Bellum Africum 85

B. Afr. 85.1Interim, Thapsō quī erant praesidiō, ex oppidō ēruptiōnem portā maritumā faciunt et, sīve ut suīs subsidiō occurrerent, sīve ut oppidō dēsertō fugā salūtem sibi parārent, ēgrediuntur, atque ita per mare umbilīcī fīne ingressī terram petēbant.

Meanwhile the garrison of Thapsus made a sally from the town by the sea gate and came out, either to run to help their own side, or to abandon the town and save themselves by flight; and so, wading into the sea up to the navel, they made for the shore.

Note. Thapsō quī erant praesidiō: '(those) who were the garrison at Thapsus'; the antecedent is left out, and praesidiō is a dative of purpose. portā maritimā: 'by the sea gate'; Kübler prints the older spelling marituma. sīve ut … sīve ut: 'whether to … or to'. umbilīcī fīne: 'to the limit of the navel', i.e. wading in up to their waists.

B. Afr. 85.2Quī ā servitiīs puerīsque, quī in castrīs erant, lapidibus pīlīsque prohibitī terram attingere rūrsus sē in oppidum recēpērunt.

They were kept from reaching land by the slaves and boys who were in the camp, with stones and javelins, and went back into the town again.

Note. servitiīs: abstract for concrete, 'slaves' (the camp servants). terram attingere: the infinitive after prohibitī, 'prevented from reaching land'.

B. Afr. 85.3Interim Scīpiōnis cōpiīs prōstrātīs passimque tōtō campō fugientibus cōnfestim Caesaris legiōnēs cōnsequī spatiumque sē nōn dare colligendī.

Meanwhile, with Scipio's forces routed and fleeing everywhere across the whole plain, Caesar's legions pursued them at once and gave them no time to rally.

Note. cōnsequī … dare: historic infinitives with the subject legiōnēs. spatium … colligendī: 'time to collect themselves'; the gerund colligendī has sē as its object.

B. Afr. 85.4Quī postquam ad ea castra, quae petēbant, perfūgērunt, ut refectī castrīs rūrsus sēsē dēfenderent ducemque aliquem requīrerent, quem respicerent, cuius auctōritāte imperiōque rem gererent: quī postquam animadvertērunt nēminem ibi esse praesidiō, prōtinus armīs abiectīs in rēgia castra fugere contendunt.

When the fugitives reached the camp they were making for, meaning to recover themselves there and defend themselves again, and to look for some leader to look to, under whose authority and command they could carry on the fight, they saw that there was no one there to guard it, at once threw away their arms and fled towards the king's camp.

Note. The sentence restarts after the colon with a second quī postquam. ut … dēfenderent … requīrerent: purpose clause. quem respicerent, cuius auctōritāte … gererent: relative clauses of purpose, 'someone to look to, under whose authority they could fight'. rēgia castra: King Juba's camp.

B. Afr. 85.5Quō postquam pervēnērunt, ea quoque ab Iūliānīs tenērī vident.

When they reached it, they saw that it too was held by Caesar's men.

Note. Quō: adverb, 'to there'. Iūliānīs: 'Caesar's men', from the name Iūlius; the soldiers of either side are often named after their leaders.

B. Afr. 85.5Dēspērātā salūte in quōdam colle cōnsistunt atque armīs dēmissīs salūtātiōnem mōre mīlitārī faciunt.

Giving up hope of saving themselves, they halted on a hill, lowered their arms and gave the salute in the military way.

Note. dēspērātā salūte: ablative absolute. salūtātiōnem … faciunt: the soldiers' gesture of surrender, lowering their arms and saluting the victors.

B. Afr. 85.5Quibus miserīs ea rēs parvō praesidiō fuit.

This was of little protection to the poor wretches.

Note. Quibus miserīs: dative of the persons concerned with praesidiō, a double dative: 'this was of little protection to the wretches'.

B. Afr. 85.6Namque mīlitēs veterānī īrā et dolōre incēnsī nōn modo, ut parcerent hostī, nōn poterant addūcī, sed etiam ex suō exercitū inlūstrēs urbānōs, quōs auctōrēs… appellābant, complūrēs aut vulnerārunt aut interfēcērunt;

For the veteran soldiers, burning with anger and resentment, not only could not be brought to spare the enemy, but even wounded or killed a number of distinguished men from the city in their own army, whom they called the instigators …;

Note. nōn modo … nōn poterant … sed etiam: 'not only could they not … but even'. ut parcerent: noun clause after addūcī, 'to be brought to spare'. parcō takes the dative (hostī). inlūstrēs urbānōs: men of rank from Rome serving on Caesar's staff, whom the veterans blamed for the civil war; a word has been lost after auctōrēs (marked …).

B. Afr. 85.7in quō numerō fuit Tullius Rūfus quaestōrius, quī pīlō trāiectus cōnsultō ā mīlite interiit;

among them was Tullius Rufus, a former quaestor, who was run through with a javelin by a soldier on purpose and died;

Note. in quō numerō: 'among whom'. quaestōrius: 'an ex-quaestor'. cōnsultō: adverb, 'on purpose'.

B. Afr. 85.7item Pompēius Rūfus brachium gladiō percussus, nisi celeriter ad Caesarem adcucurrisset, interfectus esset.

likewise Pompeius Rufus, struck in the arm by a sword, would have been killed if he had not quickly run to Caesar.

Note. bracchium … percussus: accusative of respect with a passive participle, 'struck in the arm'. nisi … adcucurrisset, interfectus esset: contrary-to-fact condition in past time.

B. Afr. 85.8Quō factō complūrēs equitēs Rōmānī senātōrēsque perterritī ex proeliō sē recēpērunt, nē ā mīlitibus, quī ex tantā victōriā licentiam sibi adsūmpsissent immoderātē peccandī impūnitātis spē propter maximās rēs gestās, ipsī quoque interficerentur.

At this a number of Roman knights and senators withdrew from the battle in terror, so that they too would not be killed by the soldiers, who after so great a victory had claimed for themselves licence to run riot, in the hope of going unpunished because of their great achievements.

Note. nē … ipsī quoque interficerentur: purpose clause. quī … sibi adsūmpsissent: subjunctive in a causal relative clause inside the purpose clause. licentiam … peccandī: 'licence to do wrong'. impūnitātis spē: 'in hope of going unpunished'.

B. Afr. 85.9Itaque ibi omnēs Scīpiōnis mīlitēs cum fidem Caesaris implōrārent, īnspectante ipsō Caesare et ā mīlitibus dēprecante, eīs utī parcerent, ad ūnum sunt interfectī.

So all of Scipio's soldiers there, though they begged for Caesar's protection, were killed to the last man, before the eyes of Caesar himself, who pleaded with the soldiers to spare them.

Note. īnspectante ipsō Caesare: ablative absolute, 'before Caesar's very eyes'. dēprecante: present participle of the deponent dēprecor, 'pleading'. utī = ut. ad ūnum: 'to the last man'. The writer does not hide this massacre, but stresses that it happened against Caesar's will.