Bellum Africum 72

B. Afr. 72.1Quibus ex rēbus Caesar vehementer commovēbātur, quod quotiēnscumque proelium erat commissum, equitātū suō sine legiōnāriō mīlite hostium equitātuī levīque armātūrae eōrum nūllō modō pār esse poterat.

Caesar was deeply troubled by these things, because whenever battle was joined he could in no way be a match with his own cavalry, without the legionary soldier, for the enemy's cavalry and their light-armed troops.

Note. quotiēnscumque: 'whenever'. equitātuī levīque armātūrae: datives with pār, 'a match for'.

B. Afr. 72.2Sollicitābātur autem hīs rēbus, quod nōndum legiōnēs hostium cognōverat, et quōnam modō sustinēre sē posset ab eōrum equitātū levīque armātūrā, quae erant mīrifica, sī legiōnēs quoque accessissent.

He was also troubled because he did not yet know the enemy's legions, and how he could hold out against their cavalry and light-armed troops, which were remarkable, if their legions came up too.

Note. quōnam modō: 'in what way, I wonder'. quae erant mīrifica: neuter plural because the relative refers to two things of different gender.

B. Afr. 72.3Accēdēbat etiam haec causa, quod elephantōrum magnitūdō multitūdōque animōs mīlitum dētinēbat in terrōre.

There was this reason as well: the size and number of the elephants kept the soldiers' spirits in terror.

Note. Accēdēbat … quod: 'there was the further fact that'. dētinēbat in terrōre: 'kept in a state of fear'.

B. Afr. 72.4Cui ūnī reī tamen invēnerat remedium: namque elephantōs ex Ītaliā trānsportārī iusserat, quō et mīles noster speciemque et virtūtem bēstiae cognōsceret, et cui partī corporis eius tēlum facile adigī posset, ōrnātusque ac lōrīcātus cum esset elephāns, quae pars corporis eius sine tegmine nūda relinquerētur, ut eō tēla coicerentur;

For this one problem, however, he had found a remedy: he had ordered elephants to be brought over from Italy, so that our soldier might learn both the appearance and the capabilities of the beast, and at what part of its body a weapon could easily be driven, and, when the elephant was equipped and armoured, which part of its body was left bare without a covering, so that the weapons might be thrown there;

Note. quō … cognōsceret: quō introduces a purpose clause containing a comparative idea or, as here, simply 'so that'. cui partī … posset: indirect question; quae pars … relinquerētur, likewise. ōrnātus lōrīcātusque: war elephants wore armour. elephāns is an older form of elephantus.

B. Afr. 72.4praetereā ut iūmenta bēstiārum odōrem, strīdōrem, speciem cōnsuētūdine captā nē refōrmīdārent.

and besides, so that the pack animals, taught by familiarity, would not be afraid of the beasts' smell, trumpeting and appearance.

Note. ut … nē: the nē repeats the negative purpose. cōnsuētūdine capta: 'won over by familiarity'. Note the asyndeton odōrem, strīdōrem, speciem.

B. Afr. 72.5Quibus ex rēbus largiter erat cōnsecūtus: nam et mīlitēs bēstiās manibus pertractābant eārumque tarditātem cognōscēbant, equitēsque in eōs pīla praepīlāta coiciēbant, atque in cōnsuētūdinem equōs patientiā bēstiārum addūxerat.

He had gained a great deal from this: for the soldiers handled the beasts with their hands and learned how slow they were, the cavalry threw blunted javelins at them, and the patience of the beasts had got the horses used to them.

Note. largiter erat cōnsecūtus: 'he had achieved a great deal'. pīla praepīlāta: javelins with a ball on the tip, used for practice. in eōs: the writer uses the masculine, thinking of the elephants.