Bellum Africum 61

B. Afr. 61.1Sīc utrōrumque exercitūs īnstrūctī nōn plūs passuum CCC interiectō spatiō, quod forsitan ante id tempus acciderit numquam, quīn dīmicārētur, ā māne usque ad hōram X diēī perstitērunt.

So the armies of both sides, drawn up with a space of not more than three hundred paces between them, a thing which perhaps had never happened before that time without a battle being fought, stood their ground from morning until the tenth hour of the day.

Note. quīn dīmicārētur: after a negative idea, 'without a battle being fought'. ad hōram x: the tenth hour of daylight, mid to late afternoon.

B. Afr. 61.2Iamque Caesar cum exercitum intrā mūnītiōnēs suās redūcere coepisset, subitō ūniversus equitātus ulterior Numidārum Gaetūlōrumque sine frēnīs ab dextrā parte sē movēre propiusque Caesaris castra, quae erant in colle, sē cōnferre coepit, frēnātus autem Labiēnī eques in locō permanēre legiōnēsque distinēre: cum subitō pars equitātūs Caesaris cum levī armātūrā contrā Gaetūlōs iniussū ac temerē longius prōgressī palūdemque trānsgressī multitūdinem hostium paucī sustinēre nōn potuērunt levīque armātūrā dēsertā pulsī convulnerātīque ūnō equite āmissō, multīs equīs sauciīs, levis armātūrae XXVII occīsīs ad suōs refūgērunt.

And when Caesar had begun to lead his army back inside his fortifications, suddenly all the more distant cavalry of the Numidians and Gaetulians, riding without bridles, began to move from the right side and come closer to Caesar's camp, which was on the hill, while Labienus' bridled cavalry stayed in place and held the legions engaged; then suddenly part of Caesar's cavalry with the light-armed troops, having advanced too far against the Gaetulians without orders and rashly, and having crossed a marsh, could not, few as they were, withstand the mass of the enemy, and, abandoning the light-armed troops, driven back and badly wounded, with one horseman lost, many horses wounded and twenty-seven of the light-armed troops killed, they fled back to their own men.

Note. A very long sentence in two parts, joined by the colon: first the Numidian manoeuvre (with historical infinitives permanēre, distinēre), then cum subitō … 'when suddenly'. iniussū: 'without orders'. ūnō equite āmissō, multīs equīs sauciīs, …occīsīs: three ablatives absolute listing the losses. xxvii: twenty-seven.

B. Afr. 61.4Quō secundō equestrī proeliō factō Scīpiō laetus in castra nocte cōpiās redūxit.

After this successful cavalry battle Scipio, pleased, led his forces back into camp at night.

Note. secundō equestrī proeliō: 'a successful cavalry battle'; secundus means 'favourable'. Quō … factō: a connecting relative in an ablative absolute.

B. Afr. 61.5Quod proprium gaudium bellantibus Fortūna tribuere nōn dēcrēvit: namque posterō diē Caesar cum partem equitātūs suī frūmentandī grātiā Leptim mīsisset, in itinere praedātōrēs equitēs Numidās Gaetūlōsque ex imprōvīsō adortī circiter C partim occīdērunt, partim vīvōrum potītī sunt.

But Fortune did not decide to grant this joy for good to the combatants: for the next day, when Caesar had sent part of his cavalry to Leptis to get grain, on the way they unexpectedly attacked Numidian and Gaetulian horsemen who were out plundering, about a hundred of them, and partly killed them, partly took them alive.

Note. proprium: here 'lasting, permanent'. Fortūna is personified. frūmentandī grātiā: gerund with grātiā, 'for the sake of foraging'. praedātōrēs equitēs: the enemy horsemen out plundering, the objects of adortī.

B. Afr. 61.6Caesar interim cōtīdiē legiōnēs in campum dēdūcere atque opus facere vallumque et fossam per medium campum dūcere adversāriōrumque excursiōnibus officere nōn intermittit.

Meanwhile Caesar did not stop leading the legions down into the plain every day, doing his works, running a rampart and ditch across the middle of the plain, and blocking his opponents' sallies.

Note. dēdūcere … facere … dūcere … officere: infinitives after nōn intermittit, 'does not stop doing'. officere + dative: 'obstruct, block'.

B. Afr. 61.7Scīpiō item mūnītiōnēs contrā facere et, nē iugō ā Caesare exclūderētur, adproperāre.

Scipio likewise built fortifications against him and hurried so as not to be shut off from the ridge by Caesar.

Note. facere … adproperāre: historical infinitives with Scīpiō as subject.

B. Afr. 61.8Ita ducēs utrīque et in operibus occupātī esse et nihilō minus equestribus proeliīs inter sē cōtīdiē dīmicābant.

So both commanders were busy with their works and nonetheless fought each other every day in cavalry battles.

Note. occupātī esse … dīmicābant: the writer mixes a historical infinitive with an ordinary imperfect. nihilō minus: 'none the less'.