Bellum Africum 84

B. Afr. 84.1Nōn vidētur esse praetermittendum dē virtūte mīlitis veterānī V legiōnis.

It does not seem right to pass over the courage of a veteran soldier of the Fifth legion.

Note. praetermittendum (esse): impersonal gerundive of obligation, 'it does not seem that one should pass over'. The author interrupts the battle to tell a soldier's exploit, a habit of this plain, soldierly writer.

B. Afr. 84.1Nam cum in sinistrō cornū elephāns vulnere ictus et dolōre concitātus in lixam inermem impetum fēcisset eumque sub pede subditum dein genū innīxus pondere suō proboscide ērēctā vibrantīque strīdōre maximō premeret atque ēnecāret, mīles hic nōn potuit patī, quīn sē armātus bēstiae offerret.

On the left wing an elephant, maddened by the pain of a wound, had charged an unarmed camp-follower, forced him down under its foot, and then, kneeling on him, was crushing him to death with its weight, its trunk raised and swinging and trumpeting with a tremendous noise; this soldier could not bear it, and went out armed to face the beast.

Note. elephāns: a by-form of elephās, used for elephantus elsewhere. eumque … subditum … premeret atque ēnecāret: 'had forced him under its foot and was crushing and killing him'. genū innīxus: 'leaning on its knee'. probōscide ērēctā vibrantīque: ablative absolute. nōn potuit patī, quīn … offerret: quīn after a negative verb of preventing or enduring, 'could not bear not to put himself in the way'. lixa: a camp-follower or sutler, not a soldier, so unarmed (inermem).

B. Afr. 84.2Quem postquam elephāns ad sē tēlō īnfestō venīre animadvertit, relictō cadāvere mīlitem proboscide circumdat atque in sublīme extollit.

When the elephant saw him coming at it with his weapon levelled, it let go of the body, wrapped its trunk round the soldier and lifted him into the air.

Note. Quem: relative connective, 'him', object of animadvertit with venīre. tēlō īnfestō: 'with weapon levelled'. in sublīme: 'into the air'.

B. Afr. 84.3Armātus, quī in eiusmodī perīculō cōnstanter agendum sibi vidēret, gladiō proboscidem, quā erat circumdatus, caedere, quantum vīribus poterat, nōn dēstitit.

The armed man, who saw that in a danger like this he must act with steadiness, kept hacking with his sword at the trunk that held him, as hard as he could.

Note. Armātus: the adjective used as a noun, 'the armed man'. agendum sibi: gerundive of obligation with dative of the agent, 'that he must act'. quā erat circumdatus: 'by which he was encircled'. quantum vīribus poterat: 'as much as he could with his strength'. nōn dēstitit caedere: 'did not stop hacking'.

B. Afr. 84.4Quō dolōre adductus elephāns mīlite abiectō maximō cum strīdōre cursūque conversus ad reliquās bēstiās sē recēpit.

Driven by the pain, the elephant threw the soldier down, wheeled round with a huge trumpeting and at a run went back to the other beasts.

Note. Quō dolōre: relative adjective, 'driven by this pain'. mīlite abiectō: ablative absolute. maximō cum strīdōre: the preposition placed between adjective and noun, a common Latin order.