bˌʌt ɪf hiː dˈɪd sˈoʊ, hɪz nˈɑːlɪdʒ ʌvðə kæmpˈeɪn wʌz sˈɛkəndhˈænd, æz ðɪ ˈɔːθɚɹ ʌv də bˈɛloʊ ɡˈælɪkˌoʊ, ɹˌoʊmən ˈeɪt ɹˈaɪts ɪnðɪ ˌɪntɹədˈʌktɚɹi tʃˈæptɚ: "fɔːɹ maɪsˈɛlf, aɪ hæd nˌɑːt ðɪ əkˈeɪʒən tə tˈeɪk pˈɑːɹt ɪnðɪ ˌælɪɡzˈændɹiən ænd ˈæfɹɪkən wˈɔːɹz" mˈɪhaɪ nˈiː ɪlˈʌd kwˈaɪdəm ˈæksɪdˌɪt, ˈʌt ˌælɪɡzˈændɹˈiːnoʊ ˈætk ˌæfɹɪkˈɑːnoʊ bˈɛloʊ ˌɪntɚɹˈɛsəm.
But if he did so, his knowledge of the campaign was second-hand, as the author of De Bello Gallico, VIII  writes in the introductory chapter: "For myself, I had not the occasion to take part in the Alexandrian and African wars" (Mihi ne illud quidem accidit, ut Alexandrino atque Africano bello interessem).