Bellum Africum 67

B. Afr. 67.1Caesar interim quoniam inopiā frūmentī premēbātur, cōpiās omnēs in castra condūcit atque praesidiō Leptī, Ruspinae, Acyllae relictō, Cispiō Aquilaeque classe trāditā, ut alter Hadrūmētum, alter Thapsum marī obsidērent, ipse castrīs incēnsīs quārta noctis vigiliā aciē īnstrūctā impedīmentīs in sinistrā parte conlocātīs ex eō locō proficīscitur et pervenit ad oppidum Aggar, quod ā Gaetūlīs saepe anteā oppugnātum summāque vī per ipsōs oppidānōs erat dēfēnsum.

Meanwhile Caesar, since he was hard pressed by lack of grain, brought all his forces together into camp; he left garrisons at Leptis, Ruspina and Acylla, handed the fleet over to Cispius and Aquila, so that one should blockade Hadrumetum and the other Thapsus by sea, and then, setting fire to his camp, at the fourth watch of the night, with his line drawn up and the baggage placed on the left side, he set out from that place and reached the town of Aggar, which had often been attacked before by the Gaetulians and had been defended with the greatest vigour by the townspeople themselves.

Note. praesidiō … relictō, classe trāditā: ablatives absolute. Leptī, Ruspīnae, Acyllae: locatives, 'at Leptis, Ruspina, Acylla'. alter … alter: 'the one … the other'. castrīs incēnsīs: Caesar burns his old camp so that the enemy cannot use it. quod … erat dēfēnsum: pluperfect passive split by its adverbs.

B. Afr. 67.2Ibi in campō castrīs ūnīs positīs ipse frūmentātum circum vīllās cum parte exercitūs profectus magnō inventō ordeī, oleī, vīnī, fīcī numerō, paucō trīticī, atque recreātō exercitū redit in castra.

There he pitched a single camp on the plain and went off himself with part of the army round the farms to forage; he found a large quantity of barley, oil, wine and figs, but little wheat, and when the army had been refreshed he returned to camp.

Note. frūmentātum: supine in -um after a verb of motion (profectus), 'to forage'. magnō inventō … numerō: ablative absolute with partitive genitives hordeī, oleī, vīnī, fīcī. paucō trīticī: 'little wheat'.

B. Afr. 67.3Scīpiō interim cognitō Caesaris discessū cum ūniversīs cōpiīs per iugum Caesarem subsequī coepit atque ab eius castrīs mīlia passuum VI longē trīnīs castrīs dispertītīs cōpiīs cōnsēdit.

Meanwhile Scipio, learning of Caesar's departure, began to follow Caesar along the ridge with all his forces, and settled down six miles from his camp with his forces divided among three camps.

Note. trīnīs castrīs: distributive numerals are used with nouns that are plural in form, like castra, 'three camps'. dispertītīs cōpiīs: 'with his forces divided'.