Bellum Africum 41

B. Afr. 41.1Hīs rēbus gestīs Caesar posterō diē ex omnibus praesidiīs cohortēs ēdūxit atque omnēs suās cōpiās in campō īnstrūxit.

After these events, on the next day, Caesar led cohorts out from all his garrisons and drew up all his forces on the plain.

Note. postero diē: 'on the next day'.

B. Afr. 41.1Scīpiō suīs male acceptīs, occīsīs convulnerātīsque intrā suās continēre sē mūnītiōnēs coepit.

Scipio, now that his men had been roughly handled, killed and wounded, began to keep himself inside his fortifications.

Note. suīs male acceptīs: male accipere is 'to treat roughly'; here 'his men having suffered badly'.

B. Afr. 41.2Caesar īnstrūctā aciē secundum īnfimās iugī rādīcēs propius mūnītiōnēs lēniter accessit.

Caesar drew up his line and moved slowly forward along the lowest foot of the ridge, closer to their fortifications.

Note. secundum īnfimās iugī rādīcēs: secundum is a preposition, 'along'. propius mūnītiōnēs: propius used like a preposition with the accusative, 'closer to'.

B. Afr. 41.2Iamque minus mīlle passūs ab oppidō Uzitā, quod Scīpiō tenēbat, aberant legiōnēs Iūliānae, cum Scīpiō veritus, nē oppidum āmitteret, unde aquārī reliquīsque rēbus sublevārī eius exercitūs cōnsuērat, ēductīs omnibus cōpiīs quadruplicī aciē īnstrūctā ex īnstitūtō suō, prīmā equestrī turmātim dērēctā elephantīsque turrītīs interpositīs armātīsque, suppetiās īre contendit.

Caesar's legions were now less than a mile from the town of Uzita, which Scipio held, when Scipio, afraid of losing the town from which his army used to get water and its other supplies, led out all his forces, drew them up in four lines as was his custom, with the first line of cavalry arranged squadron by squadron and turreted, armed elephants placed among them, and hurried to go to its help.

Note. Iūliānae: 'of Julius', i.e. Caesar's. unde aquārī … cōnsuērat: aquor is a deponent meaning 'to fetch water'. turmātim: 'squadron by squadron'.

B. Afr. 41.3Quod ubi Caesar animadvertit, arbitrātus Scīpiōnem ad dīmicandum parātum ad sē certō animō venīre… Quī in eō locō, quō paulō ante commemorāvī, ante oppidum cōnstitit suamque aciem mediam eō oppidō tēxit;

When Caesar noticed this, he supposed that Scipio was coming at him ready and determined to fight … Scipio halted in the place I mentioned a little earlier, in front of the town, and covered the middle of his line with the town;

Note. There is a gap in the text after venīre; the main clause about Caesar is lost. eō oppidō texit: 'covered (his centre) with the town', so that the town protected it.

B. Afr. 41.3dextrum sinistrumque cornū, ubi elephantī erant, in cōnspectū patentī adversāriōrum cōnstituit.

his right and left wings, where the elephants were, he placed in the open in full view of the enemy.

Note. in cōnspectū patentī: 'in open view'.