De Bello Civili 2.23

BC 2.23.1Īsdem temporibus C. Cūriō in Āfricam profectus ex Siciliā et iam ab initiō cōpiās P. Attī Vārī dēspiciēns duās legiōnēs ex iiii quās ā Caesare accēperat, d equitēs trānsportābat bīduōque et noctibus tribus nāvigātiōne cōnsūmptīs adpellit ad eum locum quī appellātur Anquillāria.

At the same time Gaius Curio set out from Sicily for Africa, and, despising from the start the forces of Publius Attius Varus, was taking over two of the four legions he had received from Caesar, and five hundred cavalry; after spending two days and three nights at sea, he put in at a place called Anquillaria.

Note. C. Curio: Gaius Scribonius Curio, the brilliant young tribune of 50 BC who had worked for Caesar in Rome. P. Atti Vārī: Publius Attius Varus, the Pompeian governor of Africa. duās legiōnēs ex iiii: 'two of the four legions'. d: five hundred. adpellit: from appellō, -ere, 'put in to land' (not appellō, -āre, 'call').

BC 2.23.2hic locus abest ā Clupeīs passuum xxii mīlia habetque nōn incommodam aestāte statiōnem et duōbus ēminentibus prōmunturiīs continētur.

This place is twenty-two miles from Clupea, has an anchorage that is not inconvenient in summer, and is enclosed by two projecting headlands.

Note. passuum xxii mīlia: 'twenty-two thousand paces', about twenty miles; a Roman mile was a thousand paces. stātiōnem: here an anchorage.

BC 2.23.3huius adventum L. Caesar fīlius cum x longīs nāvibus ad Clupeās praestōlāns, quās nāvīs Uticae ex praedōnum bellō subductās P. Attius reficiendās huius bellī causā cūrāverat, veritus nāvium multitūdinem ex altō refūgerat appulsāque ad proximum lītus trirēme cōnstrātā et in lītore relictā pedibus Hadrūmētum perfūgerat.

Lucius Caesar the son, who was waiting for his arrival near Clupea with ten warships — ships that had been laid up at Utica after the war with the pirates, and that Publius Attius had had repaired for this war — fearing the number of ships, had fled from the open sea, run a decked trireme aground on the nearest shore and left it there, and escaped on foot to Hadrumetum.

Note. L. Caesar fīlius: Lucius Julius Caesar the younger, a distant relative of Caesar who served Pompey. Uticae: locative. ex praedōnum bellō: Pompey's campaign against the pirates in 67 BC. ex altō: 'from the open sea'. appulsā … trirēme cōnstrātā: ablative absolute, 'running a decked trireme ashore'.

BC 2.23.4id oppidum C. Cōnsidius Longus ūnīus legiōnis praesidiō tuēbātur.

Gaius Considius Longus held that town with a garrison of one legion.

Note. C. Cōnsidius Longus: the Pompeian commander at Hadrumetum.

BC 2.23.4reliquae Caesaris nāvēs eius fugā sē Hadrūmētum recēpērunt.

The rest of Caesar's ships, after his flight, went back to Hadrumetum.

Note. eius fugā: 'after his flight', i.e. Lucius Caesar's.

BC 2.23.5hunc secūtus Mārcius Rūfus quaestor nāvibus xii, quās praesidiō onerāriīs nāvibus Cūriō ex Siciliā ēdūxerat, postquam in lītore relictam nāvem cōnspexit, hanc remulcō abstrāxit;

Marcius Rufus the quaestor followed him with twelve ships, which Curio had brought from Sicily to protect the transports; when he saw the ship left on the shore, he towed it away;

Note. Mārcius Rūfus: Curio's quaestor. praesidiō onerāriīs nāvibus: double dative, 'as protection for the transports'. remulcō abstrāxit: 'towed it away'.

BC 2.23.5ipse ad C. Cūriōnem cum classe redit.

he himself returned to Gaius Curio with the fleet.

Note. classe: ablative of accompaniment with cum.