[267] ‘Most frequented;’ for celeber, bris, bre, is commonly used of densely peopled or much frequented places.
[268] Metellus placed a garrison in the city, partly to test the sentiments of the inhabitants, and partly on account of the advantages offered to him by the nature of the place, in case the inhabitants should not object to a garrison of the Romans. The common reading, si paterentur opportunitates loci, must be rejected, for the words si paterentur must refer to the inhabitants of the place, and explain the preceding temptandi gratia. Another reading, opportunitatis, to which gratia must be supplied by the mind, has the same meaning as opportunitate, the ablative of cause.
[269] ‘He believed that the great number of merchants (in the town) and the corn would be of use to the army, and protect the provisions (of the Roman army) already accumulated,’ so that the Roman stores might be saved.
[270] Impensius modo; that is, praeter modum, ‘beyond measure,’ ‘immoderately;’ literally, ‘stronger than the measure observed in such matters.’
[48.]
[271] Exercitum antevenit. See Zumpt, § 386, note.
[272] ‘In an equal direction;’ that is, likewise extending from south to north.
[273] In the midst of this range there arose another group, extending far and wide; and, as will be seen hereafter ([chapter 49]), in a transverse direction (transverso itinere) from the range to the river running parallel with it. In immensum, however, must be understood relatively of a very great extent, and not absolutely of an infinite extent.
[274] ‘On dry and sandy ground’ is a very singular expression, and has been noticed as such by the Roman grammarians themselves; for humi (on the ground) is otherwise used without an adjective as an adverb. The adjective is here put in the ablative, to denote the place where, and in the neuter gender, humi being regarded as indeclinable. In ordinary language, it would be in humo arida.
[49.]
[275] ‘The battle-line being long, but not deep.’
[276] Montem, the same as monti. See Zumpt, § 411.
[277] Decuerint. Sallust might have written decuerit in the singular. Compare Zumpt, § 226.
[278] Quum interim Metellus — conspicitur, is the apodosis. ‘Then, in the meantime, Metellus appears.’ Respecting this use of quum with the present indicative, see Zumpt, § 580, 2; for the circumstance of interim being used here, where we might expect subito, does not alter the case, and only expresses that Jugurtha was yet engaged in encouraging his army when Metellus became visible.
[279] Incerti is here used passively and personally, ‘uncertain what it might be,’ for de quibus incertum erat, quidnam esset; and the neuter quidnam is used in the sense of the masculine plural, ‘it was uncertain whether they were men, and what sort of men.’ In like manner we have seen ([chapter 18]) ignarus used passively.
[280] ‘With an alteration in the ranks,’ those soldiers who had before marched by the side of one another now being placed behind one another, as the man who had till then been on the right wing of his detachment suddenly turned to the right, with his face towards the hill. On the right of the whole marching army, he now formed the front towards the enemy (aciem), and strengthened by a threefold reserve.
[281] ‘The principia standing transversely’ (to the direction in which till 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.
[50.]
[282] Transversis proeliis, ‘by attacks on the flanks’ — namely, if the Roman army should resume its march westward.
[283] Temptare lassitudinem militum, the same as lassos milites aggredi.
[284] 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).
[285] Priores; that is, superiores, ‘superior.’
[286] Ea, ‘on this road,’ or ‘there.’ Evadere, ‘to ascend.’ Vero in the apodosis renders it strong and emphatic. See Zumpt, § 716.
[51.]
[287] 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.
[288] They 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.