Conspiracy of Catiline and the Jurgurthine War Part 19

L. iv.13, ed. Bip. "As all nature is divided into heaven and earth, so the heaven is divided into regions, and the earth into Asia and Europe." See Bronkh. ad Tibull., iv. 1, 176.

[62] The strait connecting our sea with the ocean--_Fretum nostri maris et oceani_. That is, the _Fretum Gaditanum_, or Strait of Gibraltar. By _our see_, he means the Mediterranean. See Pomp. Mela, i. 1.

[63] A vast sloping tract--Catabathmos--_Declivem lat.i.tudinem, quem loc.u.m Catabathmon incolae appellant. Catabathmus--vallis repente convexa_, Plin. H. N. v 5. _Catabathmus, vallis devexa in Aegyptum_, Pomp. Mela, i. 8. I have translated _declivem lat.i.tudinem_ in conformity with these pa.s.sages. _Catabathmus_, a Greek word, means _a descent_. There were two, the _major_ and _minor_; Sall.u.s.t speaks of the _major_.

[64] Most of them die by the gradual decay of age--_Plerosque senectus dissolvit_ "A happy expression; since the effect of old age on the bodily frame is not to break it in pieces suddenly, but to dissolve it, as it were, gradually and imperceptibly." _Burnouf_.

[65] King Hiempsal--"This is not the prince that was murdered by Jugurtha, but the king who succeeded him; he was grandson of Masinissa, son of Gulussa, and father of Juba. After Juba was killed at Thapsus, Caesar reduced Numidia to the condition of a province, and appointed Sall.u.s.t over it, who had thus opportunities of gaining a knowledge of the country, and of consulting the books written in the language of it." _Burnouf_.

[66] XVIII. Getulians and Lybians--_Gaetuli et Libyes_, "See Pompon. Mel. i. 4; Plin. H. N. v. 4, 6, 8, v. 2, xxi. 13; Herod, iv.

159, 168." _Gerlach_. The name _Gaetuli_, is, however, unknown to Herodotus. They lay to the south of Numidia and Mauretania. See Strabo, xvii. 3. _Libyes_ is a term applied by the Greek writers properly to the Africans of the North coast, but frequently to the inhabitants of Africa in general.

[67] His army, which was composed of various nations--This seems to have been an amplification of the adventure of Hercules with Geryon, who was a king in Spain. But all stories that make Hercule a leader of armies appear to be equally fabulous.

[68] Medes, Persians and Armenians--De Brosses thinks that these were not real Medes, etc., but that the names were derived from certain companions of Hercules. The point is not worth discussion.

[69] Our sea--The Mediterranean. See above, c. 17.

[70] More toward the Ocean--_Intra oceanum magis_. "_Intra oceanum_ is differently explained by different commentators. Cortius, Muller and Gerlach, understand the parts bounded by the ocean, lying close upon it, and stretching toward the west; while Langius thinks that the regions more remote from the Atlantic Ocean, and extending toward the east, are meant. But Langius did not consider that those who had inverted keels of vessels for cottages, could not have strayed far from the ocean, but must have settled in parts bordering upon it_. And this is what is signified by _intra oceanum_.

For _intra aliquam rem_ is not always used to denote what is actually _in a thing,_ and circ.u.mscribed by its boundaries, but what approaches toward it, and reaches close to it." Kritzius. He then instances _intra modum, intra legem; Hortensii scripta intra famam sunt_, Quintil. xi. 8, 8. But the best example which he produces is Liv. xxv.

11: _Fossa ingens ducta, et vallum_, intra eam _erigitur_. Cicero, in Verr. iii. 89, has also, he notices, the same, expression, _Locus_ intra oceanum _jam nullus est--qu non nostrorum hominum libido iniquitasque pervaserit_, i. e.. _locus oceano conterminus_. Burnouf absurdly follows Langius.

[71] Numidians--_Numidas_. The same as _Nomades_, or wanderers; a term applied to pastoral nations, and which, as Kritzius observes, the Africans must have had from the Greeks, perhaps those of Sicily.

[72] More to the sun--_sub sole magis_. I have borrowed this expression from Rose. The Getulians were more southward.

