Bellum Africum 65

B. Afr. 65.1Est in Āfricā cōnsuētūdō incolārum, ut in agrīs et in omnibus ferē vīllīs sub terrā specūs frūmentī condendī grātiā clam habeant atque id propter bella maximē hostiumque subitum adventum praeparent.

It is a custom of the inhabitants of Africa to keep pits underground in the fields and in almost all their farmhouses, secretly, for storing grain, and they prepare these above all because of wars and the sudden arrival of an enemy.

Note. Africa, early 46 BC: Caesar and the Pompeian army under Metellus Scipio, with King Juba, face each other south of Hadrumetum, and Caesar is short of grain. Est … cōnsuētūdō … ut … habeant: a noun clause of result explains the custom. frūmentī condendī grātiā: gerundive with grātiā, 'for the sake of storing grain'. specus is masculine here (specūs, acc. pl. of the fourth declension).

B. Afr. 65.2Quā dē rē Caesar per indicem certior factus tertiā vigiliā legiōnēs duās cum equitātū mittit ā castrīs suīs mīlia passuum X atque inde magnō numerō frūmentī onustōs recipit in castra.

Informed of this by an informer, Caesar sent two legions with the cavalry at the third watch ten miles from his camp, and from there he took them back into camp loaded with a great quantity of grain.

Note. certior factus: 'made more certain', i.e. informed. tertiā vigiliā: ablative of time; the night was divided into four watches. mīlia passuum X: accusative of extent, 'ten miles' (a thousand paces = one Roman mile). onustōs: 'loaded', agreeing with the soldiers implied by legiōnēs.

B. Afr. 65.3Quibus rēbus cognitīs Labiēnus prōgressus ā suīs castrīs mīlia passuum VII per iugum et collem, per quem Caesar prīdiē iter fēcerat, ibi castra duārum legiōnum facit atque ipse cōtīdiē exīstimāns Caesarem eādem saepe frūmentandī grātiā commeātūrum cum magnō equitātū levīque armātūrā īnsidiātūrus locīs idōneīs cōnsīdit.

When he learned of this, Labienus advanced seven miles from his own camp along the ridge and hill over which Caesar had marched the day before, made a camp of two legions there, and every day, thinking that Caesar would often come the same way to forage, he himself took up a position in suitable places with a large force of cavalry and light-armed troops to lie in wait.

Note. Quibus rēbus cognitīs: connecting relative in an ablative absolute, 'when these things were learned'. eādem: sc. viā, 'by the same road'. commeātūrum (esse) and īnsidiātūrus are future participles, the first in indirect statement after exīstimāns, the second expressing purpose: 'to lie in ambush'.