Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, Rev. John Selby Watson, M.A. (Translator), 92

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When Marius had achieved so important an enterprise, without any loss to his troops, he who was great and honored before became still greater and still more honored. All his undertakings,¹ however ill-concerted, were regarded as proofs of superior ability; his soldiers, kept under mild discipline, and enriched with spoil, extolled him to the skies; the Numidians dreaded him as some thing more than human; and all, indeed, allies as well as enemies, believed that he was either possessed of supernatural power, or had all things directed for him by the will of the gods.

After his success in this attempt, he proceeded against other towns; a few, where they offered resistance, he took by force; a greater number, deserted in consequence of the wretched fate of Capsa, he destroyed by fire; and the whole country was filled with mourning and slaughter.

Having at length gained possession of many places, and most of them without loss to his army, he turned his thoughts to another enterprise, which, though not of the same desperate character as that at Capsa, was yet not less difficult of execution.² Not far from the river Mulucha, which divided the kingdoms of Jugurtha and Bocchus, there stood, in the midst of a plain,³ a rocky hill, sufficiently broad at the top for a small fort; it rose to a vast height, and had but one narrow ascent left open, the whole of it being as steep by nature as it could have been rendered by labor and art. This place, as there were treasures of the king in it, Marius directed his utmost efforts to take.⁴ But his views were furthered more by fortune than by his own contrivance. In the fortress there were plenty of men and arms for its defense, as well as an abundant store of provisions, and a spring of water; while its situation was unfavorable for raising mounds, towers, and other works; and the road to it, used by its inhabitants, was extremely steep, with a precipice on either side. The vineæ were brought up with great danger, and without effect; for, before they were advanced any considerable distance, they were destroyed with fire or stones. And from the difficulties of the ground, the soldiers could neither stand in front of the works, nor act among the vineæ,⁵ without danger; the boldest of them were killed or wounded, and the fear of the rest increased.

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.) — 92 focus

1 Postquam tantam rem peregit Marius sine ullo suorum incommodo, magnus et clarus antea, maior atque clarior haberi coepit. 2 omnia non bene consulta in virtutem trahebantur: milites, modesto imperio habiti simul et locupletes, ad caelum ferre; Numidae magis quam mortalem timere; postremo omnes, socii atque hostes, credere illi aut mentem divinam esse aut deorum nutu cuncta portendi. 3 sed consul, ubi ea res bene evenit, ad alia oppida pergit, pauca repugnantibus Numidis capit, plura deserta propter Capsensium miserias igni corrumpit: luctu atque caede omnia conplentur. 4 denique multis locis potitus ac plerisque exercitu incruento aliam rem aggreditur, non eadem asperitate qua Capsensium, ceterum haud secus difficilem.

5 Namque haud longe a flumine Muluccha, quod Iugurthae Bocchique regnum diiungebat, erat inter ceteram planitiem mons saxeus, mediocri castello satis patens, in inmensum editus, uno perangusto aditu relicto; nam omnis natura velut opere atque consulto praeceps. 6 quem locum Marius, quod ibi regis thesauri erant, summa vi capere intendit. sed ea res forte quam consilio melius gesta. 7 nam castello virorum atque armorum satis magna vis et frumenti et fons aquae; aggeribus turribusque et aliis machinationibus locus inportunus; iter castellanorum angustum admodum, utrimque praecisum. 8 ea vineae cum ingenti periculo frustra agebantur; nam quom eae paulo processerant, igni aut lapidibus corrumpebantur. 9 milites neque pro opere consistere propter iniquitatem loci neque inter vineas sine periculo administrare: optumus quisque cadere aut sauciari, ceteris metus augeri. 93 1 at Marius multis diebus et laboribus consumptis anxius trahere cum animo suo, omitteretne inceptum, quoniam frustra erat, an fortunam opperiretur, qua saepe prospere usus fuerat. 2 quae quom multos dies noctisque aestuans agitaret, forte quidam Ligus, ex cohortibus auxiliariis miles gregarius, castris aquatum egressus haud procul ab latere castelli, quod avorsum proeliantibus erat, animum advortit inter saxa repentis cocleas, quarum quom unam atque alteram, dein plures peteret, studio legundi paulatim prope ad summum montis egressus est. 3 ubi postquam solitudinem intellexit, more ingeni humani cupido difficilia faciundi animum adorta. 4 et forte in eo loco grandis ilex coaluerat inter saxa, paulum modo prona, deinde inflexa atque aucta in altitudinem, quo cuncta gignentium natura fert. quoius ramis modo, modo eminentibus saxis nisus Ligus in castelli planitiem pervenit, quod cuncti Numidae intenti proeliantibus aderant. 5 exploratis omnibus, quae mox usui fore ducebat, eadem regreditur, non temere, uti ascenderat, sed temptans omnia et circumspiciens. 6 itaque Marium propere adit, acta edocet, hortatur, ab ea parte qua ipse ascenderat castellum temptet, pollicetur sese itineris periculique ducem. 7 Marius cum Ligure promissa eius cognitum ex praesentibus misit. quorum uti quoiusque ingenium erat, ita rem difficilem aut facilem nuntiavere; consulis animus tamen paulum adrectus. 8 itaque ex copia tubicinum et cornicinum numero quinque quam velocissumos delegit et cum iis, praesidio qui forent, quattuor centuriones, omnisque Liguri parere iubet et ei negotio proxumum diem constituit. 94 1 sed ubi ex praecepto tempus visum, paratis conpositisque omnibus ad locum pergit. ceterum illi, qui escensuri erant, praedocti ab duce arma ornatumque mutaverant: capite atque pedibus nudis, uti prospectus nisusque per saxa facilius foret; super terga gladii et scuta, verum ea Numidica ex coriis, ponderis gratia simul et offensa quo levius streperent. 2 igitur praegrediens Ligus saxa et si quae vetustate radices eminebant, laqueis vinciebat, quibus adlevati milites facilius escenderent, interdum timidos insolentia itineris levare manu; ubi paulo asperior ascensus erat, singulos prae se inermos mittere, deinde ipse cum illorum armis sequi; quae dubia nisui videbantur, potissumus temptare ac saepius eadem ascendens descendensque, dein statim digrediens ceteris audaciam addere. 3 igitur diu multumque fatigati tandem in castellum perveniunt, desertum ab ea part, quod omnes sicut aliis diebus advorsum hostis aderant. Marius ubi ex nuntiis quae Ligus egerat cognovit, quamquam toto die intentos proelio Numidas habuerat, tum vero cohortatus milites et ipse extra vineas egressus testudine acta succedere et simul hostem tormentis sagittariisque et funditoribus eminus terrere. 4 at Numidae, saepe antea vineis Romanorum subvorsis, item incensis, non castelli moenibus sese tutabantur, sed pro muro dies noctisque agitare, male dicere Romanis ac Mario vecordiam obiectare, militibus nostris Iugurthae servitium minari, secundis rebus feroces esse. 5 interim omnibus, Romanis hostibusque, proelio intentis, magna utrimque vi pro gloria atque imperio his illis pro salute certantibus, repente a tergo signa canere; ac primo mulieres et pueri, qui visum processerant, fugere, deinde uti quisque muro proxumus erat, postremo cuncti, armati inermesque. 6 quod ubi accidit, eo acrius Romani instare, fundere ac plerosque tantummodo sauciare, dein super occisorum corpora vadere, avidi gloriae certantes murum petere, neque quemquam omnium praeda morari. 7 sic forte correcta Mari temeritas gloriam ex culpa invenit.

