Lectitō › Julius Caesar › The African War (Bellum Africum)
Bellum Africum 94
The Deaths of Juba and Petreius
Anonymous, Bellum Africum. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōB. Afr. 94.1Rēx interim ab omnibus cīvitātibus exclūsus dēspērātā salūte cum iam coenātus esset cum Petrēiō, ut cum virtūte interfectī esse vidērentur, ferrō inter sē dēpugnant, atque firmior imbēcilliōrem Iubam Petrēius facile ferrō cōnsūmpsit.
Meanwhile the king, shut out by every city and despairing of safety, after he had dined with Petreius, fought it out with him with swords, so that they might seem to have died bravely; and the stronger Petreius easily finished off the weaker Juba with his sword.
Note. cum iam cēnātus esset: cēnātus has an active sense, 'having dined'. ut cum virtūte interfectī esse vidērentur: 'so that they would seem to have died bravely'. inter sē dēpugnant: 'fight it out with each other'. firmior … imbēcilliōrem: comparatives, 'the stronger … the weaker'. ferrō cōnsūmpsit: 'finished off with the sword'. Other accounts make Juba the survivor; this author has Petreius kill Juba.
B. Afr. 94.2Deinde ipse sibi cum cōnārētur gladiō trāicere pectus nec posset, precibus ā servō suō impetrāvit, ut sē interficeret, idque obtinuit.
Then, when he tried to drive his sword into his own chest and could not, he begged a slave of his to kill him, and got his wish.
Note. sibi … trāicere pectus: 'to run himself through the chest', dative of the person affected. precibus … impetrāvit, ut: 'obtained by prayers that'. idque obtinuit: 'and got it'. M. Petreius, Pompey's old legate from Spain, had fought on since 49 BC.
Vocabulary
| rēx, rēgis, m. | king |
| interim (adv.) | meanwhile |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| cīvitās, -tātis, f. | state |
| exclūdō, -clūdere, -clūsī, -clūsus | shut out, hinder, prevent |
| dēspērō, -spērāre, -spērāvī, -spērātus | despair |
| salūs, salūtis, f. | safety, deliverance, escape |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| iam, adv. | now, already |
| cēnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | dine |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| virtūs, -tūtis, f. | manliness, courage, bravery |
| interficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | put out of the way, kill |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| ferrum, -ī n. | iron; iron point, sword |
| inter, prep, with acc. | among, between |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| dēpugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | fight it out, fight a pitched battle |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| firmus, -a, -um | strong, steadfast |
| imbēcillus, -a, -um | weak, feeble |
| facile, adv. | easily |
| cōnsūmō, -sūmere, -sūmpsī, -sūmptus | take completely, use up, consume, spend |
| deinde, adv. | then, next |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| cōnor, -ārī, -ātus | try, attempt |
| gladius, -ī, m. | sword |
| trāiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus | throw across, strike through, pierce |
| pectus, pectoris, n. | breast |
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| prex, precis f. (usu. pl.) | prayer, entreaty |
| servus, -ī, m. | slave, servant |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| impetrō, -petrāre, -petrāvī, -petrātus | gain one's end, obtain (a request) |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| obtineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold |