Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, Rev. John Selby Watson, M.A. (Translator), 10

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"I received you, Jugurtha, at a very early age, into my kingdom,¹ at a time when you had lost your father, and were without prospects or resources, expecting that, in return for my kindness, I should not be less loved by you than by my own children, if I should have any. Nor have my anticipations deceived me; for, to say nothing of your other great and noble deeds, you have lately, on your return from Numantia , brought honor and glory both to me and my kingdom; by your bravery, you have rendered the Romans, from being previously our friends, more friendly to us than ever; the name of our family is revived in Spain ; and, finally, what is most difficult among mankind, you have suppressed envy by preeminent merit.²

"And now, since nature is putting a period to my life, I exhort and conjure you, by this right hand, and by the fidelity which you owe to my kingdom,³ to regard these princes, who are your cousins by birth, and your brothers by my generosity, with sincere affection; and not to be more anxious to attach to yourself strangers, than to retain the love of those connected with you by blood. It is not armies, or treasures,⁴ that form the defenses of a kingdom, but friends, whom you can neither command by force nor purchase with gold; for they are acquired only by good offices and integrity. And who can be a greater friend than one brother to another?⁵ Or what stranger will you find faithful, if you are at enmity with your own family? I leave you a kingdom, which will be strong if you act honorably, but weak, if you are ill-affected to each other; for by concord even small states are increased, but by discord, even the greatest fall to nothing.

"But on you, Jugurtha, who are superior in age and wisdom, it is incumbent, more than on your brothers, to be cautions that nothing of a contrary tendency may arise; for, in all disputes, he that is the stronger, even though he receive the injury, appears, because his power is greater, to have inflicted it. And do you, Adherbal and Hiempsal, respect and regard a kinsman of such a character; imitate his virtues, and make it your endeavor to show that I have not adopted a better son⁶ than those whom I have begotten."

Bellum Iugurthinum. Sallust. Rev. John Selby Watson, M.A. (Translator). New York and London. 1899.

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Current edition Perseus

Jugurthine War (English) (Sallust. Sallust, Florus, and Velleius Paterculus. Watson, J. S. (John Selby), translator. London: Harper & Brothers, 1899.)

Editions (2)

Bellum Iugurthinum Perseus (Sallust. C. Sallusti Crispi Catilina, Iugurtha, orationes et epistulae excerptae de historiis. Ahlberg, Axel Wilhelm, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1919.) — 10 focus

1 'Parvom ego te, Iugurtha, amisso patre, sine spe, sine opibus in meum regnum accepi, existumans non minus me tibi quam liberis, si genuissem, ob beneficia carum fore. 2 neque ea res falsum me habuit. nam, ut alia magna et egregia tua omittam, novissume rediens Numantia meque regnumque meum gloria honoravisti tuaque virtute nobis Romanos ex amicis amicissumos fecisti. in Hispania nomen familiae renovatum est. postremo, quod difficillumum inter mortalis est, gloria invidiam vicisti.

3 Nunc, quoniam mihi natura finem vitae facit, per hanc dexteram, per regni fidem moneo obtestorque te, uti hos, qui tibi genere propinqui, beneficio meo fratres sunt, caros habeas neu malis alienos adiungere quam sanguine coniunctos retinere. 4 non exercitus neque thesauri praesidia regni sunt, verum amici, quos neque armis cogere neque auro parare queas: officio et fide pariuntur. quis autem amicior quam frater fratri? aut quem alienum fidum invenies, 5 si tuis hostis fueris? equidem ego vobis regnum trado firmum, 6 si boni eritis, sin mali, inbecillum. nam concordia parvae res crescunt, discordia maxumae dilabuntur.

7 Ceterum ante hos te, Iugurtha, qui aetate et sapientia prior es, ne aliter quid eveniat, providere decet. nam in omni certamine qui opulentior est, etiam si accipit iniuriam, tamen, quia plus potest, facere videtur. 8 vos autem, Adherbal et Hiempsal, colite, observate talem hunc virum, imitamini virtutem et enitimini, ne ego meliores liberos sumpsisse videar quam genuisse.'

Bellum Iugurthinum Perseus (Sallust. Bellum Iugurthinum. (No bibliographic information found).) — 10 focus

"Paruum ego te, Iugurtha, amisso patre, sine spe, sine opibus in meum regnum accepi, existimans non minus me tibi quam liberis, si genuissem, ob beneficia carum fore. Neque ea res falsum me habuit. Nam, ut alia magna et egregia tua omittam, novissime rediens Numantia meque regnumque meum gloria honorauisti tuaque virtute nobis Romanos ex amicis amicissimos fecisti. In Hispania nomen familiae renovatum est. Postremo, quod difficillimum inter mortalis est, gloria invidiam vicisti. Nunc, quoniam mihi natura finem vitae facit, per hanc dexteram, per regni fidem moneo obtestorque te, uti hos, qui tibi genere propinqui, beneficio meo fratres sunt, caros habeas neu malis alienos adiungere quam sanguine coniunctos retinere. Non exercitus neque thesauri praesidia regni sunt, verum amici, quos neque armis cogere neque auro parare queas: officio et fide pariuntur. Quis autem amicior quam frater fratri? Aut quem alienum fidum invenies, si tuis hostis fueris? Equidem ego vobis regnum trado firmum, si boni eritis, sin mali, inbecillum. Nam concordia paruae res crescunt, discordia maximae dilabuntur. Ceterum ante hos te, Iugurtha, qui aetate et sapientia prior es, ne aliter quid eveniat, prouidere decet. Nam in omni certamine qui opulentior est, etiam si accipit iniuriam, tamen, quia plus potest, facere videtur. Vos autem, Adherbal et Hiempsal, colite, obseruate talem hunc virum, imitamini virtutem et enitimini, ne ego meliores liberos sumpsisse videar quam genuisse."

Notes on the current edition

The Jugurthine War

1. X. I received you—into my kingdom]

In meuum regnum accepi.

By these words it is only signified that Micipsa received Jugurtha into his palace so as to bring him up with his own children. The critics who suppose that there is any allusion to the adoption, or a pretended intention of it on the part of Micipsa, are evidently in the wrong.

2. Pre-eminent merit]

Gloriâ.

Our English word glory is too strong.

3. By the fidelity which you owe to my kingdom]

Per regni fidem.

This seems to be the best of all the explanations that have been offered of these words.

" Per fidem quam tu rex (futurus) mihi regi præstare debes."

Burnouf.

"Per fidem quæ decet in regno, i.e. regem."

Dietsch.

" Per eam fidem, quâ esse decet eum qui regnum obtinet."

Kritzius.

4. It is not armies, or treasures, etc.] "It is not this golden scepter that can preserve a kingdom; but numerous friends are to princes their trust and safest scepter." Xen. Cyrop, viii. 7, 14.

5. And who can be a greater friend than one brother to another?]

Quis autem amicior, quam frater fratri?

" Νόμιζ' ἀδελφοὺσ τοὺσ ἀληθινοὺσ φίλους. Menander."

Wasse.

6. That I have not adopted a better son, &c.]

Ne ego meliores liberos sumsisse videar quàm genuisse.

As there is no allusion to Micipsa's adoption of any other son than Jugurtha, Sallust's expression liberos sumsisse can hardly be defended. It is necessary to give son in the singular, in the translation.

Sallust Bellum Iugurthinum 10

Rev. John Selby Watson, M.A. (Translator)

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