Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, Rev. John Selby Watson, M.A. (Translator), 37

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The republic, at this time was grievously distracted by the contentions of the tribunes. Two of them, Publius Lucullus and Lucius Annius, were struggling against the will of their colleagues, to prolong their term of office; and this dispute put off the comitia throughout the year.¹ In consequence of this delay, Aulus, who, as I have just said, was left as proprætor in the camp, conceiving hopes either of finishing the war, or of extorting money from Jugurtha by the terror of his army, drew out his troops in the month of January, from their winter-quarters into the field, and by forced marches, during severe weather, made his way to the town of Suthul, where Jugurtha's treasures were deposited. And though this place, both from the inclemency of the season, and from its advantageous situation, could neither be taken nor besieged; for around its walls, which were built on the edge of a steep hill,² a marshy plain, flooded by the rains of winter, had been converted into a lake; yet Aulus, either as a feint to strike terror into Jugurtha, or blinded by avarice, began to move forward his vineæ,³ to cast up a rampart, and to hasten all necessary preparations for a siege.

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.) — 37 focus

1 Ea tempestate Romae seditionibus tribuniciis atrociter res publica agitabatur. 2 P. Lucullus et L. Annius tribuni plebis resistentibus collegis continuare magistratum nitebantur, quae dissensio totius anni comitia impediebat. 3 ea mora in spem adductus Aulus, quem pro praetore in castris relictum supra diximus, aut conficiundi belli aut terrore exercitus ab rege pecuniae capiundae milites mense Ianuario ex hibernis in expeditionem evocat, magnisque itineribus hieme aspera pervenit ad oppidum Suthul, ubi regis thesauri erant. 4 quod quamquam et saevitia temporis et opportunitate loci neque capi neque obsideri poterat — nam circum murum situm in praerupti montis extremo planities limosa hiemalibus aquis paludem fecerat —, tamen aut simulandi gratia, quo regi formidinem adderet, aut cupidine caecus ob thesauros oppidi potiundi vineas agere, aggerem iacere aliaque, quae incepto usui forent, properare. 38 1 at Iugurtha cognita vanitate atque inperitia legati subdole eius augere amentiam, missitare supplicantis legatos, ipse quasi vitabundus per saltuosa loca et tramites exercitum ductare. 2 denique Aulum spe pactionis perpulit, uti relicto Suthule in abditas regiones sese veluti cedentem insequeretur: ita delicta occultiora fuere. 3 interea per homines callidos diu noctuque exercitum temptabat, centuriones ducesque turmarum, partim uti transfugerent, corrumpere, alii signo dato locum uti desererent. 4 quae postquam ex sententia instruit, intempesta nocte de inproviso multitudine Numidarum Auli castra circumvenit. 5 milites Romani, perculsi tumultu insolito, arma capere alii, alii se abdere, pars territos confirmare, trepidare omnibus locis. vis magna hostium, caelum nocte atque nubibus obscuratum, periculum anceps; postremo fugere an manere tutius foret, in incerto erat. 6 sed ex eo numero, quos paulo ante corruptos diximus, cohors una Ligurum cum duabus turmis Thracum et paucis gregariis militibus transiere ad regem, et centurio primi pili tertiae legionis per munitionem, quam uti defenderet acceperat, locum hostibus introeundi dedit, eaque Numidae cuncti inrupere. 7 nostri foeda fuga, plerique abiectis armis, proxumum collem occupaverunt. 8 nox atque praeda castrorum hostis, quo minus victoria uterentur, remorata sunt. 9 deinde Iugurtha postero die cum Aulo in conloquio verba facit: tametsi ipsum cum exercitu fame et ferro clausum ten eret, tamen se memorem humanarum rerum, si secum foedus faceret, incolumis omnis sub iugum missurum; praeterea uti diebus decem Numidia decederet. 10 quae quamquam gravia et flagiti plena erant, tamen, quia mortis metu mutabantur, sicuti regi lubuerat, pax convenit.

Bellum Iugurthinum Perseus (Sallust. Bellum Iugurthinum. (No bibliographic information found).) — 37 focus

Ea tempestate Romae seditionibus tribuniciis atrociter res publica agitabatur. P. Lucullus et L. Annius tribuni plebis resistentibus collegis continuare magistratum nitebantur, quae dissensio totius anni comitia impediebat. Ea mora in spem adductus Aulus, quem pro praetore in castris relictum supra diximus, aut conficiendi belli aut terrore exercitus ab rege pecuniae capiendae milites mense Ianuario ex hibernis in expeditionem euocat, magnisque itineribus hieme aspera pervenit ad oppidum Suthul, ubi regis thesauri erant. Quod quamquam et saevitia temporis et opportunitate loci neque capi neque obsideri poterat—nam circum murum situm in praerupti montis extremo planities limosa hiemalibus aquis paludem fecerat—, tamen aut simulandi gratia, quo regi formidinem adderet, aut cupidine caecus ob thesauros oppidi potiendi vineas agere, aggerem iacere aliaque, quae incepto usui forent, properare.

Notes on the current edition

The Jugurthine War

1. XXXVII. Throughout the year]

Totius anni.

That is, all that remained of the year.

2. On the edge of a steep hill]

In prærupti montis extremo.

" In extremo a scholiast rightly interprets in margine, Gerlach. Cortius, whom Langius follows, considers that in extremo means at the bottom; a notion which Kritzius justly condemns; for, as Gerlach asks, what would that have to do with the strength of the place ? Müller would have us believe that in extremo means at the top; but if Sallust had meant to say that the city was at the top, he would hardly have chosen the word extremus for the purpose. Doubtless, as Gerlach observes, the city was on the top of the hill, which was broad enough to hold it; but the words in extremo signify that the walls were even with the side of the hill. Of the site of the town of Suthul no traces are now to be found.

3. Vineæ] Defenses made of hurdles or other wood, and often covered with raw hides, to defend the soldies who worked the battering-ram. Tho word that comes nearest to vineœ in our language is mantelets. Before this word, in many editions, occurs the phrase ob thesauros oppidi potiundi, which Cortius, whom I follow, omits.

Sallust Bellum Iugurthinum 37

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

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