Bellum Africum 79

B. Afr. 79.1Postquam nūllā condiciōne cōgere adversāriōs poterat, ut in aequum locum dēscenderent legiōnumque perīculum facerent, neque ipse propius hostem castra pōnere propter aquae pēnūriam sē posse animadvertēbat, et adversāriōs nōn virtūte eōrum cōnfīdere, sed aquārum inopiā frētōs dēspicere sē intellēxit, II Nōn. Apr.

When he could not on any terms force his opponents to come down to level ground and risk their legions, and saw that he could not pitch camp nearer the enemy himself because of the shortage of water, and realised that his opponents were not relying on their courage but, trusting in the lack of water, looked down on him, on 4 April

Note. nūllā condiciōne: 'on no terms'. aquārum inopiā frētōs: 'relying on the shortage of water'. The date II Nōn. Apr. means the second day before the Nones of April, i.e. 4 April.

B. Afr. 79.1tertiā vigiliā ēgressus ab Aggar, XVI mīlia nocte prōgressus, ad Thapsum, ubi Vergilius cum grandī praesidiō praeerat, castra pōnit oppidumque eō diē circummūnīre coepit locaque idōnea oportūnaque complūra praesidiīs occupāre, hostēs nē intrāre ad sē ac loca interiōra capere possent.

he set out from Aggar at the third watch, advanced sixteen miles by night, and pitched camp at Thapsus, where Vergilius was in command with a large garrison; that same day he began to wall the town round and to occupy a number of suitable and advantageous places with garrisons, so that the enemy could not get in to reach him or take the ground inside.

Note. XVI mīlia nocte prōgressus: 'having marched sixteen miles in the night'. circummūnīre coepit … occupāre: both infinitives depend on coepit. nē … possent: purpose clause, its subject hostēs placed first for emphasis.

B. Afr. 79.2Scīpiō interim cognitīs Caesaris cōnsiliīs ad necessitātem adductus dīmicandī, nē per summum dēdecus fīdissimōs suīs rēbus Thapsitānōs et Vergilium āmitteret, cōnfestim Caesarem per superiōra loca cōnsecūtus mīlia passuum VIII ā Thapsō bīnīs castrīs cōnsēdit.

Meanwhile Scipio, learning of Caesar's plans and driven to the necessity of fighting, so as not to lose, to his utter disgrace, the people of Thapsus, who were most loyal to his cause, and Vergilius, immediately followed Caesar along the higher ground and settled in two camps eight miles from Thapsus.

Note. ad necessitātem … dīmicandī: 'to the necessity of fighting'. per summum dēdecus: 'with the greatest disgrace'. bīnīs castrīs: 'in two camps', distributive with a plural noun as in ch. 67.