Conspiracy of Catiline and the Jurgurthine War Part 18

[20] V. Threw every thing, religious and civil, into confusion--_Divina et humana cuncta permiscuit_. "All things, both divine and human, were so changed, that their previous condition was entirely subverted."

_Dietsch_.

[21] Civil dissensions--_Studiis civilibus_. This is the sense in which most commentators take _studia_; and if this be right, the whole phrase must be understood as I have rendered it. So Cortius; "Ut non prius finirentur [_studia civilia_] nisi bello et vast.i.tate Italiae."

Sall.u.s.t has _studia partium_ Jug. c. 42; and Gerlach quotes from Cic.

pro Marcell. c. 10: "_Non enim consiliis solis et studiis, sed armis etiam et castris dissidebamus_".

[22] More than any other enemy--_Maxime_.

[23] Since the Roman name became great--_Post magnitudinem nominis Romani_. "I know not why interpreters should find any difficulty in this pa.s.sage. I understand it to signify simply _since_ the Romans became so great as they were in the time of Hannibal; for, _before_ that period they had suffered even heavier calamities, especially from the Gauls." _Cortius_.

[24] Syphax--"He was King of the Masaesyli in Numidia; was at first an enemy to the Carthaginians (Liv. xxiv. 48), and afterward their friend (Liv. xxviii. 17). He then changed sides again, and made a treaty with Scipio; but having at length been offered the hand of Sophonisba, the daughter of Asdrubal, in marriage, he accepted it, and returned into alliance with the Carthaginians. Being subsequently taken prisoner by Masinissa and Laelius, the lieutenant of Scipio, (Liv. x.x.x. 2) he was carried into Italy, and died at Tibur (Liv. x.x.x.

45)." _Burnouf_.

[25] His reign--_Imperii_. Cortius thinks that the grant of the Romans ceased with the life of Masinissa, and that his son, Micipsa, reigned only over that part of Numidia which originally belonged to his father. But in this opinion succeeding commentators have generally supposed him to be mistaken.

[26] VII. During the Numantine war--_Bella Numantino_. Numantia, which stood near the source of the Durius or _Douro_ in Spain, was so strong in its situation and fortifications, that it with stood the Romans for fourteen years. See Florus, ii. 17,18; Vell. Pat. ii. 4.

[27] VIII. Rather by attention to them as a body, than by practicing on individuals--_Publice quam privatim._ "Universae potius civitatis, quam privatorum gratiam quaerendo." _Burnouf_. The words can only be rendered periphrastically.

[28] IX. In a short time--_Statim_. If what is said in c. 11 be correct, that Jugurtha was adopted within three years of Micipsa's death, his adoption did not take place till twelve years after the taking of Numantia, which surrendered in 619, and Micipsa died in 634.

_Statim_ is therefore used with great lat.i.tude, unless we suppose Sall.u.s.t to mean that Micipsa signified to Jugurtha his intention to adopt him immediately on his return from Numantia, and that the formal ceremony of the adoption was delayed for some years.

[29] 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.

[30] Pre-eminent merit--_Gloria_. Our English word _glory_ is too strong.

[31] 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 praestare debes." _Bournouf_. "Per fidem quae decet in regno, _i.

e._ regem." _Dietsch_. "Per eam fidem, qua esse decet eum qui regnum obtinet. _Kritzius_.

[32] It is not armies, or treasures, etc.--[Greek: _Ou tode to chrusoun skaeptron to taen basileian diasozon estin, alla oi polloi philoi skaeptron basileioin ulaethestaton kai asphalestaton_.] "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.

[33] And who can be a greater friend than one brother to another?

--_Quis autem amicior, quam frater fratri?_ "[Greek: _Nomiz adelphous tous alaethinous philous_] Menander." _Wa.s.se_.

[34] That I have not adopted a better son, &c--_Ne ego meliores liberos sumsissevidear quam genuisse_. As there is no allusion to Micipsa's adoption of any other son than Jugurtha, Sall.u.s.t's expression _liberos sumsisse_ can hardly be defended. It is necessary to give _son_ in the singular, in the translation.

[35] XI. Had spoken insincerely--_Ficta locutum_. Jugurtha saw that Micipsa pretended more love for him than he really felt. Compare c. 6,7.

[36] Which is regarded by the Numidians as the seat of honor--_Quad apud Numidas honori ducitur_. "I incline," says Sir Henry Steuart, "to consider those ma.n.u.scripts as the most correct, in which the word _et_ is placed immediately before _apud, Quod et apud Numidas honori ducitur_." Sir Henry might have learned, had he consulted the commentators, that "_ the word_ et _is placed immediately before_ apud" in no ma.n.u.script; that Lipsius was the first who proposed its insertion; and that Crispinus, the only editor who has received it into his text, is ridiculed by Wa.s.se for his folly. "Lipsius," says Cortius, "c.u.m sciret apud Romanos etiam medium loc.u.m honoratiorem fuisse, corrigit: _quod et apud Numidas honori ducitur_. Sed quis talia ab historico exegerit? Si de Numidis narrat, non facile aliquis intulerit, aliter propterea fuisse apud Romanos."

