50. Sed ubi Numidas quietos neque colle degredi animadvertit, veritus ex anni tempore et inopia aquae, ne siti conficeretur exercitus, Rutilium legatum cum expeditis cohortibus et parte equitum praemisit ad flumen, uti locum castris antecaperet, existimans hostes crebro impetu et transversis proeliis1 iter suum remoraturos, et quoniam armis diffiderent, lassitudinem et sitim militum temptaturos.2 Deinde ipse pro re atque loco, sicuti monte descenderat, paulatim procedere, Marium post principia habere, ipse cum sinistrae alae equitibus esse, qui in agmine principes facti erant.3 At Jugurtha, ubi extremum agmen Metelli primos suos praetergressum videt, praesidio quasi duum milium peditum montem occupat, qua Metellus descenderat, ne forte cedentibus adversariis receptui ac post munimento foret; dein repente signo dato hostes invadit. Numidae alii postremos caedere, pars a sinistra ac dextera temptare, infensi adesse atque instare, omnibus locis Romanorum ordines conturbare, quorum etiam qui firmioribus animis obvii hostibus fuerant, ludificati incerto proelio, ipsi modo eminus sauciabantur, neque contra feriundi aut conserendi manum copia erat; ante jam docti ab Jugurtha equites, ubicunque Romanorum turma insequi coeperat, non confertim neque in unum sese recipiebant, sed alius alio quam maxime diversi. Ita numero priores, si ab persequendo hostes deterrere nequiverant, disjectos ab tergo aut lateribus circumveniebant; sin opportunior fugae collis quam campi fuerat, ea vero consueti Numidarum equi facile inter virgulta evadere; nostros asperitas et insolentia loci retinebat.

then the column had been). The march of the Roman army was from east to west; the enemy appeared on the right flank, and the Roman vanguard (principia) therefore turned round to face them (that is, turning its face to the north), and it is this direction which is expressed by transversus. Principia is the vanguard, because in a Roman legion the ten companies of principes formed the front line, while the hastati constituted the second, and the triarii the third. In this manner the principes here faced the enemy, while the other divisions of the army drew up behind them as a reserve.

1 Transversis proeliis, by attacks on the flanks'-namely, if the Roman army should resume its march westward.

2 Temptare lassitudinem militum, the same as lassos milites aggredi.

3 The army was drawn up in battle array facing the north, so that, if it resumed its march westward, the part which formed the left wing became the head of the column (agmen).

4 Priores; that is, superiores, superior.'

5 Ea, on this road,' or 'there.' Evadere, 'to ascend.' Vero in the apodosis renders it strong and emphatic. See Zumpt, § 716.

51. Ceterum facies totius negotii varia, incerta, foeda atque miserabilis; dispersi a suis pars cedere, alii insequi, neque signa neque ordines observare, ubi quemque periculum ceperat, ibi resistere ac propulsare, arma tela,1 equi viri, hostes atque cives permixti, nihil consilio neque imperio agi, fors omnia regere: itaque multum diei processerat, quum etiamtum eventus in incerto erat. Denique omnibus labore et aestu languidis, Metellus ubi videt Numidas minus instare, paulatim milites in unum conducit, ordines restituit et cohortes legionarias quatuor adversum pedites hostium collocat. Eorum magna pars superioribus locis fessa consederat. Simul orare, hortari milites, ne deficerent, neu paterentur hostes fugientes vincere; neque illis castra esse neque munimentum ullum, quo cedentes tenderent, in armis omnia sita. Sed ne Jugurtha quidem interea quietus erat; circumire, hortari, renovare proelium et ipse cum delectis temptare omnia, subvenire suis, hostibus dubiis instare, quos firmos cognoverat, eminus pugnando retinere.

52. Eo modo inter se duo imperatores, summi viri certabant, ipsi pares, ceterum opibus disparibus. Nam Metello virtus militum erat, locus adversus, Jugurthae alia omnia praeter milites opportuna. Denique Romani, ubi intelligunt neque sibi perfugium esse neque ab hoste copiam pugnandi fieri (et jam diei3 vesper erat) adverso colle, sicuti praeceptum fuerat, evadunt. Amisso loco Numidae fusi fugatique; pauci interiere, plerosque velocitas et regio hostibus ignara tutata sunt. Interea Bomilcar, quem elephantis et parti copiarum pedestrium praefectum ab Jugurtha supra diximus, ubi eum

1 Respecting the omission of et, see Zumpt, § 782. Arma and tela are the two kinds of arms, the one being used in a close contest, and the other at a distance; the use of either of them depended on chance (fors regebat). Itaque in the next clause is the same as et ita, and not the conjunction itaque igitur.

