 122. Narrow Escape of their Commander |
124. The Numidians resort to Strategy  |
Postrīdiē eius diēī[1] Cūriō obsidēre Uticam coepit. Sed iam ad urbem perveniunt ā rēge Iubā[2] nūntiī, quī illum adesse magnīs cum cōpiīs dīcant oppidānōsque dē dēfēnsiōne urbis hortentur. Nūntiābantur haec eadem[3] Cūriōnī. Ille tamen prīmō rēgem nihil contrā sē ausūrum exīstimābat; sed ubi certior est factus cōpiās Iubae ab Uticā minus[4] quīnque et vīgintī mīlia passuum abesse, relictīs mūnītiōnibus sēsē in Castra Cornēlia[5] recēpit. Hūc comportāre coepit omnia[6], quae ad obsidiōnem sustinendam ūsuī erant.
Dum haec fīunt, ex oppidānīs perfugīs[7] audīvit Iubam aliō bellō[8] esse revocātum, et Saburram, eius praefectum, parvīs cum cōpiīs Uticae appropinquāre. Quō audītō, cōnsilium temerē mūtāvit, proeliōque rem committere cōnstituit. Quārē equitātum omnem prīmā nocte ad[9] castra Saburrae praemittit; quī hostīs necopīnantēs adortus, magnum numerum eōrum occīdit. Quō factō, ad Cūriōnem equitēs redeunt captīvōsque ad eum redūcunt.
- ↑ eius diēī: omit in translating. The gen. depends upon the diē which enters into the composition of postrīdiē..
- ↑ Iubā: m, see the note on p. 148, l. 5.
- ↑ haec eadem: n, neut.; translate as singular.
- ↑ minus: less (than); cf. the use of amplius, p. 101, l. 3.
- ↑ Castra Cornēlia: see again the map on p. 146.
- ↑ omnia: n, all sorts of things, obsidiōnem: of the same derivation as the verb obsidēre, l. 5.
- ↑ perfugīs: m, with adj. force, deserting.
- ↑ aliō bellō: abl. of means. Apparently this item of news regarding Juba's movements was deliberately fabricated, the “desertions” from the city having been planned for the express purpose of deceiving Curio..
- ↑ ad: i.e. to attack.