[37] To the other seat--_In alteram partem_. We must suppose that the three seats were placed ready for the three princes; that Adherbal sat down first, in one of the outside seats; the one, namely, that would be on the right hand of a spectator facing them; and that Hiempsal immediately took the middle seat, on Adherbal's right hand, so as to force Jugurtha to take the other outside one. Adherbal had then to remove Hiempsal _in alteram partem_, that is, to induce him to take the seat corresponding to his own, on the other side of the middle one.

[38] Chief lictor--_Proximus lictor_. "The _proximus lictor_ was he who, when the lictors walked before the prince or magistrate in a regular line, one behind the other, was last, or next to the person on whom they attended." _Cortius_. He would thus be ready to receive the great man's commands, and be in immediate communication with him. We must suppose either that Sall.u.s.t merely speaks in conformity with the practice of the Romans, or, what is more probable, that the Roman custom of being preceded by lictors had been adopted in Numidia.

[39] Hut of a maid-servant--_Tugurio muliers ancillae_ Rose renders _tugurio_ "a mean apartment," and other translators have given something similar, as if they thought that the servant must have had a room in the house. But she, and other Numidian servants, may have had huts apart from the dwelling-house. _Tugurium_ undoubtedly signifies _a hut_ in general.

[40] XIII. Into our province--_In Provinciam_. "The word _province_, in this place, signifies that part of Africa which, after the destruction of Carthage, fell to the Romans by the right of conquest, in opposition to the kingdom of Micipsa." _Wa.s.se_.

[41] Having thus accomplished his purposes--_Patratis consiliis_.

After _consiliis_, in all the ma.n.u.scripts, occur the words _postquam omnis Numidia potiebatur_, which were struck out by Cortius, as being _turp.i.s.sima glossa_. The recent editors, Gerlach, Kritz, Dietsch, and Burnouf, have restored them.

[42] His intimate friends--_Hospitibus_. Persons probably with whom he had been intimate at Numantia, or who had since visited him in Numidia.

[43] The senate--gave audience to both parties--_senatus utrisque datur_. "The emba.s.sadors of Jugurtha, and Adberbal in person, are admitted into the senate-house to plead their cause." _Burnouf_.

[44] By deputation--_Procuratione_. He was to consider himself only the _procurator_, manager, or deputed governor, of the kingdom.

[45] Kindred--and relatives--_Cognatorum--affinium_. _Cognatus_ is a blood relation; _affinis_ is properly a relative by marriage.

[46] Hereditary--_Ab stirpe_.

[47] Next to this--_Secundum ea_. "Priscia.n.u.s, lib. xiii., de praepositione agens, _Secundum_, inquit, _quando pro [Greek: _kata ei meta_] loco praepositionis est_. Sall.u.s.tius in Jugurthino: _secundum ea, uti deditis uterer_.--Videlicet hoc dicit, _Secundum_ in Sall.u.s.tii exemple, _post_ vel _proxime_ significare." _Rivius_.

[48] As I had no power to form the character of Jugurtha--_Neque mihi in manu fuit, qualis Jugurtha foret_. "_In manu fuit_ is simply _in potestate fuit_--Ter. Hec., iv. 4, 44: _Uxor quid faciat in manu non est mea_." _Cortius_.

[49] Dishonored, afflicted--_Deformatus aerumnis.

[50] Above all others--_Potissimum_.

[51] One of us has been murdered, and I, the other, have scarcely escaped the hand of lawlessness--_Alter eorum necatus, alterius ipse ego ma.n.u.s impias vix effugi_. This is the general reading, but it can not be right. Adherbal speaks of himself and his brother as two persons, and of Jugurtha as a third, and says that _of those two_ the one (_alter_) has been killed; he would then naturally proceed to speak of himself as the other; _i. e._ he would use the word _alter_ concerning himself, not apply it to Jugurtha. Allen, therefore, proposes to read _alter necatus, alter ma.n.u.s impias vix effugi_. This mode of correction strikes out too much; but there is no doubt that the second _alter_ should be in the nominative case.

[52] From being friendly, has become hostile to me--_Ex necessariis adversa facta sunt._ "Si omnia mihi incolumia manerent, neque quidquam rerum mearum (s. praesidiorum) amisissem, neque Jugurtha aliique mihi ex necessariis inimici facti essent."_Kritzius_.

