Bellum Africum 7

B. Afr. 7.1Kal. Iānuāriīs inde mōvit et pervēnit ad oppidum Leptim, līberam cīvitātem et immūnem.

On the Kalends of January he moved from there and reached the town of Leptis, a free community exempt from tribute.

Note. Kal. Iānuāriīs: ablative of time, 'on the Kalends of January' (1 January 46 BC by the old calendar). Leptim: Leptis Minor, not the larger Leptis Magna in Tripolitania. līberam … et immūnem: a free city exempt from tribute.

B. Afr. 7.1Lēgātī ex oppidō obviam veniunt, libenter sē omnia factūrōs, quae vellet, pollicentur.

Envoys came out of the town to meet him and promised that they would gladly do whatever he wished.

Note. obviam veniunt: 'come to meet'. facturōs (sc. esse): future infinitive in indirect statement.

B. Afr. 7.2Itaque centuriōnibus ad portās oppidī et custōdiīs impositīs, nē quis mīles in oppidum introīret aut iniūriam faceret cuipiam incolae, Nōn longē ab oppidō secundum lītus facit castra.

So he placed centurions and guards at the gates of the town, so that no soldier should enter the town or do harm to any inhabitant, and he made camp not far from the town along the shore.

Note. nē quis mīles: 'that no soldier'. cuipiam incolae: dative of quispiam, 'to any inhabitant'.

B. Afr. 7.3Eōdemque nāvēs onerāriae et longae nōnnūllae cāsū advēnērunt;

Some transports and warships happened to arrive at the same place;

Note. Eōdem: adverb, 'to the same place'. cāsū: 'by chance'.

B. Afr. 7.3reliquae, ut est eī nūntiātum, incertae locōrum Uticam versus petere vīsae sunt.

the rest, as he was told, were seen heading towards Utica, unsure of their whereabouts.

Note. incertae locōrum: genitive with an adjective of knowledge, 'unsure of their whereabouts'. Uticam versus: 'towards Utica'; versus follows its accusative. Utica was the Pompeians' main base.

B. Afr. 7.4Interim Caesar ā marī Nōn dīgredī neque mediterrānea petere propter nāvium errōrem equitātumque in nāvibus omnem continēre, ut arbitror, nē agrī vāstārentur;

Meanwhile Caesar would not leave the sea or make for the interior, because of the ships' going astray, and he kept all his cavalry on board the ships, in order, I believe, that the fields should not be laid waste;

Note. dīgredī, petere, continēre: historical infinitives. ut arbitror: the author speaks in the first person, as an eyewitness interpreting Caesar's motives. nē agrī vastārentur: Caesar wanted to win over the farmers, not plunder them.

B. Afr. 7.4aquam in nāvēs iubet comportārī.

he ordered water to be carried onto the ships.

Note. comportārī: present passive infinitive with iubet.

B. Afr. 7.5Rēmigēs interim, quī aquātum ē nāvibus exierant, subitō equitēs Maurī neque opīnantibus Caesariānīs adortī multōs iaculīs convulnerārunt, nōnnūllōs interfēcērunt.

Meanwhile Moorish horsemen suddenly attacked the rowers who had left the ships to fetch water, while the Caesarians suspected nothing, and wounded many with javelins and killed some.

Note. aquātum: supine of aquor expressing purpose after a verb of motion, 'to fetch water'. neque opīnantibus Caesariānīs: ablative absolute, 'while the Caesarians were not expecting it'. convulnerārunt = convulnerāvērunt.

B. Afr. 7.6Latent enim in īnsidiīs cum equīs inter convallēs et subitō existunt, Nōn ut in campō comminus dēpugnant.

For they lie in ambush with their horses among the valleys and suddenly spring out; they do not fight it out hand to hand as on a plain.

Note. The present tenses describe the Moors' usual way of fighting. nōn ut … comminus dēpugnant: 'they do not fight it out hand to hand, as one does on a plain'.