[205] Arcessere, ‘to summon before a court of justice,’ governs the genitive of the thing for which a person is summoned.
[206] Rogatio, ‘a proposal to the people,’ because, in making a proposal, as well as at elections of magistrates, the people were requested (rogabatur) to pass a resolution.
[33.]
[207] Per sese, ‘as far as lay in him,’ ‘as much as he could,’ as in the phrase per me licet.
[208] Respecting Romae Numidiaeque, where Numidiae by a kind of attraction takes the same case as Romae, instead of in Numidia, see Zumpt, § 398, note 1.
[209] ‘He (Jugurtha) would not, indeed, thereby be a safety to his accomplices, but destroy his own hope (of obtaining pardon).’
[34.]
[210] The words quae ira fieri amat are very surprising, but were regarded by the ancients themselves as a Graecism of Sallust, from whom Quinctilian quotes the words quae vulgus amat fieri, which occurred in a work of Sallust that is lost. In both cases, we must construe ira (vulgus) amat with an accusative with the infinitive after it: ‘anger likes that this or that should happen.’
[211] Animus augescit, ‘courage grows’ or ‘increases.’ For the plural animi, see Zumpt, § 92.
[35.]
[212] We here enter the year B.C. 110.
[213] Urgueat, ‘presses Jugurtha;’ that is, he is hindered by the indignation on account of his past crimes, and at the same time by the apprehension with which the Roman people regard him.
[214] He would like best that it should be done in secret; but if this should not succeed, he would like it to be done in any way, whatever it might be. Instead of maxime, the author might have said potissimum. See the same expression [chap. 46].
[215] Profiteri indicium, ‘to declare that you will state everything.’ We must understand that in the defective administration of justice at Rome, the index (informer) received a promise of impunity.
[216] Manifestus, with the genitive of the crime, is a person qui mani festo tenetur, or against whom there is most decisive evidence.
[217] Animum adverto, the same as the compound animadverto, like venum eo for veneo.
[218] Jugurtha had given fifty sureties in the name of Bomilcar, in order that he might remain at liberty. These sureties were of course fifty Roman citizens. As Bomilcar fled, those sureties had to pay the money with which each guaranteed his appearance, and there can be no doubt but that Jugurtha secretly paid the money.
[219] Paucis diebus. See Zumpt, § 480.
[36.]
[220] This season was usually the middle of the year, but was frequently delayed until the autumn. The consul Albinus seems to have been commissioned to preside at the elections, because his colleague, who had obtained Macedonia, was at a still greater distance.
[221] Jugurtha protracted the war, delayed the negotiations for peace, and in this manner thwarted the consul. We have here restored the active form ludificare, because it exists in all the manuscripts. It is found also in Cicero, though the deponent ludificari is more frequent.
[222] Some were convinced that after the hurry which the consul had shown at the beginning, the war was protracted, not so much by his carelessness, as by his cunning designs. Non magis quam is expressed in modern languages as if the Latin were dolo magis quam socordia: ‘they believed that the war was protracted by his cunning designs rather than by his carelessness.’ See Zumpt, § 725.