Bellum Africum 75

B. Afr. 75.1Caesar interim lūstrātō exercitū a. d. XII Kal. Aprīl.

Caesar meanwhile, having purified the army, on 21 March

Note. The date: a. d. XII Kal. Aprīl. = ante diem duodecimum Kalendās Aprīlēs, the 12th day before 1 April counting inclusively, i.e. 21 March (of the unreformed calendar). lūstrātō exercitū: a ritual purification of the army before campaigning. The sentence runs on in the next one.

B. Afr. 75.1posterō diē prōductīs ūniversīs cōpiīs prōgressus ab suīs castrīs mīlia passuum V, ā Scīpiōnis circiter duum mīlium interiectō spatiō, in aciē cōnstitit.

the next day led out all his forces, advanced five miles from his own camp, and stood in battle line about two miles from Scipio's.

Note. duum mīlium interiectō spatiō: ablative absolute, 'with a distance of two miles between'.

B. Afr. 75.2Postquam satis diū adversāriōs ab sē ad dīmicandum invītātōs supersedēre pugnae animadvertit, redūcit cōpiās posterōque diē castra movet atque iter ad oppidum Sarsūram, ubi Scīpiō Numidārum habuerat praesidium frūmentumque comportāverat, īre contendit.

When he noticed that his opponents, though invited to fight for long enough, were avoiding battle, he led his forces back, and on the next day he moved camp and pressed on to march to the town of Sarsura, where Scipio had stationed a garrison of Numidians and collected grain.

Note. supersedēre pugnae: supersedeō takes the ablative or dative, 'refrain from battle'. ad dīmicandum invītātōs: 'though invited to fight'. īre contendit: 'hurried to go'.

B. Afr. 75.3Quod ubi Labiēnus animadvertit, cum equitātū levīque armātūrā agmen eius extrēmum carpere coepit atque ita lixārum mercātōrumque, quī plōstrīs mercēs portābant, interceptīs sarcinīs additō animō propius audāciusque accēdit ad legiōnēs, quod exīstimābat mīlitēs sub onere ac sub sarcinīs dēfatīgātōs pugnāre nōn posse.

When Labienus noticed this, he began to harass his rearguard with his cavalry and light-armed troops, and so, after seizing the packs of the camp followers and traders who were carrying goods in wagons, he grew bolder and came up closer and more daringly to the legions, because he thought that soldiers worn out under their loads and packs could not fight.

Note. lixārum mercātōrumque: the traders and sutlers following the army. plōstrīs: = plaustrīs, 'wagons'. propius audāciusque: comparative adverbs.

B. Afr. 75.4Quae rēs Caesarem nōn fefellerat: namque expedītōs ex singulīs legiōnibus trecēnōs mīlitēs esse iusserat.

This had not escaped Caesar: for he had ordered three hundred soldiers from each legion to be ready for action without baggage.

Note. trecēnōs: distributive numeral, 'three hundred from each'. expedītōs: without baggage, ready for action.

B. Afr. 75.4Itaque eōs in equitātum Labiēnī immissōs turmīs suōrum suppetiās mittit.

So he sent them against Labienus' cavalry to the help of his own squadrons.

Note. turmīs suōrum suppetiās: 'to the help of the squadrons of his men'.

B. Afr. 75.5Tum Labiēnus conversīs equīs signōrum cōnspectū perterritus turpissimē fugere contendit.

Then Labienus wheeled his horses round and, terrified by the sight of the standards, fled most disgracefully.

Note. turpissimē: superlative adverb of turpis. The author enjoys Labienus' discomfiture.

B. Afr. 75.6Multīs eius occīsīs, complūribus vulnerātīs mīlitēs legiōnāriī ad sua sē recipiunt signa atque iter inceptum īre coepērunt.

Many of his men killed and a good number wounded, the legionaries went back to their standards and resumed the march they had begun.

Note. Multīs … occīsīs, complūribus vulnerātīs: ablatives absolute, in asyndeton. ad sua … signa: the soldiers return to their places in the column.

B. Afr. 75.6Labiēnus per iugum summum collis dextrōrsus procul subsequī nōn dēstitit.

Labienus did not stop following at a distance along the top of the ridge on the right.

Note. dēstitit: perfect of dēsistō, with the infinitive subsequī.