Bellum Africum 83

B. Afr. 83.1Quod postquam Caesar intellēxit incitātīs mīlitum animīs resistī nūllō modō posse, signō Fēlīcitātis datō equō admissō in hostem contrā prīncipēs īre contendit.

When Caesar realised that the soldiers' fired-up spirits could in no way be resisted, he gave the watchword 'Good Fortune', gave his horse its head and rode at the enemy, against their front ranks.

Note. resistī … posse: impersonal passive, 'that there could be no resisting', with the dative animīs. signō Fēlīcitātis datō: the watchword was the goddess Felicitas, 'Good Fortune'. equō admissō: 'with his horse let go', i.e. at full gallop.

B. Afr. 83.2Ā dextrō interim cornū funditōrēs sagittāriīque concita tēla in elephantōs frequentēs iniciunt.

Meanwhile on the right wing the slingers and archers hurled their missiles thick and fast against the elephants.

Note. concita tēla: 'hurled missiles', from concieō. frequentēs: 'in great numbers', nominative agreeing with the subject, funditōrēs sagittāriīque.

B. Afr. 83.2Quō factō bēstiae strīdōre fundārum, lapidum plumbīque iactātū perterritae sēsē convertere et suōs post sē frequentēs stīpātōsque prōterere et in portās vallī sēmifactās ruere contendunt.

At this the beasts, terrified by the whirr of the slings and the hail of stones and lead shot, turned round, trampled their own men crowded thick behind them, and rushed for the half-finished gates of the rampart.

Note. iactātū: ablative of the noun iactātus, 'hurling'. plumbum: the lead shot of slingers. sēsē convertere … prōterere … ruere: the infinitives depend on contendunt, 'they hurry to …'. post sē frequentēs stīpātōsque: 'packed close behind them'. Elephants that turned back were as dangerous to their own side as to the enemy.

B. Afr. 83.3Item Maurī equitēs, quī in eōdem cornū elephantīs erant praesidiō, dēsertī prīncipēs fugiunt.

Likewise the Moorish cavalry, who were stationed on that same wing to protect the elephants, were left exposed and were the first to flee.

Note. Maurī equitēs: Moorish horsemen from Juba's kingdom. elephantīs … praesidiō: double dative, 'as a protection for the elephants'. dēsertī: 'left alone' once the elephants fled.

B. Afr. 83.4Ita celeriter bēstiīs circumitīs legiōnēs vallō hostium sunt potītae, et paucīs ācriter repugnantibus interfectīsque reliquī concitātī in castra, unde prīdiē erant ēgressī, cōnfugiunt.

So once the beasts had quickly been outflanked, the legions took possession of the enemy's rampart; a few resisted fiercely and were killed, and the rest, thrown into a panic, fled back into the camp they had marched out of the day before.

Note. bēstiīs circumitīs: ablative absolute. vallō … sunt potītae: potior takes the ablative; the feminine potītae agrees with legiōnēs. paucīs … repugnantibus interfectīsque: another ablative absolute. unde prīdiē erant ēgressī: the Pompeians had marched out to fortify a new position the day before.