2They had no camp, no fortifications into which they could retreat.' Illis refers to the Romans addressed, and is rendered by the emphatic they; instead of illis, the speaker might have used ipsis, whereby he would have included himself, whereas now he is speaking only of the soldiers. Compare Zumpt, § 702.

3 Diei; other editions have die, an obsolete form of the fifth declension. Adverso colle evadunt, they worked their way up the opposite hill. The author might have said in adversum collem, they ascended it.'

4 The neuter predicate tutata sunt here refers to two feminine nouns, instead of tutatae sunt; but this is quite in accordance with the custom of Sallust, See Zumpt, § 377.

Rutilius praetergressus est, paulatim suos in aequum locum deducit ac, dum legatus ad flumen, quo praemissus erat, festinans pergit, quietus, uti res postulabat, aciem exornat, neque remittit, quid ubique hostis ageret, explorare. Postquam Rutilium consedisse jam et animo vacuum accepit, simulque ex Jugurthae proelio clamorem augeri, veritus, ne legatus cognita re laborantibus suis auxilio foret, aciem, quam diffidens virtuti militum arte statuerat,2 quo hostium itineri officeret, latius porrigit, eoque modo ad Rutulii castra procedit.

53. Romani ex improviso pulveris vim magnam animadvertunt; nam prospectum ager arbustis consitus prohibebat. Et primo rati humum aridam vento agitari, post ubi aequabilem manere et, sicuti acies movebatur, magis magisque appropinquare vident, cognita re properantes arma capiunt ac pro castris, sicuti imperabatur, consistunt. Deinde, ubi propius ventum est, utrimque magno clamore concurritur. Numidae tantummodo remorati, dum in elephantis auxilium putant,3 postquam eos impeditos ramis arborum atque ita disjectos circumveniri vident, fugam faciunt ac plerique abjectis armis collis aut noctis quae jam aderat auxilio integri abeunt. Elephanti quatuor capti, reliqui omnes numero quadraginta interfecti. At Romani, quamquam itinere atque opere castrorum et proelio fessi lassique erant, tamen, quod Metellus amplius opinione morabatur, instructi intentique obviam procedunt. Nam dolus Numidarum nihil languidi neque remissi patiebatur. Ac primo, obscura nocte, postquam haud procul inter se erant, strepitu, velut hostes adventarent,5 alteri apud

1 'What the enemy were doing in every place;' for ubique signifies ' in every place;' not absolutely, but in every one of the places where anything was done by the enemy. Ubique stands to ubivis in the same relation as quisque to quivis. Compare Zumpt, § 710.

2' He had drawn up his corps close together.' About arte, see Cat., chap. 59, and p. 115, note 2.

3 They held out only so long as they believed that they had an assistance in their elephants.' When they were disappointed in this hope, they took to flight; for fugam facere is here the same as fugere, though generally it is equivalent to fugare.

4 Tired and worn out.'

5 The two detachments of the Roman army approaching each other, threw each other into fear and confusion by the noise of their march, as they imagined that the enemy was approaching. We have retained adventarent, the reading of the early editions; the one now generally received, adventare, must be rendered, 'when they were not far from one another, they approached in a noisy manner, like enemies, (and) filled each other mutually with fear.' But here the verb adventare is

alteros formidinem simul et tumultum facere, et paene imprudentia admissum1 facinus miserabile, ni utrimque praemissi equites rem exploravissent. Igitur pro metu repente gaudium exortum, milites alius alium laeti appellant, acta edocent atque audiunt, sua quisque fortia facta ad coelum fert. Quippe res humanae ita sese habent: in victoria vel ignavis gloriari licet, adversae res etiam bonos detractant.2