[73] These soon built themselves towns--That is, the united Medes, Armenians, and Libyans.

[74] Medes--into Moors--_Mauris pro Medis_. A most improbable, not to say impossible corruption.

[75] Of the Persians--_Persarum_. That is, of the Persians and Getulians united.

[76] The two parties--_Utrique_. The older Numidians, and the younger, who had emigrated toward Carthage.

[77] Those who had spread toward our sea--for the Libyans are less warlike than the Getulians--_Magis hi, qui ad nostrum mare processerant; quia Libyes quam Gaetuli minus bellicosi_. The Persians and Getulians (under the name of Numidians), and their colonists, who were more toward the Mediterranean, and were more warlike than the Libyans (who were united with the Medes and Armenians) took from them portions of their territories by conquest. This is clearly the sense, as deducible from the preceding portion of the text.

[78] Lower Africa--_Africa pars inferior_. The part nearest to the sea. The ancients called the maritime parts of a country _the lower parts_, and the inland parts _the higher_, taking the notion, probably, from the course of the rivers. Lower Egypt was the part at the mouth of the Nile.

[79] XIX. Hippo--"It is not Hippo Regius" (now called _Bona_) "that is meant, but another Hippo, otherwise called _Diarrhytum_ or _Zarytum_, situate in Zengitana, not far from Utica. This is shown by the order in which the places are named, as has already been observed by Cortius."

_Kritzius_.

[80] Leptis--There were two cities of this name. Leptis Major, now _Lebida_, lay between the two Syrtes; Leptis Minor, now _Lempta_, between the smaller Sytis and Carthage. It is the latter that is meant here, and in c. 77, 78.

[81] Next to the Catabathmos--_Ad Catabathmon_. _Ad_ means, on the side of the country toward the Catabathmos. "Catabathmon _initium_ ponens Sall.u.s.tius ab eo _discedit_." Kritzius.

[82] Along the sea-coast--_Secundo mari_. "Si quis secundum mare pergat" _Wa.s.se._

[83] Of Therseans--_Theraeon_. From the island of Thera, one of the Sporades, in the Aegean Sea, now called _Santorin_. Battus was the leader of the colony. See Herod., iv. 145; Strab., xvii. 8; Pind.

Pyth., iv.

[84] Two Syrtes--See c. 78.

[85] Leptis--That is, _Leptis Major_. See above on this c.

[86] Altars of the Philaeni--see c. 79.

[87] To the south of Numidia--_Super Numidiam_. "Ultra Numidiam, meridiem versus." _Burnouf_.

[88] Had lately possessed--_Novissime habuerant_. In the interval between the second and third Punic wars.

[89] XXI. Both armies took up, etc.--I have omitted the word _interim_ at the beginning of this sentence, as it would be worse than useless in the translation. It signifies, _during the interval before the armies came to an engagement_; but this is sufficiently expressed at the termination of the sentence.

[90] Cirta--Afterward named _Sittianorum Colonia_, from P. Sittius Nucerinus (mentioned in Cat., c. 21), who a.s.sisted Caesar in the African war, and was rewarded by him with the possession of this city and its lands. It is now called _Constantina_, from Constantine the Great, who enlarged and restored it when it had fallen into decay.

Strabo describes it, xvii. 3.

[91] Twilight was beginning to appear--_Obscuro etiam tum lumine_.

Before day had fairly dawned.

[92] Romans--_Togatorum_. Romans, with, perhaps, some of the allies, engaged in merchandise, or other peaceful occupations, and therefore wearing the _toga_. They are called _Italici_ in c. 26.

[93] Three young men--_Tres adolescentes_. Cortius includes these words in brackets, regarding them as the insertion of some sciolist. But a sciolist, as Burnouf observes, would hardly have thought of inserting _tres adolescentes_. The words occur in all the MSS., and are pretty well confirmed by what is said below, c. 25, that when the senate next sent a deputation, they took care to make it consist of _majores natu, n.o.biles_. See on _adolescens_, Cat., c. 38.

[94] XXII. Told much less than the truth--_Sed is rumor clemens erat_.

"It fell below the truth, not telling the whole of the atrocity that had been committed." _Gruter._ "Priscian (xviii. 26) interprets _clemens_ 'non nimius,' alluding to this pa.s.sage of Sall.u.s.t."

