Bellum Africum 26

B. Afr. 26.1Caesar interim, cum dē suō adventū dubitātiō in prōvinciā esset neque quisquam crēderet ipsum, sed aliquem lēgātum in Āfricam cum cōpiīs vēnisse, cōnscrīptīs litterīs circum prōvinciam omnēs cīvitātēs facit dē suō adventū certiōrēs.

Meanwhile, since there was doubt in the province about his arrival and no one believed that he himself, rather than some legate, had come to Africa with the forces, Caesar wrote letters and informed all the communities throughout the province of his arrival.

Note. ipsum, sed aliquem lēgātum: 'that he himself, but rather some legate, had come'. certiōrēs facit: 'informs'.

B. Afr. 26.2Interim nōbilēs hominēs ex suīs oppidīs profugere et in castra Caesaris dēvenīre et dē adversāriōrum eius crūdēlitāte acerbitāteque commemorāre coepērunt.

Meanwhile men of rank began to flee from their towns, come into Caesar's camp, and tell of the cruelty and harshness of his enemies.

Note. nōbilēs hominēs: men of standing in the African towns.

B. Afr. 26.3Quōrum lacrimīs querēlīsque Caesar commōtus, cum anteā cōnstituisset ē statīvīs castrīs aestāte initā cūnctīs cōpiīs auxiliīsque accītīs bellum cum suīs adversāriīs gerere, hieme gerere īnstituit litterīsque celeriter in Siciliam ad Aliēnum et Rabīrium Postumum cōnscrīptīs et per catascopum missīs imperāvit, ut sine morā ac nūllā excūsātiōne hiemis ventōrumque quam celerrimē exercitus sibi trānsportārētur: Āfricam prōvinciam perīre funditusque ēvertī ab suīs inimīcīs;

Moved by their tears and complaints, although he had earlier decided to make war on his enemies from a fixed camp after summer had begun, with all his forces and auxiliaries called up, Caesar resolved to wage it in winter; and quickly writing a letter to Alienus and Rabirius Postumus in Sicily and sending it by a dispatch boat, he ordered that his army be brought over to him as fast as possible, without delay and with no excuse of winter or the winds: the province of Africa was perishing and being utterly ruined by his enemies;

Note. stātīvīs castrīs: 'from a permanent camp'. hieme gerere īnstituit: 'decided to wage it in winter', an unusual step. catascopum: a Greek word for a scout boat. The last clause, with infinitives (perīre, ēvertī), gives the content of the message in indirect speech.

B. Afr. 26.3quod nisi celeriter sociīs foret subventum, praeter ipsam Āfricam terram nihil, nē tēctum quidem, quō sē reciperent, ab illōrum scelere īnsidiīsque reliquum futūrum.

and unless help were brought quickly to the allies, nothing would be left except the bare soil of Africa, not even a roof under which they could take shelter, from those men's criminality and treachery.

Note. quod nisi: 'and unless'; quod links the sentence to what precedes. forēt subventum: impersonal passive, 'help had been brought'; forēt = esset. nē … quidem: 'not even'. futūrum (esse): future infinitive.

B. Afr. 26.4Atque ipse in tantā erat festīnātiōne et exspectātiōne, ut posterō diē, quam mīsisset litterās nūntiumque in Siciliam, classem exercitumque morārī dīceret, diēs noctēsque oculōs mentemque ad mare dispositōs dērēctōsque habēret.

And he himself was in such haste and impatience that on the day after he had sent the letter and messenger to Sicily he said that the fleet and the army were delaying, and day and night he kept his eyes and mind fixed and directed on the sea.

Note. postērō diē quam = 'on the day after'. diēs noctēsque: accusative of duration, 'day and night'. dērēctōs is the older spelling of dīrēctōs.

B. Afr. 26.5Nec mīrum: animum advertēbat enim vīllās exūrī, agrōs vāstārī, pecus dīripī, trucīdārī, oppida castellaque dīruī dēserīque, prīncipēs cīvitātum aut interficī aut in catēnīs tenērī, līberōs eōrum obsidum nōmine in servitūtem abripī;

No wonder: for he saw farms being burned, fields laid waste, cattle plundered and butchered, towns and forts demolished and abandoned, the leading men of the communities either killed or held in chains, and their children carried off into slavery under the name of hostages;

Note. Nec mīrum: 'and no wonder'. The infinitives are all passive (exūrī, vāstārī, dīripī …) in accusative-and-infinitive clauses after animum advertēbat. obsidum nōmine: 'under the name of hostages'.

B. Afr. 26.5hīs sē miserīs suamque fidem implōrantibus auxiliō propter cōpiārum paucitātem esse nōn posse.

and he could give no help to these wretched people who were begging for his protection, because his forces were so few.

Note. Still indirect: his … miserīs … implōrantibus is dative with auxiliō esse, 'that he could not be a help to them'. suam fidem implōrantibus: 'appealing to his protection'.

B. Afr. 26.6Mīlitēs interim in opere exercēre atque castra mūnīre, turrēs, castella facere mōlēsque iacere in mare nōn intermittere.

Meanwhile he kept the soldiers at work without a break, fortifying the camp, building towers and forts, and throwing moles out into the sea.

Note. More historic infinitives. mōlēs iacere in mare: 'throw breakwaters into the sea' to protect the anchorage.