Bellum Africum 9

B. Afr. 9.1Caesar a. d. III Nōn. Iān.

On the third day before the Nones of January Caesar

Note. a. d. III Nōn. Iān.: 3 January. This sentence and the next form one: the edition's abbreviation full stops split them.

B. Afr. 9.1castra movet;

moved camp;

Note. movet: historical present, as often in this narrative.

B. Afr. 9.1Leptī sex cohortium praesidiō cum Sasernā relictō ipse rūrsus, unde prīdiē vēnerat, Ruspinam cum reliquīs cōpiīs convertit ibique sarcinīs exercitūs relictīs ipse cum expedītā manū proficīscitur circum vīllās frūmentātum oppidānīsque imperat, ut plōstra iūmentaque omnia sē sequantur.

leaving a garrison of six cohorts with Saserna at Leptis, he himself turned back with the rest of his forces to Ruspina, where he had come from the day before; there he left the army's baggage and set out with a lightly equipped force round the farms to gather grain, and ordered the townspeople to have all their wagons and pack animals follow him.

Note. Leptī: locative of Leptis. cum Sasernā: one of the Saserna brothers, Gaius. frūmentātum: supine of purpose after proficīscitur, 'to forage'. plōstra = plaustra, 'wagons'; the o-spelling is the colloquial form. sē: Caesar, the subject of imperat (indirect reflexive).

B. Afr. 9.2Itaque magnō numerō frūmentī inventō Ruspinam redit.

So, having found a large quantity of grain, he returned to Ruspina.

Note. magnō numerō frūmentī: 'a great quantity of grain'; numerus is used loosely for 'amount'.

B. Afr. 9.2Hoc eum idcircō exīstimō recēpisse, ut maritima oppida post sē nē vacua relinqueret praesidiōque firmāta ad classim receptācula mūnīret.

I think he did this so as not to leave the coastal towns behind him undefended, and to fortify them with garrisons as refuges for the fleet.

Note. existimō: the author again speaks in his own person. recēpisse: 'undertook (this)'. ut … nē vacua relinqueret: ut nē is an old, emphatic form of nē. classim: an old accusative of classis. receptācula: in apposition to oppida, 'as refuges'.