Lectitō › Julius Caesar › The African War (Bellum Africum)
Bellum Africum 53
Two legions arrive from Sicily
Anonymous, Bellum Africum. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōB. Afr. 53.1Dum haec circum Uzitam ab utrīsque ducibus administrantur, legiōnēs duae, X et IX, ex Siciliā nāvibus onerāriīs profectae, cum iam nōn longē ā portū Ruspinae abessent, cōnspicātī nāvēs Caesariānās, quae in statiōne apud Thapsum stābant, veritī, nē in adversāriōrum ut īnsidiandī grātiā ibi commorantium classem inciderent imprūdentēs, vēla in altum dedērunt ac diū multumque iactātī tandem multīs post diēbus sitī inopiāque cōnfectī ad Caesarem perveniunt.
While these things were being carried on around Uzita by both commanders, two legions, the Tenth and the Ninth, having set out from Sicily in transport ships, when they were already not far from the harbour of Ruspina, caught sight of Caesar's ships which were lying at anchor off Thapsus; fearing that they might unawares fall in with a fleet of their opponents lying there, as they thought, to set an ambush, they set sail for the open sea, and after being tossed about long and much, at last, many days later, worn out by thirst and want, they reached Caesar.
Note. One long sentence: legiōnēs duae … cōnspicātī … veritī … vēla in altum dedērunt … perveniunt. The participles are masculine although legiōnēs is feminine: the writer thinks of the soldiers (agreement by sense). ut īnsidiandī grātiā: ut here means 'as (they supposed)'. vēla dare: 'set sail'. multīs post diēbus: 'many days afterwards', post as an adverb.
Vocabulary
| dum, conj. | while, as; as long as; until |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| circum, prep. with acc. | around |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| uterque, utraque, utrumque | each, either, both |
| dux, ducis, m. and f. | leader, commander |
| administrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | manage, carry out |
| legiō, -ōnis f. | legion |
| duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj. | two |
| Roman numeral | a number written with letters: I 1, V 5, X 10, L 50, C 100, D 500, M 1000 |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| nāvis, -is, f. | ship |
| onerārius, -a, -um | for freight; nāvis onerāria: transport ship |
| proficīscor, -ficīscī, -fectus sum | set out, depart, march |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| iam, adv. | now, already |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| longē, adv. | far |
| portus, -ūs, m. | harbor, haven, port |
| absum, abesse, āfuī, āfutūrus | be away, be absent, be distant; be wanting |
| cōnspicor, -ārī, -ātus sum | catch sight of |
| Caesariānus, -a, -um | of Caesar, Caesarian; (pl. as noun) Caesar's men |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| statiō, -ōnis f. | outpost, picket |
| apud, prep, with acc. | among, with |
| stō, stāre, stetī, status | stand |
| vereor, -ērī, -itus | fear |
| nē, adv. | not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest |
| adversārius, -ī m. | opponent, enemy |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| īnsidior, -ārī, -ātus sum | lie in wait, lay an ambush |
| grātia, -ae, f. | favor; gratitude, thanks; plur., thanks; grātiās agere, to give thanks, thank; grātiam referre, to return a favor, show gratitude, requite |
| ibi, adv. | in that place, there |
| commoror, -morārī, -morātus | tarry, linger, delay, stay |
| classis, -is f. | fleet |
| incidō, -cidere, -cidī | fall into or upon |
| imprūdēns, -entis | off guard, unaware |
| vēlum, -ī n. | sail |
| altum, -ī n. | the deep, the open sea; a height |
| dō, dare, dedī, datus | give |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| diū, adv. | for a long time, a long time or while, long; comp |
| multum, -ī, n. | much |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| iactō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | toss about; discuss |
| tandem, adv. | at length or last, finally |
| multus, -a, -um | much, great; plur., many |
| post, adv. | after, later; prep. with acc., after, behind |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| sitis, -is f. | thirst |
| inopia, -ae f. | lack, want, scarcity |
| cōnficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | make or do completely, complete, finish, accomplish, make; wear out |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| perveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus | come through, come, arrive, reach |