Bellum Africum 20

B. Afr. 20.1Caesar interim castra mūnīre dīligentius, praesidia firmāre cōpiīs maiōribus vallumque ab oppidō Ruspinā usque ad mare dūcere et ā castrīs alterum eōdem, quō tūtius ultrō citrōque commeātūs auxiliaque sine perīculō sibi succurrere possent, tēla tormentaque ex nāvibus in castra comportāre, rēmigum partem ex classe, Gallōrum, Rhodiōrum, epibatārumque armāre et in castra ēvocāre, utī, sī posset, eādem ratiōne, quā adversāriī, levis armātūra interiecta inter equitēs suōs interpōnerētur, sagittāriīsque ex omnibus nāvibus Ityreīs, Syrīs et cuiusque generis ductīs in castra complūribus frequentāre suās cōpiās— audiēbat enim Scīpiōnem post diem tertium eius diēī, quō proelium factum erat, adpropinquāre, cōpiās suās cum Labiēnō et Petrēiō coniungere;

Caesar meanwhile fortified his camp more carefully, strengthened its garrisons with larger forces, ran a rampart from the town of Ruspina down to the sea and a second one from the camp to the same point, so that supplies and reinforcements could come and go to him more safely and without danger; he brought missiles and artillery from the ships into the camp; he armed part of the oarsmen from the fleet, Gauls, Rhodians and marines, and called them into the camp, so that, if he could, by the same method as his opponents, light-armed troops might be set among his cavalry; and he swelled his forces with a good many archers, Ituraeans, Syrians and men of every race, brought into camp from all the ships — for he heard that Scipio was approaching, two days after the day on which the battle had been fought, and was joining his forces with Labienus and Petreius;

Note. The verbs mūnīre, firmāre, dūcere, comportāre, armāre, ēvocāre, frequentāre are historic infinitives, used like imperfects for a rush of actions; they continue into the next sentence after the dashes. quō tūtius … possent: quō + comparative introduces a purpose clause. utī … interpōnerētur: purpose clause, 'so that light-armed men might be placed among his cavalry', copying the enemy's tactics. post diem tertium eius diēī: 'two days after that day' (Roman counting includes both days).

B. Afr. 20.2cuius cōpiae legiōnum VIII et equitum III mīlium esse nūntiābantur— officīnās ferrāriās īnstruere, sagittās tēlaque utī fierent complūra cūrāre, glandēs fundere, sudēs comparāre, litterās in Siciliam nūntiōsque mittere, ut sibi crātēs māteriemque congererent ad arietēs, cuius inopia in Āfricā esset, praetereā ferrum, plumbum mitterētur.

his forces were reported to be eight legions and three thousand cavalry — he set up ironworks, saw to it that arrows and missiles were made in great numbers, cast sling-bullets, got stakes ready, and sent letters and messengers to Sicily, asking that hurdles and timber be gathered for him to make battering rams, since there was a shortage of it in Africa, and that iron and lead also be sent.

Note. cuius cōpiae … nūntiābantur: 'whose forces were reported to be'. ut … congererent introduces the request in the letters; cuius (māteriēs) inopia: 'of which there was a shortage'. The last clause slips into the passive: (ut) ferrum, plumbum mitterētur.

B. Afr. 20.4Etiam animum advertēbat frūmentō sē in Āfricā nisi importātīciō utī nōn posse: priōre annō enim propter adversāriōrum dīlēctūs, quod stīpendiāriī arātōrēs mīlitēs essent factī, messem nōn esse factam;

He also noticed that in Africa he could use no grain except what was imported: for in the previous year, because of the enemy's levies, the harvest had not been gathered, since the tax-paying farmers had been made soldiers;

Note. animum advertēbat = animadvertēbat, 'he noticed'; it governs the accusative and infinitive sē … ūtī nōn posse. importātīciō: 'imported' grain. stīpendiāriī arātōrēs: tribute-paying farmers of the province, conscripted by the Pompeians.

B. Afr. 20.4praetereā ex omnī Āfricā frūmentum adversāriōs in pauca oppida et bene mūnīta comportāsse omnemque regiōnem Āfricae exinanīsse frūmentō, oppida praeter ea pauca, quae ipsī suīs praesidiīs tuērī poterant, reliqua dīruī ac dēserī, et eōrum incolās intrā sua praesidia coēgisse commigrāre, agrōs dēsertōs ac vāstātōs esse.

besides this, the enemy had carried the grain from all Africa into a few well-fortified towns and had stripped the whole region of Africa of grain; apart from those few towns which they themselves could protect with their garrisons, the others were being demolished and abandoned, and they had forced their inhabitants to move within their garrisoned places, and the fields were deserted and laid waste.

Note. Still indirect speech after animum advertēbat. exinānīsse (= exinānīvisse), comportāsse (= comportāvisse) and coēgisse are perfect infinitives; dīruī ac dēserī are present passive infinitives.