Bellum Africum 49

B. Afr. 49.1Caesar postquam animadvertit Scīpiōnī auxilia ferē, quae exspectāsset, omnia convēnisse neque moram pugnandī ūllam fore, per iugum summum cum cōpiīs prōgredī coepit et brachia prōtinus dūcere et castella mūnīre propiusque Scīpiōnem capiendō loca excelsa occupāre contendit, nē adversāriī magnitūdine cōpiārum cōnfīsī proximum collem occupārent atque ita longius sibi prōgrediendī ēriperent facultātem.

After Caesar noticed that nearly all the auxiliary forces which Scipio had been waiting for had joined him, and that there would be no delay in fighting, he began to advance along the top of the ridge with his forces, to carry lines of fortification forward at once and to fortify redoubts, and by taking positions nearer to Scipio he strove to occupy the high ground, so that his opponents, trusting in the size of their forces, should not seize the nearest hill and so rob him of the chance of advancing further.

Note. The main clause runs per iugum summum … prōgredī coepit … contendit; postquam animadvertit introduces indirect statement (auxilia … convēnisse, neque moram … fore). exspectāsset = exspectāvisset, subjunctive because it is Scipio's expectation reported inside the indirect statement. bracchia: the 'arms' of a siege line, two parallel walls run out from a camp. capiendō loca: a gerund in the ablative with a direct object, 'by taking positions'. nē … occupārent … ēriperent: negative purpose clause.

B. Afr. 49.2Eiusdem collis occupandī Labiēnus cōnsilium cēperat et, quō propiōre locō fuerat, eō celerius occurrerat.

Labienus had formed the same plan of seizing that hill, and the nearer the position he had been in, the more quickly he had arrived to meet him.

Note. Eiusdem collis occupandī … cōnsilium: a gerundive phrase in the genitive, 'the plan of occupying the same hill'. quō propiōre locō … eō celerius: 'by how much nearer … by so much faster', the ablative of degree of difference, English 'the nearer … the faster'.