Bellum Africum 63

B. Afr. 63.1Caesar interim celeriter per nūntiōs, in castrīs cum opera circumīret, certior factus, quae aberant ā portū mīlia passuum VI, equō admissō omissīs omnibus rēbus celeriter pervēnit Leptim ibique hortātur, omnēs ut sē nāvēs cōnsequerentur;

Meanwhile Caesar, informed quickly by messengers while he was going round the works in the camp, which were six miles from the harbour, gave his horse its head, dropped everything, quickly reached Leptis, and there urged all the ships to follow him;

Note. equō admissō: 'giving his horse its head', i.e. at full gallop. omnēs ut … nāvēs cōnsequerentur: indirect command after hortātur, with ut placed late.

B. Afr. 63.1ipse parvulum nāvigiolum cōnscendit, in cursū Aquilam multitūdine nāvium perterritum atque trepidantem nactus hostium classem sequī coepit.

he himself boarded a tiny boat, and on the way, coming upon Aquila, who was terrified and alarmed by the number of ships, he began to pursue the enemy fleet.

Note. parvulum nāvigiolum: a double diminutive, 'a tiny little boat'. trepidantem: present participle, 'alarmed, in a panic'.

B. Afr. 63.2Interim Vārus celeritāte Caesaris audāciāque commōtus cum ūniversā classe conversīs nāvibus Hadrūmētum versus fugere contendit.

Meanwhile Varus, shaken by Caesar's speed and boldness, turned his ships round and hurried to flee towards Hadrumetum with his whole fleet.

Note. Hadrūmētum versus: 'towards Hadrumetum'. fugere contendit: 'hurried to flee'.

B. Afr. 63.3Quem Caesar in mīlibus passuum IV cōnsecūtus recuperātā quīnquerēmī cum suīs omnibus epibatīs atque etiam hostium custōdibus CXXX in eā nāve captīs trirēmem hostium proximam, quae in repugnandō erat commorāta, onustam rēmigum epibatārumque cēpit.

Caesar, overtaking him within four miles, recovered the quinquereme with all its marines and also captured the enemy's prize crew of a hundred and thirty men on that ship, and took the enemy trireme nearest to him, which had lingered in resisting, laden with rowers and marines.

Note. recuperātā quīnquerēmī: one of the two ships Varus had just captured. hostium custōdibus: the prize crew Varus had put aboard. in repugnandō: gerund, 'in resisting'. onustam rēmigum: onustus here takes the genitive.

B. Afr. 63.4Reliquae nāvēs hostium prōmunturium superārunt atque Hadrūmētum in cothōnem sē ūniversae contulērunt.

The rest of the enemy ships rounded the headland and all took refuge at Hadrumetum in the inner harbour.

Note. superārunt = superāvērunt. sē contulērunt: 'betook themselves'.

B. Afr. 63.5Caesar eōdem ventō prōmunturium superāre nōn potuit atque in salō in ancorīs eādem nocte commorātus prīmā lūce Hadrūmētum accēdit ibique nāvibus onerāriīs, quae erant extrā cothōnem, incēnsīs omnibusque reliquīs ab iīs aut subductīs aut in cothōnem compulsīs paulisper commorātus, sī forte vellent classe dīmicāre, rūrsus sē recēpit in castra.

Caesar could not round the headland with the same wind, and having spent that same night at sea at anchor, at first light he approached Hadrumetum; there he set fire to the transport ships which were outside the inner harbour, and all the rest having been either hauled ashore by them or driven into the inner harbour, he waited a little while in case they should wish to fight it out with their fleet, and then withdrew again to camp.

Note. in ancorīs: 'at anchor'. sī forte vellent: 'in case they wished'.