Plutarch on Caesar's War in Africa

[52.1] After the the battle of Pharsalus,^note[In August 48, Caesar had defeated the republicans near Pharsalus in Greece. It meant the end of the organized resistance against his monarchy. After this, the wars in Africa and Hispania were almost unimportant.] Cato^note[The conservative politician Marcus Porcius Cato (95-46) was Caesar's worst enemy. From the very first beginning of Caesar's career, Cato had tried to obstruct his policies, which was the main cause of Caesar's chaotic consulship (59). Cato tried to defend the old republic, whereas men like Pompey and Caesar were looking for new ways of government.] and Scipio^note[Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio was Cato's exact contemporary. He was the son of Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica but had been adopted into the extremely influential Metelli family. After 52, he belonged to the faction of Pompey.] had escaped to Libya, where, with the help of King Juba, they got together a considerable force. Caesar decided to make an expedition against them

[52.2] and crossed over to Sicily about the time of the winter solstice.^note[21 December 47 BCE.] Here he pitched his own tent on the beach, wishing to make it clear immediately to his officers that they need have no hopes of wasting time by staying in the island. And as soon as the wind blew from the right quarter, he embarked and put to sea with 3,000 infantry and a few cavalry.

[52.3] He landed this force without being observed and then put to sea again, since he was anxious about the larger part of his army. He found them, however, already at sea and brought them all into camp.

[52.4] He discovered that the enemy were deriving much encouragement from an ancient oracle to the effect that the family of the Scipios must always be victorious in Africa. Here it is difficult to say whether Caesar was in a jesting spirit making a mock of the Scipio in command of the enemy,

[52.5] , or whether he was quite seriously trying to appropriate the prophecy for himself. What he did was this. He had with him a man who was a completely negligible character except that he belonged to the family of the Africani. (He was called Scipio Sallustio.) This man Caesar put at the head of his troops in battle as though he were the commander. And Caesar was forced to engage the enemy often and to seek battle with them,

[52.6] since there was not enough food for his men or provisions for his horses. In fact they had to feed the horses on seaweed with the salt washed out of it and a little grass mixed with it to make it palatable.

[52.7] The fast-moving Numidians were everywhere in great numbers and controlled the country. There was one occasion when Caesar's cavalry were off duty and were being entertained by a Libyan who was dancing and playing the flute at the same time in a most remarkable manner. The cavalrymen had given their horses to their servants to hold and were sitting on the ground enjoying the performance, when the enemy suddenly swept all round them and attacked, killing some of them on the spot, and chasing the rest of them, who were flying in disorder, right up to their camp.

[52.8] If Caesar himself, with Asinius Pollio,^note[Gaius Asinius Pollio (76-5 BCE) had been fighting on Caesar's side since he had crossed the Rubico. After his death, he did his best to prevent war between Octavian and Marc Antony, was rewarded with a consulship (40) and fought a war on the Balkans (39). In the second half of his year, he was the center of a literary circle. He published a history of the civil war.] had not come outside the ramparts to their aid and stopped their flight, the war would have been over then and there.

[52.9] There was also an occasion in another battle when the enemy had got the better of things in the fighting and Caesar, so it is said, seized hold of the standard-bearer who was naming away and, gripping him by the neck, made him face about saying: "Look, that's where the enemy are."