Bellum Africum 52

B. Afr. 52.1Caesar ab eō opere cum iam sub vesperum cōpiās in castra redūceret, magnō incursū cum omnī equitātū levīque armātūrā Iuba, Scīpiō, Labiēnus in legiōnāriōs impetum fēcērunt.

When Caesar was already leading his forces back from the work to camp towards evening, Juba, Scipio and Labienus, with a great charge, with all their cavalry and light-armed troops, made an attack on the legionaries.

Note. sub vesperum: 'towards evening'. magnō incursū: ablative of manner. Three subjects (Iuba, Scipiō, Labiēnus) take the plural fēcērunt.

B. Afr. 52.2Equitēs Caesariānī vī ūniversae subitaeque hostium multitūdinis pulsī parumper cessērunt.

Caesar's horsemen, driven back by the force of the whole and sudden mass of the enemy, gave way for a little while.

Note. vī: ablative of vīs, 'by the force'. parumper: 'for a little while'.

B. Afr. 52.3Quae rēs aliter adversāriīs cecidit: namque Caesar ex mediō itinere cōpiīs reductīs equitibus suīs auxilium tulit;

This turned out otherwise for his opponents: for Caesar led his forces back from halfway along the march and brought help to his horsemen;

Note. aliter … cecidit: 'turned out otherwise', cadō in the sense 'happen, fall out'. ex mediō itinere: 'from halfway along the march'.

B. Afr. 52.3equitēs autem adventū legiōnum animō additō conversīs equīs in Numidās cupidē īnsequentēs dispersōsque impetum fēcērunt atque eōs convulnerātōs usque in castra rēgia reppulērunt multōsque ex hīs interfēcērunt.

and the horsemen, their courage restored by the arrival of the legions, wheeled their horses and made an attack on the Numidians, who were pursuing eagerly and were scattered, drove them back wounded all the way into the king's camp, and killed many of them.

Note. animō additō: ablative absolute, 'courage having been added'. cōnversīs equīs: 'wheeling their horses'. īnsequentēs: present participle of the deponent īnsequor, describing the Numidians.

B. Afr. 52.4Quod nisi in noctem proelium esset coniectum pulvisque ventō ēlātus omnium prōspectuī offēcisset, Iuba cum Labiēnō captī in potestātem Caesaris vēnissent, equitātusque cum levī armātūrā funditus ad interneciōnem dēlētus esset.

And if the fighting had not run on into night, and dust raised by the wind had not blocked everyone's view, Juba and Labienus would have been captured and come into Caesar's power, and the cavalry with the light-armed troops would have been utterly wiped out.

Note. Quod nisi … esset coniectum … offēcisset …, … vēnissent … dēlētus esset: a past unreal condition, with the pluperfect subjunctive in both halves. quod nisi is a connective, 'but if … not'. officiō takes the dative (prōspectuī).

B. Afr. 52.5Interim incrēdibiliter ex legiōne IV et VI Scīpiōnis mīlitēs diffugere partim in castra Caesaris, partim, in quās quisque poterat regiōnēs, pervenīre;

Meanwhile, incredibly, soldiers of Scipio's Fourth and Sixth Legions fled in all directions, some into Caesar's camp, some reaching whatever regions each could;

Note. diffugere … pervenīre: historical infinitives with mīlitēs as subject. in quās quisque poterat regiōnēs: the antecedent is drawn into the relative clause; 'into whatever regions each could'.

B. Afr. 52.5itemque equitēs Cūriānī diffīsī Scīpiōnī eiusque cōpiīs complūrēs sē eōdem cōnferēbant.

likewise several of Curio's former horsemen, losing faith in Scipio and his forces, betook themselves to the same place.

Note. equitēs Cūriānī: horsemen who had served under C. Scribonius Curio, defeated by Juba in 49 BC (Civil War II), and were now with Scipio. diffīsī: from diffīdō, 'distrust', with the dative.