Bellum Africum 6

B. Afr. 6.1Itaque castra cum movēre vellet, subitō ex oppidō ērūpit multitūdō atque equitātus subsidiō ūnō tempore eīs cāsū succurrit, quī erat missus ā Iubā ad stīpendium accipiendum, castraque, unde Caesar ēgressus iter facere coeperat, occupant et eius agmen extrēmum īnsequī coepērunt.

So when he wanted to move camp, suddenly a crowd burst out of the town, and at the same moment a body of cavalry, which had been sent by Juba to collect pay, happened to come to their help; they seized the camp from which Caesar had come out to begin his march, and began to pursue his rearguard.

Note. castra … movēre: 'to break camp'. subsidiō … eīs: double dative, 'as a help to them'. ad stīpendium accipiendum: King Juba's cavalry had come to collect pay. The tense shifts from succurrit and occupant to coepērunt, typical of this author.

B. Afr. 6.2Quae rēs cum animadversa esset, subitō legiōnāriī cōnsistunt, et equitēs, quamquam erant paucī, tamen contrā tantam multitūdinem audācissimē concurrunt.

When this was noticed, the legionaries at once halted, and the cavalry, few as they were, charged with the greatest boldness against so great a multitude.

Note. audācissimē: superlative of audācter. quamquam erant paucī: 'although they were few'.

B. Afr. 6.3Accidit rēs incrēdibilis, ut equitēs minus XXX Gallī Maurōrum equitum II mīlia locō pellerent fugārentque in oppidum.

An incredible thing happened: fewer than thirty Gallic horsemen drove two thousand Moorish horsemen from their ground and chased them into the town.

Note. minus XXX: 'fewer than thirty'; minus is added without quam and does not change the case. Gallī: Caesar's Gallic horsemen were veterans of the Gallic war. Maurōrum equitum II mīlia: '2,000 Moorish horsemen'.

B. Afr. 6.4Postquam repulsī et coniectī erant intrā mūnītiōnēs, Caesar iter cōnstitūtum īre contendit.

After they had been driven back and thrown inside the fortifications, Caesar pressed on with the march he had decided on.

Note. iter cōnstitūtum īre: 'to go on the march he had decided on'; īre with an internal accusative.

B. Afr. 6.5Quod cum saepius facerent et modo īnsequerentur, modo rūrsus ab equitibus in oppidum repellerentur, cohortibus paucīs ex veterānīs, quās sēcum habēbat, in extrēmō agmine conlocātīs et parte equitātūs iter lēniter cum reliquīs facere coepit.

When they did this rather often, now following, now being driven back again into the town by the cavalry, he posted a few cohorts of the veterans he had with him at the rear of the column, together with part of the cavalry, and began to march slowly with the rest.

Note. Quod: connecting relative, referring to the enemy's attacks. modo … modo: 'now … now'. cohortibus … conlocātīs: ablative absolute.

B. Afr. 6.6Ita quantō longius ab oppidō discēdēbātur, tantō tardiōrēs ad īnsequendum erant Numidae.

So the further they moved away from the town, the slower the Numidians were to pursue.

Note. quantō longius … tantō tardiōrēs: 'the further … the slower'; ablatives of degree of difference. discēdēbātur: impersonal passive, 'they moved away'.

B. Afr. 6.7Interim in itinere ex oppidīs et castellīs lēgātiōnēs venīre et pollicērī frūmentum parātōsque esse, quae imperāsset, facere.

Meanwhile, on the march, embassies came from towns and forts, promising grain and saying they were ready to do whatever he ordered.

Note. venīre et pollicērī: historical infinitives. parātōs … esse … facere: indirect statement depending on pollicērī, '(saying they were) ready to do whatever he ordered'. imperāsset = imperāvisset.

B. Afr. 6.7Itaque eō diē castra posuit ad oppidum Ruspinam.

So that day he pitched camp near the town of Ruspina.

Note. Ruspina: a coastal town south of Hadrumetum that became Caesar's main base in the early part of the campaign.