Bellum Africum 25

B. Afr. 25.1Dum haec ita fierent, rēx Iuba cognitīs Caesaris difficultātibus cōpiārumque paucitāte— nōn est vīsum dare spatium convalēscendī augendārumque eius opum: itaque comparātīs equitum magnīs peditumque cōpiīs subsidiō sociīs ēgressus ē regnō īre contendit.

While these things were happening, King Juba, learning of Caesar's difficulties and the small size of his forces, decided not to give him time to recover and build up his strength: so, having gathered large forces of cavalry and infantry, he left his kingdom and hurried to go to the help of his allies.

Note. nōn est vīsum: 'it did not seem good (to him)', i.e. he decided not to. augendārum eius opum: a gerundive in the genitive, 'of increasing his (Caesar's) resources'. subsidiō sociīs: double dative, 'as a help to his allies'.

B. Afr. 25.2P. Sittius interim et rēx Bocchus coniūnctīs suīs cōpiīs cognitō rēgis Iubae ēgressū propius eius regnum cōpiās suās admōvēre, Cirtamque, oppidum opulentissimum eius regnī, adortus paucīs diēbus pugnandō capit et praetereā duo oppida Gaetūlōrum.

Meanwhile Publius Sittius and King Bocchus joined their forces and, learning that King Juba had left, moved their troops closer to his kingdom; and Sittius attacked Cirta, the richest town of that kingdom, took it after a few days' fighting, and two towns of the Gaetulians besides.

Note. Publius Sittius of Nuceria, a Roman adventurer, led a private army in Mauretania in alliance with King Bocchus. admōvēre is the short perfect (= admōvērunt). Cirta (modern Constantine) was Juba's capital. pugnandō: ablative of the gerund.

B. Afr. 25.3Quibus cum condiciōnem ferret, ut oppidō excēderent idque sibi vacuum trāderent, condiciōnemque repudiāssent, posteā ab eō captī interfectīque sunt omnēs.

When he offered them terms, that they should leave the town and hand it over to him empty, and they had rejected the terms, they were afterwards captured by him and all put to death.

Note. Quibus is dative, referring to the people of the Gaetulian towns. repudiāssent = repudiāvissent.

B. Afr. 25.3Inde prōgressus agrōs oppidaque vexāre nōn dēstitit.

From there he advanced and kept on ravaging the countryside and the towns.

Note. Inde prōgressus: Sittius is still the subject. nōn dēstitit + infinitive: 'did not stop'.

B. Afr. 25.4Quibus rēbus cognitīs Iuba cum iam nōn longē ab Scīpiōne atque eius ducibus abesset, capit cōnsilium satius esse sibi suōque regnō subsidiō īre, quam dum aliōs adiūtūrus proficīscerētur, ipse suō regnō expulsus forsitan utrāque rē expellerētur.

When he learned of this, Juba, though he was by now not far from Scipio and his commanders, decided that it was better to go to the help of himself and his own kingdom than, while setting out to help others, to be driven from his own kingdom and perhaps lose on both counts.

Note. satius esse … quam: 'that it was better … than'. adiūtūrus: future participle expressing purpose, 'in order to help'. utrāque rē: 'from both things', i.e. both his allies' cause and his own kingdom.

B. Afr. 25.5Itaque rūrsus recipere atque auxilia etiam ab Scīpiōne abdūxit sibi suīsque rēbus timēns elephantīsque XXX relictīs suīs fīnibus oppidīsque suppetiās profectus est.

So he went back again and withdrew his auxiliaries from Scipio too, fearing for himself and his own affairs, and leaving thirty elephants behind he set off to the rescue of his own lands and towns.

Note. rūrsus recipere: a historic infinitive (with sē understood), 'he went back'. suppetiās: an accusative of purpose with a verb of motion, 'to the rescue of' + dative (fīnibus oppidīsque).