(1) Inde Rōmam regressus tertiō sē cōnsulem fēcit cum M. Aemiliō Lepidō, quī et magister equitum dictātōrī ante annum fuerat. Inde in Āfricam profectus est, ubi īnfīnita nōbilitās cum Iubā Maurentāniae rēge bellum reparāverat.
(2) Ducēs autem Rōmānī erant P. Cornēlius Scīpiō ex genere antīquissimō Scīpiōnis Āfricānī (hīc etiam socer Pompeiī fuerat), M. Petreius, Q. Vārus, M. Porcius Catō, L. Cornēlius Faustus, Sullae dictātōris fīlius.
(3) Contrā hōs commissō proeliō post multās dīmicātiōnēs victor fuit Caesar. Catō, Scīpiō, Petreius, Iuba ipsī sē occīdērunt. Faustus, Sullae quondam dictātōris fīlius, Pompeiī gener, ā Caesare interfectus est.
notes
Battle of Thapsus, 46 BCE
(1) regressus: supply Caesar
cum M. Aemiliō Lepidō: M. Aemilius Lepidus was praetor in 49 BCE and governed Nearer Spain in 48–47 BCE (Bird).
in Āfricam profectus est: In December 47 BCE Caesar landed in Africa where within four months he defeated the Pompeians under Pompey’s father-in-law, Q. Metellus Scipio (originally P. Cornelius Scipio, he had been adopted by Metellus Pius), at Thapsus on the Tunisian coast. Caesar's troops massacred most of the Pompeians and only Labienus and Sextus Pompey escaped to Spain (Bird).
īnfīnita nōbilitās: i.e. a whole lot of Roman senators
cum Iubā: see Juba
(2) Ducēs autem Rōmānī: Caesar’s opponents included Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica, Marcus Petreius, Publius Attius Varus, Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger), and Faustus Cornelius Sulla.
M. Porcius Catō: Cato the Younger was the great-grandson of the M. Porcius Cato mentioned in Brev. 4.23. He is known in history as Cato Uticēnsis, "of Utica," the place where he committed suicide. He was famous for the austerity of his manners and for his studied imitation of the customs of early days (Hazzard).
hīc etiam: "he also," as well as Caesar (Hazzard)
Sullae dictātōris fīlius: Faustus Cornelius Sulla was the son of the famous dictator Sulla, whose reign is covered in Brev. 4.27.
(3) commissō proeliō: ablative absolute with perfect passive participle (AG 419)
victor fuit: this was known as the Battle of Thapsus.
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
| regredior, gredī, gressus sum | to step back, retreat, return |
| M. |
M., abbreviation of the praenomen Marcus; M'., abbreviation of the praenomen Manius |
| Aemilius, ī, m. |
the name of a Roman gens; Lūcius Aemilius, consul 224 B.C.; Mārcus Aemilius (Mamercus), dictator |
| Lepidus, ī, m. |
M. Aemilius Lepidus, a member of the Second Triumvirate, consul 46 B.C. |
| dictātor, ōris [dictō, to stay often], m. |
a dictator, a magistrate with supreme power, chosen at times of supreme peril |
| Āfrica, ae, f. |
Africa; often the northern part of the continent, especially the part near Carthage |
| īnfīnītus, a, um [in + fīniō], adj. |
unbounded, vast, enormous; numberless; as subst., īnfīnītum, ī, n., a large amount, a large number |
| nōbilitās, ātis [nōbilis], f. | renown, nobility; the nobles |
| Iuba, ae, m. |
King of Numidia, defeated by Caesar in the battle of Thapsus, 46 B.C., King of Mauretania |
| Mauretania, ae, f. |
a district on the northwestern coast of Africa, embracing parts of modern Morocco and Algiers |
| reparō, āre, āvī, ātus | to renew |
| P. |
abbreviation of the praenomen or nomen Publius |
| Cornēlius, ī, m. |
the name of a large and important gens at Rome. See Asina, Cinna, Dolābella, Faustus, Fuscus, Galbus, Lentulus, Rūfinus, Scīpiō, Sulla. |
| Scīpiō, ōnis, m. |
the name of one of the most illustrious families of Rome, Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 83 B.C., Cn. Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 222 B.C., L. (Cornēlius) Scīpiō, consul 259 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 218 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 191 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō, praetor 94 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō Āfricānus, consul 205 BC the conqueror of Hannibal in the First Punic War., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō Āfricānus (Minor), consul 147 B.C. He brought the Third Punic War to a close by capturing and destroying Carthage., L. Cornēlius Scīpiō Asiāgenēs, consul 83 B.C., P. (Cornēlius) Scīpiō Nāsīca, consul 91 B.C. |
| socer, erī, m. | father-in-law |
| Pompēius, ī, m. |
(1) Cn. Pompēius, consul 89 B.C.; (2) Cn. Pompēius, surnamed Magnus, the triumvir, consul 70 B.C.; (3) Cn. Pompēius, son of the triumvir; (4) Q. Pompēius, consul 141 B.C.; (5) Sex. Pompēius, younger son of the triumvir |
| Petreius, ī, m. |
M. Petreius, a partisan of Pompey; fought against Caesar in Spain, Greece, and Africa |
| Q. |
abbreviation of the praenomen Quīntus |
| Vārus, ī, m. |
Q. Vārus, one of the leaders of the Pompeian party at the battle of Thapsus |
| Porcius, ī, m. | the name of a Roman gens. |
| Catō, ōnis, m. |
a family name in the Porcian gens. (1) (M.) Porcius Catō, consul 89 B.C.; (2) C. (Porcius) Catō, consul 114 B.C.; (3) M. Porcius Catō, consul 118 B.C.; (4) M. Porcius Catō Uticēnsis |
| Cornēlius, ī, m. |
the name of a large and important gens at Rome. See Asina, Cinna, Dolābella, Faustus, Fuscus, Galbus, Lentulus, Rūfinus, Scīpiō, Sulla. |
| Faustus, ī, m. |
L. Cornēlius Faustus, son of the dictator Sulla |
| Sulla, ae, m. |
L. Cornēlius Sulla, surnamed Felix, consul 88 B.C. |
| dīmicātiō, ōnis [dīmicō], f. | a combat, struggle |
| gener, erī, m. | a son-in-law |
| Caesar, aris, m. |
a family name in the Julian gens. (1) C. Iūlius Caesar, the famous dictator; (2) Sex. Iūlius Caesar, uncle of the dictator. Consul 91 B.C.; (3) C. Octāviānus, the emperor Augustus |