[53] But would that I could see him, etc.--_Quod utinam illum--videam_.

The _quod_, in _quod utinam_, is the same as that in _quod si_, which we commonly translate, _but if_. _Quod_, in such expressions, serves as a particle of connection, between what precedes and what follows it; the Latins being fond of connection by means of relatives. See Zumpt's Lat. Grammar on this point, Sect. 63, 82, Kenrick's translation.

Kritzius writes _quodutinam_, _quodsi_, _quodnisi_, etc., as one word.

Cortius injudiciously interprets _quod_ in this pa.s.sage as having _facientem_ understood with it.

[54] My life or death depends on the aid of others--_Cujus vitae necisque ex opibus alienis pendet_. On the aid of the Romans. Unless they protected him, he expected to meet with the same fate as Hiempsal at the hands of Jugurtha.

[55] Without disgrace--_Sine dedecore_. That is, if he did not succeed in getting revenge on Jugurtha.

[56] By your regard for yourselves, etc.--I have here departed from the text of Cortius, who reads _per, vos, liberos atque parentes_, i. e. _vos (obsecro) per liberos_, etc., as most critics would explain it, though Cortius himself prefers taking _vos_ as the nominative case, and joining it with _subvenite_, which follows. Most other editions have _per vos, per liberos, atque parentes vestros_, to which I have adhered. _Per vos_, though an adjuration not used in modern times, is found in other pa.s.sages of the Roman writers. Thus Liv. xxix. 18: _Per vos, fidemque vestram_. Cic. pro Planc., c. 42; _Per vos, per fortunas vestras_.

[57] To sink into ruin--_Tabescere_. "Paullatim interire."

_Cortius_. Lucret. ii. 1172: _Omnia paullatim tabescere el ire Ad capulum_. "This speech," says Gerlach, "though of less weighty argument than the other speeches of Sall.u.s.t, is composed with great art. Neither the speaker nor his cause was adapted for the highest flights of eloquence; but Sall.u.s.t has shrouded Adherbal's weakness in excellent language. That there is a constant recurrence to the same topics, is no ground for blame; indeed, such recurrence could hardly be avoided, for it is natural to all speeches in which the orator earnestly labors to make his hearers adopt his own feelings and views.

The Romans were again and again to be supplicated, and again and again to be reminded of the character and services of Masinissa, that they might be induced, if not by the love of justice, yet by the dread of censure, to relieve the distresses of his grandson.... He omits no argument or representation that could move the pity of the Romans; and if his abject prostration of mind appears more suitable to a woman than a man, it is to be remembered that it is purposely introduced by Sall.u.s.t to exhibit the weakness of his character."

[58] XV. Aemilius Scaurus--He was _princeps senatus_(see c. 25), and seems to be pretty faithfully characterized by Sall.u.s.t as a man of eminent abilities, but too avaricious to be strictly honest. Cicero, who alludes to him in many pa.s.sages with commendation (Off., i. 20, 30; Brut. 29; Pro Muraen., 7; Pro Fonteio, 7), mentions an anecdote respecting him (De Orat. ii. 70), which shows that he had a general character for covetousness. See Pliny, H. N, x.x.xvi. 14. Valerius Maximus (iii. 7, 8) tells another anecdote of him, which shows that he must have been held in much esteem, for whatever qualities, by the public. Being accused before the people of having taken a bribe from Mithridates, he made a few remarks on his own general conduct; and added, "Varius of Sucro says that Marcus Scaurus, being bribed with the king's money, has betrayed the interests of the Roman people.

Marcus Scaurus denies that he is guilty of what is laid to his charge.

Which of the two do you believe?" The people dismissed the accusation; but the words of Scaurus may be regarded as those of a man rather seeking to convey a notion of his innocence, than capable of proving it. The circ.u.mstance which Cicero relates is this: Scaurus had incurred some obloquy for having, as it was said, taken possession of the property of a certain rich man, named Phyrgio Pompeius, without being ent.i.tled to it by any will; and being engaged as an advocate in some cause, Mommius, who was pleading on the opposite side, seeing a funeral pa.s.s by at the time, said, "Scaurus, yonder is a dead man, on his way to the grave; if you can but get possession of his property!"

I mention these matters, because it has been thought that Sall.u.s.t, from some ill-feeling, represents Scaurus as more avaricious than he really was.

[59] His ruling pa.s.sion--_Consueta libidine_. Namely, avarice.

[60] XVI. Lucius Opimius--His contention with the party of C. Gracchus may be seen in any history of Rome. For receiving bribes from Jugurtha he was publicly accused, and being condemned, ended his life, which was protracted to old age, in exile and neglect. Cic. Brut. 33; Planc. 28.

[61] XVII. Only two divisions, Asia and Europe--Thus Varro, de L.