Bellum Africum 62

B. Afr. 62.1Interim Vārus classem, quam anteā Uticae hiemis grātiā subdūxerat, cognitō legiōnis X et IX ex Siciliā adventū celeriter dēdūcit ibique Gaetūlīs rēmigibus epibatīsque complet īnsidiandīque grātiā ab Uticā prōgressus Hadrūmētum cum LV nāvibus pervēnit.

Meanwhile Varus, having learned of the arrival of the Tenth and Ninth Legions from Sicily, quickly launched the fleet which he had earlier hauled ashore at Utica for the winter, manned it there with Gaetulian rowers and marines, and, having set out from Utica to lay an ambush, reached Hadrumetum with fifty-five ships.

Note. This Varus is P. Attius Varus, the Pompeian commander who had fought Curio in 49 BC. Uticae: locative, 'at Utica'. epibatae: 'marines', soldiers serving on ships (a Greek word).

B. Afr. 62.2Cuius adventūs īnscius Caesar L. Cispium cum classe XXVII nāvium ad Thapsum versus in statiōnem praesidiī grātiā commeātūs suī mittit itemque Q. Aquilam cum XIII nāvibus longīs Hadrūmētum eādem dē causā praemittit.

Unaware of his arrival, Caesar sent Lucius Cispius with a fleet of twenty-seven ships towards Thapsus to take up station as protection for his supplies, and likewise sent Quintus Aquila ahead to Hadrumetum with thirteen warships for the same reason.

Note. ad Thapsum versus: 'towards Thapsus'. in statiōnem: 'to a guard station'. nāvibus longīs: 'warships', literally 'long ships'.

B. Afr. 62.3Cispius, quō erat missus, celeriter pervēnit;

Cispius quickly reached the place to which he had been sent;

Note. quō: relative adverb, 'to where'.

B. Afr. 62.3at Aquila tempestāte iactātus prōmunturium superāre nōn potuit atque angulum quendam tūtum ā tempestāte nactus cum classe sē longius ā prōspectū remōvit.

but Aquila, tossed by a storm, could not round the headland, and having found a certain corner safe from the storm, he withdrew with his fleet rather far out of sight.

Note. prōmunturium superāre: 'to get round the headland'. ā prōspectū: 'out of sight'.

B. Afr. 62.4Reliqua classis in salō ad Leptim ēgressīs rēmigibus passimque in lītore vagantibus, partim in oppidum vīctūs suī mercandī grātiā prōgressīs vacua ā dēfēnsōribus stābat.

The rest of the fleet lay at sea off Leptis, empty of defenders, since the rowers had gone ashore and were wandering here and there on the beach, some having gone into the town to buy their food.

Note. in salō: 'at sea, in the roadstead'. ēgressīs rēmigibus … vagantibus … prōgressīs: ablatives absolute explaining why the ships were empty. vīctus suī mercandī grātiā: a gerundive phrase, 'for the sake of buying their food'.

B. Afr. 62.5Quibus rēbus Vārus ex perfugīs cognitīs occāsiōnem nactus vigiliā secundā Hadrūmētō ex cothōne ēgressus cum prīmō māne Leptim ūniversā classe vectus nāvēs onerāriās, quae longius ā portū in salō stābant, incendit et pentērēs duās vacuās ā dēfēnsōribus nūllō repugnante cēpit.

Varus, having learned this from deserters, seized the opportunity: at the second watch he came out of the inner harbour at Hadrumetum, and when at first light he arrived off Leptis with his whole fleet, he set fire to the transport ships which were lying at sea rather far from the harbour, and captured two quinqueremes empty of defenders, with no one resisting.

Note. cothōn: an artificial inner harbour, a Punic word. vigiliā secundā: the second of the four night watches. pentērēs: Greek pentērēs, 'fives', large warships, the same as quīnquerēmēs.