Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, Rev. John Selby Watson, M.A. (Translator), 80

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After the loss of Thala, Jugurtha, thinking no place sufficiently secure against Metellus, fled with a few followers into the country of the Getulians, a people savage and uncivilized, and, at that period, unacquainted with even the name of Rome. Of these barbarians he collected a great multitude, and trained them by degrees to march in ranks, to follow standards, to obey the word of command, and to perform other military exercises. He also gained over to his interest, by large presents and larger promises, the intimate friends of king Bocchus, and working upon the king by their means, induced him to commence war against the Romans. This was the more practicable and easy, because Bocchus, at the commencement of hostilities with Jugurtha, had sent an embassy to Rome to solicit friendship and allliance; but a faction, blinded by avarice, and accustomed to sell their votes on every question honorable or dishonorable,¹ had caused his advances to be rejected, though they were of the highest consequence to the war recently begun. A daughter of Bocchus, too, was married to Jugurtha,² but such a connection, among the Numidians and Moors, is but lightly regarded; for every man has as many wives as he pleases, in proportion to his ability to maintain them; some ten, others more, but the kings most of all. Thus the affection of the husband is divided among a multitude; no one of them becomes a companion to him,³ but all are equally neglected.

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.) — 80 focus

1 Iugurtha postquam amissa Thala nihil satis firmum contra Metellum putat, per magnas solitudines cum paucis profectus pervenit ad Gaetulos, genus hominum ferum incultumque et eo tempore ignarum nominis Romani. 2 eorum multitudinem in unum cogit ac paulatim consuefacit ordines habere, signa sequi, imperium observare, item alia militaria facere. 3 praeterea regis Bocchi proxumos magnis muneribus et maioribus promissis ad studium sui perducit, quis adiutoribus regem aggressus inpellit, uti advorsus Romanos bellum incipiat. 4 id ea gratia facilius proniusque fuit, quod Bocchus initio huiusce belli legatos Romam miserat foedus et amicitiam petitum, 5 quam rem opportunissumam incepto bello pauci impediverant caeci avaritia, quis omnia honesta atque inhonesta vendere mos erat. 6 et iam antea Iugurthae filia Boccho nupserat. verum ea necessitudo apud Numidas Maurosque levis ducitur, quia singuli pro opibus quisque quam plurumas uxores, denas alii, alii pluris habent, sed reges eo amplius. 7 ita animus multitudine distrahitur: nulla pro socia obtinet, pariter omnes viles sunt. 81 1 igitur in locum ambobus placitum exercitus conveniunt. ibi fide data et accepta Iugurtha Bocchi animum oratione accendit: Romanos iniustos, profunda avaritia, communis omnium hostis esse; eandem illos causam belli cum Boccho habere, quam secum et cum aliis gentibus, lubidinem imperitandi, quis omnia regna advorsa sint; tum sese, paulo ante Carthaginiensis, item regem Persen, post uti quisque opulentissumus videatur, ita Romanis hostem fore. 2 his atque aliis talibus dictis ad Cirtam oppidum iter constituunt, quod ibi Q. Metellus praedam captivosque et impedimenta locaverat. 3 ita Iugurtha ratus aut capta urbe operae pretium fore aut, si Romanus auxilio suis venisset, proelio sese certaturos. 4 nam callidus id modo festinabat, Bocchi pacem inminuere, ne moras agitando aliud quam bellum mallet.

Bellum Iugurthinum Perseus (Sallust. Bellum Iugurthinum. (No bibliographic information found).) — 80 focus

Iugurtha postquam amissa Thala nihil satis firmum contra Metellum putat, per magnas solitudines cum paucis profectus pervenit ad Gaetulos, genus hominum ferum incultumque et eo tempore ignarum nominis Romani. Eorum multitudinem in unum cogit ac paulatim consuefacit ordines habere, signa sequi, imperium obseruare, item alia militaria facere. Praeterea regis Bocchi proximos magnis muneribus et maioribus promissis ad studium sui perducit, quis adiutoribus regem aggressus impellit, uti aduersus Romanos bellum incipiat. Id ea gratia facilius proniusque fuit, quod Bocchus initio huiusce belli legatos Romam miserat foedus et amicitiam petitum, quam rem opportunissimam incepto bello pauci impediuerant caeci auaritia, quis omnia honesta atque inhonesta vendere mos erat. Et iam antea Iugurthae filia Boccho nupserat, verum ea necessitudo apud Numidas Maurosque leuis ducitur, quia singuli pro opibus quisque quam plurimas uxores, denas alii, alii pluris habent, sed reges eo amplius. Ita animus multitudine distrahitur: nulla pro socia obtinet, pariter omnes viles sunt.

Notes on the current edition

The Jugurthine War

1. LXXX. Sell—honorable or dishonorable]

Omnia honesta atque inhonesta vendere.

See Cat. c. 30. They had been bribed by Jugurtha to use their influence against Bocchus.

2. A daughter of Bocchus, too, was married to Jugurtha]

Jugurthœ filia Bocchi nupserat.

Several manuscripts and old editions have Boccho, making Bocchus the son-in-law of Jugurtha. But Plutarch (Vit. Mar. c. 10, Sull. c. 3) and Florus (iii. 1) agree in speaking of him as Jugurtha's father-in-law. Bocchus was doubtless an older man than Jugurtha, having a grown up son, Volux, c. 105. Castilioneus and Cortius, therefore, saw the necessity of reading Bocchi, and other editors have followed them, except Gerlach, "who,"' says Kritzius, " has given Bocchi in his larger, and Boccho in his smaller and more recent edition, in order that readers using both may have an opportunity of making a choice."

3. No one of them becomes a companion to him]

Nulla pro sociâ obtinet.

The use of obtinet absolutely, or with the word dependent on it understood, prevails chiefly among the later Latin writers. Livy, however, has fama obtinuit, xxi. 46. " The tyro is to be reminded," says Dietsch, " that obtinet is not the same as habetur, but is always for locum obtinet."

Sallust Bellum Iugurthinum 80

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

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