Bellum Africum 47

B. Afr. 47.1Per id tempus ferē Caesaris exercituī rēs accidit incrēdibilis audītū.

About this time something almost beyond belief happened to Caesar's army.

Note. incrēdibilis audītū: supine in -ū after an adjective, 'unbelievable to hear'.

B. Afr. 47.1Namque vergiliārum signō cōnfectō circiter vigiliā secundā noctis nimbus cum saxeā grandine subitō est exortus ingēns.

For after the setting of the Pleiades, at about the second watch of the night, a huge storm-cloud suddenly rose with hail like stones.

Note. Vergiliārum signō cōnfectō: 'when the constellation of the Pleiades had set'; their setting at dawn in late autumn marked the beginning of winter weather.

B. Afr. 47.2Ad hoc autem incommodum accesserat, quod Caesar nōn mōre superiōrum temporum in hībernīs exercitum continēbat, sed in tertiō quārtōque diē prōcēdendō propiusque hostem accēdendō castra commūnībat, opereque faciendō mīlitēs sē circumspiciendī nōn habēbant facultātem.

This misfortune was made worse by the fact that Caesar was not keeping his army in winter quarters as in earlier times, but every third or fourth day was advancing, moving closer to the enemy and fortifying a camp, and with the labour the soldiers had no chance to look after themselves.

Note. in tertiō quārtōque diē: 'every third or fourth day'. opere faciendō: gerundive in the ablative, 'by doing the work'. sē circumspiciendī: 'of looking after themselves'.

B. Afr. 47.3Praetereā ita ex Siciliā exercitum trānsportābat, ut praeter ipsum mīlitem et arma nec vās nec mancipium neque ūllam rem, quae ūsuī mīlitī esse cōnsuēvit, in nāvēs impōnī paterētur.

Besides, he had brought the army over from Sicily on terms that he allowed nothing to be put on the ships except the soldier himself and his weapons — not a vessel, not a slave, nor anything that a soldier usually has for his use.

Note. ita … ut: 'on the terms that'. nec vās nec mancipium: 'neither baggage nor slave'.

B. Afr. 47.4In Āfricā autem nōn modo sibi quicquam nōn adquīsierant aut parāverant, sed etiam propter annōnae cāritātem ante parta cōnsūmpserant.

And in Africa they had not only gained or got nothing for themselves, but because of the high price of grain had even used up what they had acquired before.

Note. nōn modo … quicquam nōn … sed etiam: 'not only had they not acquired anything, but even'. ante parta: 'what they had acquired earlier'.

B. Afr. 47.5Quibus rēbus attenuātī oppidō perquam paucī sub pellibus quiēscēbant;

Worn down by these hardships, very few indeed rested under hides;

Note. oppidō: here an adverb, 'very', strengthening perquam paucī. sub pellibus: 'under hides', i.e. in proper leather tents.

B. Afr. 47.5reliquī ex vestīmentīs tentōriolīs factīs atque harundinibus scōpīsque contextīs permanēbant.

the rest stayed in little tents made from their clothes and woven from reeds and twigs.

Note. tentōriolīs: diminutive of tentōrium, 'little tents'.

B. Afr. 47.6Itaque subitō imbre grandineque cōnsecūtā gravātīs pondere tentōriīs aquārumque vī subrutīs disiectīsque, nocte intempestā ignibus exstīnctīs, rēbus, quae ad vīctum pertinent, omnibus corruptīs per castra passim vagābantur scūtīsque capita contegēbant.

So when the sudden rain and hail followed, the tents were weighed down and undermined and scattered by the force of the water; in the dead of night the fires were put out, everything that serves for food was spoiled, and they wandered all over the camp, covering their heads with their shields.

Note. A run of ablative absolutes describes the chaos. nocte intempestā: 'in the dead of night'.

B. Afr. 47.6Eādem nocte V legiōnis pīlōrum cacūmina suā sponte ārsērunt.

That same night the tips of the Fifth legion's javelins caught fire of their own accord.

Note. suā sponte: 'of their own accord'. The glow of St Elmo's fire on the spear points was taken as an omen.