54. Metellus in iisdem castris quatriduo3 moratus, saucios cum cura reficit, meritos in proeliis more militiae donat, universos in contione laudat atque agit gratias; hortatur ad cetera, quae levia sunt, parem animum gerant; pro victoria satis jam pugnatum, reliquos labores pro praeda fore. Tamen interim transfugas et alios opportunos, Jugurtha ubi gentium5 aut quid agitaret, cum paucisne esset, an exercitum haberet, ut sese victus gereret, exploratum misit. At ille sese in loca saltuosa et natura munita receperat, ibique cogebat exercitum numero hominum ampliorem, sed hebetem infirmumque, agri ac pecoris magis quam belli cultorem.6 Id ea gratia7 eveniebat, quod praeter regios equites nemo omnium Numidarum ex fuga regem sequitur; quo cujusque animus fert, eo discedunt, neque id flagitium militiae ducitur; ita se mores habent. Igitur Metellus ubi videt etiamtum regis animum ferocem esse, bellum renovari, quod nisi ex illius libidine geri non posset, praeterea iniquum certamen sibi cum hostibus,

8

offensive, it having already been said that they were not far from one another; so also is the mere ablative strepitu adventare and the omission of et, for which we cannot see any reason.

1 Supply esset.

Misfortunes lower even good men ;' that is, diminish their repu

tation.

3 Duration of time is properly expressed by the accusative, but the ablative also is not unfrequently employed. See Zumpt, § 396.

4 Sunt here changes the oratio obliqua into the oratio recta; according to the grammatical rule, it ought to be sint or essent.

3 Gentium is added to increase the expression of uncertainty. See Zumpt, § 434.

6 A bold combination of terms: soldiers who were in the habit of being more concerned about the cattle and the field than about war. Respecting the substantive cultor, instead of the participle colens, see p. 114, note 2.

7 Ea gratia, a concise expression for ejus (rei) gratia, 'on this account. In like manner we find hac, ea causa.

8 Which could not be carried on otherwise than according to his pleasure;' because, considering the number and condition of his irregular troops, he had it in his power both to attack and to retreat, and thus to draw the Romans hither and thither.

minore detrimento illos vinci quam suos vincere, statuit non proeliis neque in acie, sed alio more bellum gerundum. Itaque in Numidiae loca opulentissima pergit, agros vastat, multa castella et oppida temerel munita aut sine praesidio capit incenditque; puberes interfici jubet, alia omnia militum praedam esse. Ea formidine multi mortales Romanis dediti obsides; frumentum et alia, quae usui forent, affatim praebita, ubicunque res postulabat, praesidium impositum. Quae negotia multo magis quam proelium male pugnatum ab suis, regem terrebant; quippe cui spes omnis in fuga sita erat, sequi cogebatur, et qui sua loca2 defendere nequiverat, in alienis bellum gerere. Tamen ex copia3 quod optimum videbatur consilium capit, exercitum plerumque in iisdem locis opperiri jubet, ipse cum delectis equitibus Metellum sequitur, nocturnis et aviis itineribus ignoratus Romanos palantes repente aggreditur. Eorum plerique inermes cadunt, multi capiuntur, nemo omnium intactus profugit, et Numidae, priusquam ex castris subveniretur, sicuti jussi erant, in proximos colles discedunt.

55. Interim Romae gaudium ingens ortum cognitis Metelli rebus, ut seque et exercitum more majorum gereret, in adverso loco victor tamen virtute fuisset hostium agro potiretur, Jugurtham magnificum1 ex Auli socordia spem salutis in solitudine aut fuga coëgisset habere. Itaque senatus ob ea feliciter acta dis immortalibus supplicia decernere, civitas trepida antea et sollicita de belli eventu laeta agere, fama de Metello praeclara esse. Igitur eo intentior ad victoriam niti, omnibus modis festinare, cavere tamen, necubi6 hosti opportunus fieret, meminisse post gloriam invidiam sequi. Ita quo clarior, eo

1 Temere signifies that which is done without any lasting effect, without serious consideration, or what is suggested by mere accident or chance.

2 Sua loca are convenient' or 'favourable places;' aliena, 'inconvenient; that is, such as he would not have chosen himself.

3' According to circumstances,' as in chap. 39: ex copia rerum, ‘according to the state of circumstances.'

4 Magnificus, boasting,' 'insolent,' as in chap. 31: incedunt per ora vestra magnifici.

5 Such a public thanksgiving ordered by the senate is commonly called supplicatio, and was a sign that the general was likely to be honoured with a triumph.

6 Necubi for ne alicubi, 'in order that not somewhere.' See Zumpt, § 136.