32.
After dissolving the war council, Curion summoned the soldiers to the assembly, reminding them of what had happened to Corfinio, the will that Caesar had seen in them and that, with their help and example, Caesar had been able to occupy a large part of the 'Italy. He told them that "one after the other, all the municipalities have followed you and your example, moreover with good reason; Caesar has expressed very favourable and rather severe opinions about enemies about you. In fact Pompeus, taking the sign of your behaviour, without having been won in battle, left Italy. Cesare entrusted me to your loyalty, and the provinces of Sicily and Africa, very dear to him because without these you cannot defend Rome and Italy. There are those who urge you to rebel against us; what is more desirable for them than in one fell swoop overwhelm us with a wicked gesture and tie you to them? Or what can their anger towards you more than induce you to deceive those who are grateful to you and feel they owe you, to put you in the hands of those who believe they have lost because of you? Have you not heard of Caesar's exploits in Spain? Two fleeing armies, two defeated generals and two subdued provinces; this is what Caesar has done in 40 days. Do you believe that those who could not resist when their forces were intact, can do so now that they are in ruins? And you who followed Caesar when the victory was still uncertain, now that the fate of the war seems decided and you should take the prize of your service, will you follow the wind? They tell of having been abandoned and betrayed by you and remind you of the first oath made to Domizio Enobarbo, but were you to abandon him, or he to abandon you? Is it not true that he abandoned you when you were ready to die for him too? And isn't it still true that it was he who secretly tried to save you? And that then, betrayed by him, you were instead saved by the clemency of Caesar? How could the one who, having thrown away the bundles and the command, fallen as a private prisoner citizen, keep you bound by an oath? Absurd, then, to ask you to despise this new oath to respect what dissolved with the capitulation of the commander, who also lost civil rights.
I believe, however, that you are happy with Caesar but unhappy with me; I do not intend to tell you now about my merits towards you, which are in any case inferior to what I would like and which you expect, but in any case the soldiers usually request the prize of their labours always at the end of the war and I am sure that you do not even doubt which Sara. But anyway, why should I keep my zeal in fulfilling my duties as commander and my luck in war, given how things are right now? Do you regret that I transported the army here without losing a single ship and that in the first assault we defeated the enemy fleet? That twice in two days he defeated the enemy in a cavalry battle? That he has stolen 200 enemy cargo ships in the port and in the gulf, removing most of their supplies and preventing their supply both by land and by sea? So will you lose this fortune of your commander in the war to follow Corfinio's shame, his escape from Italy, the surrender of Spain, which are signs of how the African war will end? As far as I am concerned, I wanted to be called a soldier of Caesar; you have given me the title of supreme commander, but now you have repented. For you I renounce these benefits; give me back my name, therefore, that you don't seem to have given me this honour to insult me ».
33.
The soldiers, shaken by this speech, interrupted him continuously while he was speaking; it was evident that they could hardly bear the suspicion of treason, then while he was moving away from the assembly, they urged him to have courage and to attack in any place, so that they could show their loyalty and courage. As a consequence of this assembly, having changed the opinion and will of all, with the general consent of Caius Scribonius Curius chose to try his luck in battle as soon as the occasion arose. The next day he took out the army and deployed it in the same place where they had lined up a few days before. Even Publius Aztius Varus did not miss an opportunity to provoke the enemies and fight in a favourable position, so he went out with his army and took a stand.
34.
As has been said above, between the two camps there was a valley not very wide but with fairly steep ridges, and both commanders deployed the army in a favourable position waiting for the other's militia to find the ardour to cross it. Meanwhile, on the left side of Publio Azzio Varo you could see all his cavalry, mixed with light infantrymen, descending into the valley; against them, Curione launched his cavalry assisted by two cohorts of Marrucini. The enemy cavalry did not resist at the first impact, and immediately, with a loose bridle, went to take refuge behind the lines; the light infantry, abandoned to itself, was surrounded and annihilated. Azzio Varo's army, facing that side, could see the annihilation of their companions; then Rebilo, already Caesar's lieutenant whom Curione had brought with him from Sicily knowing his great military experience, said: "Curione, look at the enemy: he is terrified! Why do you delay and not take advantage of the occasion?". Then Curione, after having said only a few words to his men to remember what they had promised him the day before, ordered to follow him, and in front of everyone he leapt forward. The valley was so steep that the first ones could advance almost only with the help of their comrades, but Azzio Varo's soldiers, terrified of having seen the escape and the massacre of their comrades, didn't think at all to resist, but they were afraid to find themselves surrounded by the cavalry. So it happened that, before firing a few arrows or our people came to them, the whole of Varo's camp turned its back and sought refuge in its own camp.
35.
During the escape of the enemy army, a Peligno called Fabio who had one of the lowest ranks in the army of Curione, having reached the front ranks of the army of Azzio Varo, began to call him by name out loud as if he were one of his men who wanted to warn him about something or talk to him. Varo, hearing himself called like that several times, stopped and asked him who he was and what he wanted; Fabio drew his sword and threw a blow at Varo's side that if he had scored he would have killed him, but Varo managed to dodge the blow by raising the shield. Fabio, finding himself surrounded by Varo's soldiers who were nearby, was killed.
The gates of the enemy camp were soon obstructed by the multitude of fugitives who tried to escape in a disorderly manner, so that access was prevented. More soldiers died there without any war wounds than in battle or escape, so that they risked being driven from their camp.
Some of ours, continuing the race, headed towards the city, but both the nature of the city defences and the fortifications, in addition to the fact that the soldiers of Curione, armed for battle, were without the necessary tools, could not attack the field. So Curione brought the army back to its camp with all its men unharmed, except for Fabio, while the enemies had about 600 dead and about a thousand wounded. After Curione had abandoned the battlefield, all the wounded and those who pretended to be for fear, took refuge inside the city. Azzio Varo himself, noticing the terror that permeated his men, left a trumpeter and a few tents in the camp to deceive the enemy, around midnight and in silence, brought the entire army back to the city.
36.
The next day Curion began the siege of Utica and the construction of a rampart around it. There were many people in the city who were not accustomed to war, since they had enjoyed a long period of peace; moreover, the Roman