Bellum Africum 16

B. Afr. 16.1Labiēnus in equō capite nūdō versārī in prīmā aciē;

Labienus rode about on horseback in the front line with his head bare;

Note. versārī: historical infinitive, as are cohortārī and appellāre in the next sentence. capite nūdō: bareheaded, so that he could be recognized.

B. Afr. 16.1simul suōs cohortārī, nōnnumquam legiōnāriōs Caesaris ita appellāre: "Quid tū", inquit, "mīles tīrō?

at the same time he encouraged his own men, and sometimes addressed Caesar's legionaries like this: 'What about you, recruit soldier?

Note. Quid tū: 'What about you?' tīrō: vocative, 'recruit'. Labienus' taunts are full of colloquial words.

B. Afr. 16.1Tam feroculus es?

Are you so bold?

Note. ferōculus: a diminutive of ferōx, sneering: 'so cocky'.

B. Afr. 16.1Vōs quoque iste verbīs īnfatuāvit?

Has that man made fools of you too with his words?

Note. iste: Caesar, referred to with contempt ('that fellow'). īnfatuāvit: 'made fools of', a colloquial verb.

B. Afr. 16.1In magnam mehercule vōs perīculum impulit.

By Hercules, he has driven you into great danger.

Note. mehercule: 'by Hercules', an oath used by men.

B. Afr. 16.1Misereor vestrī."

I pity you.'

Note. Misereor: deponent with the genitive; vestrī is the genitive plural of vōs.

B. Afr. 16.2Tum mīles, "Nōn sum", inquit, "tīrō, Labiēne, sed dē legiōne X veterānus."

Then a soldier said, 'I am no recruit, Labienus, but a veteran of the Tenth legion.'

Note. Labiēne: vocative. dē legiōne X: the Tenth was Caesar's favourite legion, and Labienus had once commanded alongside it in Gaul.

B. Afr. 16.2Tum Labiēnus, "Nōn agnōscō", inquit, "signa decumānōrum."

Then Labienus said, 'I do not recognize the standards of the Tenth.'

Note. decumānōrum: 'of the men of the Tenth'. Labienus means that the Tenth is not present, or that these are not the Tenth he knew.

B. Afr. 16.3Tum ait mīles: "Iam mē, quis sim, intellegēs";

Then the soldier said: 'You will soon know who I am';

Note. quis sim: indirect question.

B. Afr. 16.3simul cassidem dē capite dēiēcit, ut cognōscī ab eō posset, atque ita pīlum vīribus contortum, dum in Labiēnum mittere contendit, equī graviter adversō pectorī adfīxit et ait: "Labiēne, decumānum mīlitem, quī tē petit, scītō esse."

at the same time he threw his helmet off his head so that he could be recognized by him, and, hurling his javelin with all his strength while trying to throw it at Labienus, drove it hard into the horse's chest, and said: 'Know, Labienus, that it is a soldier of the Tenth who is attacking you.'

Note. cassidem: accusative of cassis, 'helmet'. dum … contendit: dum with the present indicative, 'while he was striving'. equī … adversō pectorī adfīxit: 'fixed it in the horse's chest', i.e. the javelin hit the horse, not Labienus. scītō: the future imperative of sciō, the usual form of command for this verb.

B. Afr. 16.4Omnium tamen animī in terrōrem coniectī, et maximē tīrōnum: circumspicere enim Caesarem neque amplius facere nisi hostium iacula vītāre.

Yet everyone's spirits were thrown into terror, especially those of the recruits; for they kept looking round at Caesar and did nothing more than dodge the enemy's javelins.

Note. circumspicere, facere, vītāre: historical infinitives. neque amplius facere nisi …: 'and did nothing more than'.