Bellum Iugurthinum Perseus (Sallust. Bellum Iugurthinum. (No bibliographic information found).) — 92 focus

Postquam tantam rem Marius sine ullo suorum incommodo peregit, magnus et clarus antea, maior atque clarior haberi coepit. Omnia non bene consulta in virtutem trahebantur: milites, modesto imperio habiti simul et locupletes, ad caelum ferre; Numidae magis quam mortalem timere; postremo omnes, socii atque hostes, credere illi aut mentem divinam esse aut deorum nutu cuncta portendi. Sed consul, ubi ea res bene evenit, ad alia oppida pergit, pauca repugnantibus Numidis capit, plura deserta propter Capsensium miserias igni corrumpit: luctu atque caede omnia complentur. Denique multis locis potitus ac plerisque exercitu incruento aliam rem aggreditur, non eadem asperitate qua Capsensium, ceterum haud secus difficilem. Namque haud longe a flumine Muluccha, quod Iugurthae Bocchique regnum diiungebat, erat inter ceteram planitiem mons saxeus, mediocri castello satis patens, in immensum editus, uno perangusto aditu relicto; nam omnis natura uelut opere atque consulto praeceps. Quem locum Marius, quod ibi regis thesauri erant, summa vi capere intendit. Sed ea res forte quam consilio melius gesta. Nam castello virorum atque armorum satis et magna vis et frumenti et fons aquae; aggeribus turribusque et aliis machinationibus locus importunus; iter castellanorum angustum admodum, utrimque praecisum. Ea vineae cum ingenti periculo frustra agebantur; nam cum eae paulo processerant, igni aut lapidibus corrumpebantur. milites neque pro opere consistere propter iniquitatem loci neque inter vineas sine periculo administrare: optimus quisque cadere aut sauciari, ceteris metus augeri.

Notes on the current edition

The Jugurthine War

1. XCII. All his undertakings, etc.]

Omnia non bene consult in virtutem trahebantur.

" All that he did rashly was attributed to his consciousness of extraordinary power." If they could not praise his prudence, they praised his resolution and energy.

2. Difficult of execution]

Difficilem.

There seemed to be as many impediments to success as in the affair at Capsa, though the undertaking was not of so perilous a nature.

3. In the midst of a plain]

Inter cœteram planitiem.

By cœteram he signifies that the rest of the ground, except the part on which the fort stood, was plain and level.

4. Directed his utmost efforts to take]

Summâ vi capere intendit.

It is to be observed that summâ vi refers to intendit, not to capere. Summâ ope animum intendit ut caperet.

5. Among the vineæ]

Inter vineas.

" Inter, for which Muller, from a conjecture of Glareanus, substituted intra, is supported by all the manuscripts, and ought not to be altered, although intra would have been more exact, as the signification of inter is of greater extent, and includes that of intra. Inter is used when a thing is inclosed on each side; intra, when it is inclosed on all sides. If the soldiers, therefore, are considered as surrounded with the vineœ, they should be described as intra vineas; but as there is no reason why they may not also be contemplated as being inclosed only laterally by the vineœ, the phrase inter vineas may surely in that case be applied to them. Gronovius and Drakenborch ad Liv., i. 10, have observed how often these propositions are interchanged when referred to time."

Kritzius. On vineœ, see c. 76.

Sallust Bellum Iugurthinum 92

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

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