XXIV.
Igitur Tacfarinas disperso rumore rem Romanam (rem Romanam: ‘the Roman empire’, ‘Roman power’) aliis quoque ab nationibus lacerari eoque paulatim Africa decedere, ac posse reliquos circumveniri, si cuncti quibus libertas servitio potior incubuissent, (posse reliquos circumveniri, si cuncti quibus libertas servitio potior incubuissent: ‘conditional sentence in indirect discourse: lit. ‘that it was possible to encircle the remaining troops, if those for whom liberty [was] preferable to servitude would have exerted themselves’; the condition being real and logical (type I), the apodosis has present infinitive, the protasis pluperfect subjunctive that corresponds to the future anterior of direct speech for action anterior to that of the apodosis. servitio potior: servitio is abl. of comparison after potior.) auget viris positisque castris Thubuscum oppidum (Thubuscum oppidum: possibly Saldae (Bougie), on the Algerian coast, near the border between the province of Africa and ancient Mauretania) circumsidet. at Dolabella contracto quod erat militum, (contracto quod erat militum: ‘having been assembled what there was of soldiers, …’; a one-word abl. abs. with the perfect participle, here governing a rel. clause; other examples of such usage are audito, comperto, optato, auspicato, etc.; cf. G. 610, Note 4. militum is partitive gen. after the neuter quod.) terrore nominis Romani et quia Numidae peditum aciem ferre nequeunt, primo sui incessu solvit obsidium (primo sui incessu solvit obsidium: ‘first he raised the siege by his approach, [then} …’; sui is reflexive pronoun, ‘of himself’, here replacing the possessive suo, ‘his’.) locorumque opportuna permunivit; simul princpes Musulamiorum defectionem coeptantis securi percutit. (princpes Musulamiorum defectionem coeptantis securi percutit: ‘he beheaded the leaders of the Musulamii considering a revolt.’ For the Musulamii see Book 2, ch. 52; coeptantis: ‘attempting’, ‘on the verge of’; securi percutit: lit. ‘he strikes them with an axe’; percutit if historical present.) dein quia pluribus adversum Tacfarinatem expeditionibus cognitum non gravi nec uno incursu consectandum hostem vagum, (cognitum [est] non gravi nec uno incursu consectandum [esse] hostem vagum: ‘it was understood that a nomadic adversary was not to be pursued (insectandum esse) with one heavy and single incursion,’ gravi: i.e. with heavy infantry; cognitum [est] is impersonal use of passive; consectandum is use of passive gerundive to express suitability or necessity.) excito cum popularibus rege Ptolemaeo quattuor agmina parat, quae legatis aut tribunis data; et praedatorias manus delecti Maurorum duxere: ipse consultor aderat omnibus.