[
95]
He crossed from Rhegium to Messana and went to Lilybæum.
1 Here, learning
that Cato was guarding the enemy's magazines with a fleet and a part of the
land forces at Utica, and that he had with him 300 men who had for a long
time constituted their council of war and were called the Senate, and that
the commander, L. Scipio, and the flower of the army were at Adrumetum, he
sailed against
the latter. He arrived at a time when Scipio had gone
away to
meet Juba, and he drew up his forces for battle near Scipio's very camp in
order to come to an engagement with the enemy at a time when their commander
was absent. Labienus and Petreius, Scipio's lieutenants, attacked him,
defeated him badly, and pursued him in a haughty and disdainful manner until
Labienus' horse was wounded in the belly and threw him, and his attendants
carried him off. Petreius, thinking that he had made a thorough test of the
army and that he could conquer whenever he liked, drew off his forces,
saying to those around him, "Let us not deprive our general, Scipio, of the
victory." In one part of the day's work did Cæsar's luck show
itself, in that the victorious enemy seems to have abandoned the field at
the very moment of success. It is said that in the flight Cæsar
dashed up to his whole line
2 and turned it around and seizing one of those who
carried the principal standards (the eagles) dragged him to the front.
Finally, Petreius retired and Cæsar was glad to do the same. Such
was the result of Cæsar's first battle in Africa.