_Kritzius._ All the later commentators have adopted this interpretation, except Burnouf, who adopts the supposition of Ciacconius, that a _vague and uncertain_ rumor is meant.

[95] Right of nations--_Jure gentium._ "That is, the right of avenging himself." _Rupertus._

[96] XXIV. Pays no regard--_Neque--in animo habeat._ This letter of Adherbal's, both in matter and tone, is very similar to his speech in c. 14.

[97] I have experienced, even before--_Jam antea expertus sum._ He means, in the result of his speech to the senate.

[98] XXV. Chief of the senate--_Princeps senatus._ "He whose name was first entered in the censors' books was called _Princeps Senatus_, which t.i.tle used to be given to the person who of those alive had been censor first (_qui primus censor, ex iis qui viverent, fuisset_), but after the year 544, to him whom the censors thought most worthy, Liv., xxvii. 13. This dignity, although it conferred no command or emolument, was esteemed the very highest, and was usually retained for life, Liv., x.x.xiv. 44; x.x.xix. 52. It is called _Princ.i.p.atus_; and hence afterward the Emperor was named _Princeps_, which word properly denotes rank, and not power." Adam's Rom. Antiq., p. 3.

[99] At length the evil incitements of ambition prevailed--_Vicit tamen in avido ingenio pravum consilium._ "Evil propensities gained the ascendency in his ambitious disposition."

[100] XXVI. The Italians--_Italici._ See c. 21.

[101] XXVII. By the Semp.r.o.nian law--_Lege Semp.r.o.nia._ This was the _Lex Semp.r.o.nia de Provinciis._ In the early ages of the republic, the provinces were decreed by the senate to the consuls after they were elected; but by this law, pa.s.sed A.U.C. 631, the senate fixed on two provinces for the future consuls before their election (Cic. Pro Dom., 9; De Prov. Cons., 2), which they, after entering on their office, divided between themselves by lot or agreement. The law was pa.s.sed by Caius Gracchus. See Adam's Rom. Antiq., p. 105.

[102] Publius Scipio Nasica--"The great-grandson of him who was p.r.o.nounced by the senate to be _vir optimus_; and son of him who, though holding no office at the time, took part in putting to death Tiberius Gracchus. He was consul with Bestia, A.U.C. 643, and died in his consulship. Cic. Brut., 34." _Burnouf._

[103] Lucius Bestia Calpurnius--"He had been on the side of the n.o.bility against the Gracchi, and was therefore in favor with the senate. After his consulship he was accused and condemned by the Mamilian law (c. 40), for having received money from Jugurtha, Cic.

Brut. c. 34. De Brosses thinks that he was the grandfather of that Bestia who was engaged in the conspiracy of Catilina." Burnouf._

[104] XXIX. For the sake of giving confidence--_Fidei causa._ "In order that Jugurtha might have confidence in Bestia, s.e.xtius the quaestor was sent as a sort of hostage into one of Jugurtha's towns."

_Cortius._

[105] As if by an evident majority of voices--_Quasi per saturam exquisitis sententiis._ "The opinions being taken in a confused manner," or, as we say, _in the lump_. The sense manifestly is, that there was (or was said to be) such a preponderating majority in Jugurtha's favor, that it was not necessary to ask the opinion of each individual in order. _Satura_, which some think to be always an adjective, with _lanx_ understood, though _lanx_, according to Sch.e.l.ler, is never found joined with it in ancient authors, was _a plate filled with various kinds of fruit, such as was annually offered to the G.o.ds._ "Lanx plena diversis frugibus in templum Cereris infertur, quae satura nomine appellatur," Acron. ad Hor. Sat., i. 1, _init_. "Lanx. referta variis multisque primitiis, sacris Cereris inferebatur," Diomed., iii. p. 483."Satura, cibi genus ex variis rebus conditum," Festus _sub voce_. See Casaubon. de Rom. Satira, ii. 4; Kritzius ad h. l., and Sch.e.l.ler's Lex. v., _Satur._ In the Pref. to Justinian's Pandects, that work is called _opus sparsim et quasi per saturam collectum, utile c.u.m inutilibus mixtim._