De Bello Civili 1.31

BC 1.31.1Nactī vacuās ab imperiīs Sardiniam Valerius, Cūriō Siciliam, cum exercitibus eō perveniunt.

Finding Sardinia and Sicily empty of commanders, Valerius and Curio arrive there with their armies.

Note. Nactī: from nancīscor, 'having found'. vacuās ab imperiīs: 'without commanders'.

BC 1.31.2Tuberō cum in Āfricam vēnisset, invēnit in prōvinciā cum imperiō Attium Vārum;

Tubero, when he had come to Africa, found Attius Varus in the province with military command;

Note. P. Attius Varus had commanded for Pompey in Picenum.

BC 1.31.2quī ad Auximum, ut suprā dēmōnstrāvimus, āmissīs cohortibus prōtinus ex fugā in Āfricam pervēnerat atque eam suā sponte vacuam occupāverat dīlēctūque habitō duās legiōnēs effēcerat, hominum et locōrum nōtitiā et ūsū eius prōvinciae nactus aditūs ad ea cōnanda, quod paucīs ante annīs ex praetūrā eam prōvinciam obtinuerat.

after losing his cohorts at Auximum, as we have shown above, he had gone straight from his flight to Africa and of his own accord had occupied it while it was without a governor, and by holding a levy had raised two legions, having found the means for such attempts through his knowledge of the people and places and his experience of the province, because a few years before he had held that province after his praetorship.

Note. ut suprā dēmōnstrāvimus: Caesar refers back to his account of Auximum (1.13). dīlēctū habitō: ablative absolute.

BC 1.31.3hic venientem Uticam nāvibus Tuberōnem portū atque oppidō prohibet neque adfectum valētūdine fīlium expōnere in terrā patitur, sed sublātīs ancorīs excēdere eō locō cōgit.

He keeps Tubero, coming to Utica with his ships, out of the harbour and the town, and does not allow him to put his son, who was suffering from illness, ashore, but forces him to raise anchor and leave the place.

Note. Uticam: Utica, the capital of the province of Africa. adfectum valētūdine: 'suffering from illness'.