afr. 14.1Cum utrimque exspectātiō fieret neque Caesar sēsē movēret et cum suōrum paucitāte contrā magnam vim hostium artificiō magis quam vīribus dēcernendum vidēret, subitō adversāriōrum equitātus sēsē extendere et in lātitūdinem prōmovēre collēsque complectī et Caesaris equitātum extenuāre simulque ad circumeundum comparāre sē coepērunt.
When there was waiting on both sides and Caesar did not move, and saw that with his own small numbers against the great strength of the enemy he must decide the issue by skill rather than strength, suddenly the enemy's cavalry began to extend itself and spread out sideways, to take in the hills, to thin out Caesar's cavalry, and at the same time to prepare to surround them.
Note. Cum … fieret … movēret … vidēret: a cluster of circumstantial cum clauses. artificiō magis quam vīribus dēcernendum: impersonal gerundive, 'that the issue must be decided by skill rather than strength'. The historical infinitives extendere, prōmovēre, complectī, extenuāre, comparāre depend on coepērunt.
B. Afr. 14.2Caesariānī equitēs eōrum multitūdinem aegrē sustinēbant.
The Caesarian cavalry could hardly withstand their numbers.
Note. Caesariānī equitēs: adjective with a noun, 'the Caesarian cavalry'.
B. Afr. 14.2Aciēs interim mediae cum concurrere cōnārentur, subitō ex condēnsīs turmīs peditēs Numidae levis armātūrae cum equitibus prōcurrunt et inter legiōnāriōs peditēs iacula coiciunt.
Meanwhile, when the centres of the lines were trying to engage, suddenly Numidian infantry, light-armed, ran out with the cavalry from the closely packed squadrons and hurled javelins among the legionary infantry.
Note. Aciēs … mediae: 'the centres of the lines'. levis armātūrae: genitive of description, 'of light equipment', i.e. light-armed.
B. Afr. 14.3Hīc cum Caesariānī in eōs impetum fēcissent, illōrum equitēs refugiēbant;
At this point, when the Caesarians charged them, their cavalry fled;
Note. Hīc: adverb, 'at this point'. illōrum: 'their', the enemy's.
B. Afr. 14.3peditēs interim resistēbant, dum equitēs rūrsus cursū renovātō peditibus suīs succurrerent.
meanwhile the infantry held their ground, until the cavalry could renew their charge and come to the help of their infantry.
Note. dum … succurrerent: dum with the subjunctive, 'until they could come to help'.
Vocabulary
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| utrimque, adv. | on either side or both sides |
| exspectātiō, -ōnis f. | waiting, expectation |
| fīō, fierī, factus sum | be done or made, become, happen |
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| moveō, movēre, mōvī, mōtus | move |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| paucitās, -ātis f. | small number, scarcity |
| contrā, prep, with acc. | against, contrary to |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| vīs, vīs, f. | violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main |
| hostis, -is, m. and f. | enemy, foe |
| artificium, -ī n. | craft, skill; trade |
| magis, comp. adv. | more, rather |
| quam, adv. | how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible |
| dēcernō, -ere, dēcrēvī, dēcrētum | decide, decree |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| subitō, adv. | unexpectedly, suddenly |
| adversārius, -ī m. | opponent, enemy |
| equitātus, -ūs m. | cavalry |
| extendō, -ere, -tendī, -tentum | stretch out, extend |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| lātitūdō, -inis f. | width, breadth |
| prōmoveō, -ēre, -mōvī, -mōtum | move forward |
| collis, -is m. | hill |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| complector, -plectī, -plexus | embrace |
| extenuō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | make thin, waste away; lessen |
| simul, adv. | at the same time; simul atque or ac, as soon as |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| circumeō, -īre, -iī, -itum | go around |
| comparō, -parāre, -parāvī, -parātus | prepare, collect |
| coepī, coepisse, coeptus (used in tenses of completed action) | have begun, began |
| Caesariānus, -a, -um | of Caesar, Caesarian; (pl. as noun) Caesar's men |
| eques, equitis m. | horseman; (pl.) cavalry |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| multitūdō, -tūdinis, f. | multitude |
| aegrē, adv. | ill, with difficulty |
| sustineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold or bear up, sustain, withstand |
| aciēs, -ēī, f. | line of battle |
| interim (adv.) | meanwhile |
| medius, -a, -um | mid, middle |
| concurrō, -currere, -currī, -cursus | run, rush, or dash together |
| cōnor, -ārī, -ātus | try, attempt |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| condēnsus, -a, -um | crowded closely together |
| turma, -ae f. | troop, squadron of cavalry |
| pedes, peditis m. | foot soldier |
| levis, -e | light, slight |
| armātūra, -ae f. | armour, equipment (levis armātūra: light-armed troops) |
| prōcurrō, -ere, prōcucurrī | run forward, charge |
| inter, prep, with acc. | among, between |
| legiōnārius, -a, -um | of a legion, legionary |
| iaculum, -ī n. | javelin, dart |
| coiciō, -ere, coiēcī, coiectum | throw, hurl |
| hīc, adv. | here; hereupon |
| impetus, -ūs, m. | attack; impetum facere, to charge |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| refugiō, -fugere, -fūgī | flee back, run away, retreat |
| resistō, -sistere, -stitī | stand back, resist |
| dum, conj. | while, as; as long as; until |
| rūrsus, adv. | again |
| cursus, -ūs, m. | running, speed; course, route, voyage; race |
| renovō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | renew |
| succurrō, -ere, -currī, -cursum | run to help, aid |