Hīs rēbus gestīs, Cūriō sē in castra ad Bagradam[1] recipit, posterōque diē exercitum Uticam dūcit et prope oppidum castra ponit. Nōndum opere[2] castrōrum perfectō, equitēs ex statiōne[3] nūntiant magna auxilia equitum peditumque ā rēge Iubā[4] missa Uticam venīre; eōdemque tempore[5] vīs magna pulveris cernēbātur[6], et temporis pūnctō[7] prīmum agmen[8] erat in cōnspectū. Quā rē novā Cūriō permōtus equitēs suōs praemittit, quī prīmum impetum sustineant; ipse, celeriter ab opere[9] dēductīs legiōnibus, aciem īnstruit.
Interim equitēs cum hostibus proelium commīsērunt et, priusquam legiōnēs[10] plānē explicārī possent, tōta auxilia rēgis, quae nūllō ordine et sine metū[11] iter faciēbant, in fugam coniecta sunt. Equitēs hostium per lītus in oppidum properāvērunt, peditum autem magnus numerus interfectus est.
Proximā nocte centuriōnēs duo[12] ex castrīs Cūriōnis cum manipulāribus suīs duōbus et vīgintī ad Attium Vārum[13] perfugiunt; cuī cōnfīrmant tōtīus exercitūs animōs alienōs[14] esse
- ↑ ad Bagradam: cf. p. 145, l. 10. In connection with in castra, translate “at the Bagrada”; cf. ad T. Labiēnum . . . in hīberna, p. 133, l. 3.
- ↑ opere: n, i.e. construction.
- ↑ statiōne: statiō, -ōnis: f, outpost, auxilia: auxiliary forces.
- ↑ Iubā: m, king of Numidia, friendly to Pompey (cf. p. 147, l. 5 ff.).
- ↑ eōdem . . . tempore: i.e. simul.
- ↑ cernēbātur: cf. cernēbantur, p. 141, l. 7.
- ↑ temporis pūnctō: n, in a moment, pūnctum, -ī, N., point.
- ↑ prīmum agmen: n, lit. what?, vanguard.
- ↑ opere: n, (the work of) construction (cf. l. 3).
- ↑ legiōnēs: f, sc. Cūriōnis.
- ↑ sine metū: m, evidently they had not heard of Curio's arrival in Africa.
- ↑ duo:.
- ↑ Attium Vārum: commander of the Pompeian forces at Utica.
- ↑ alienōs . . . ā: freely, disaffected toward.
