[328] Ne illo, &.c. refers to Jugurtha, ‘if he hesitated still longer.’
[329] More majorum refers to the custom according to which Roman generals were not allowed to fix the terms of treaties and peace according to their own discretion, but had to assemble and consult a council of war. This council of war consisted of the superior officers, the legates, the quaestor, the tribuni militum, and the praefects of the allies. Sometimes the centuriones primipilares also took part in it, especially when the subjects of discussion were of a purely military nature.
[330] Pondo, ‘pound,’ properly librarum pondo (depending upon milia). See Zumpt, § 87. As in the time of the Roman republic eighty-four denarii were coined out of one pound of silver, and twenty-five denarii (or 100 sesterces) constituted one Roman aureus, the amount of silver here mentioned is equivalent to 672,000 nummi aurei.
[331] ‘When he himself was summoned to receive his orders.’ There is an ancient military expression, Ad imperium vocari, or adesse, by which a person present receives a command which he has to carry into effect. See Zumpt, § 658.
[332] Digna, ‘what is due to him;’ here of course bodily suffering or punishment.
[333] We are here already at the beginning of the year B.C. 108, in which Metellus was no longer consul; but the senate had prolonged his imperium, which accordingly he continued to hold for this year as proconsul.
[63.]
[334] Agitabat does not express the sentiment of the haruspex; for if so, the verb would be in the subjunctive.
[335] Marius accordingly possessed every qualification required of a candidate for the consulship in a very high degree, but he was not a member of an ancient family, being a Roman eques of the municipium of Arpinum. The term ‘ancient family’ means one which had imagines, or images of ancestors who had been invested with the highest offices of the state. A Roman eques answers pretty nearly to a modern country gentleman, and was, generally speaking, a person who had property enough to enable him to serve on horseback in the army. In point of rank he was far below a senator; and no services that he could render to the state as an eques could raise him to the senatorial rank, which was attainable only through the high offices to which he might be elected by the people, and by virtue of which he became a member of the senate. Marius himself had been a senator long before this, as he had been tribune of the people and praetor, and after his praetorship, he now was legatus (lieutenant-general) with Metellus.
[336] Belli; that is, in bello, on account of the following domi.
[337] Altus; that is, alitus. See Zumpt, § 198.
[338] That is, quamquam plerique faciem ejus ignorabant, facile tamen notus factus, &c.; namely, by the report of his distinguished services in the war, which, in the assembly of the people, was communicated by one person to another.
[339] Ad id locorum, ‘until then,’ ‘until that time,’ as in [chap. 72]: post id locorum. See Zumpt, § 434. Marius did not venture to aspire to the consulship; for appetere is not the same as petere, the latter denoting the actual suit or canvass. His ambition had not yet been directed to that highest of all offices, until religious superstition suggested it to him, and encouraged him.
[340] The nobiles transmitted the consulship to one another per manus; that is, after one nobilis had been invested with it, it was, as it were by agreement, given to another, care being taken that no homo novus should come forward as a candidate.
[64.]
[341] His dismissal from the post of legate. If he had wished to return to the service, he would have asked commeatum, ‘leave of absence.’ He was confident that in his canvass for the consulship he would be successful.
[342] Superabant; that is, supererant, abunde erant. Metellus had all the other qualifications in a great degree, but at the same time he had a haughty contempt for all who were not nobly born.
[343] ‘He would grant him his dismissal as soon as he could do so consistently with the duties he owed to the republic.’
[344] Contubernio patris for in contubernio patris, as contubernalis of the commander-in-chief. It was the custom for young Roman nobles to perform their first military service as equites in the suite, and as attachés (adjutants) to a general, whereas other less favoured Romans served in ordine; that is, enlisted in some detachment of cavalry or infantry.
[345] Pro, ‘in regard to,’ ‘in consideration of.’
[346] Grassari, ‘to go on,’ ‘proceed;’ but at the same time contains the idea of excitement or vehemence.
[347] Ambitio, ‘courting favour;’ ambitiosum, something the object or consequence of which is to gain favour; hence ‘winning,’ ‘captivating.’
[348] Inanis, ‘empty.’ Of persons, signifies a man devoid of substance, one who has only the appearance of something, and is satisfied with it; hence ‘vain,’ ‘superficial.’ Vanus also is used in the same sense. Regia superbia. See [chap. 31].
[65.]
[349] Secundus heres is the person who is pointed out in a will to supply the place of the real heir, in case of the latter being unable or unwilling to accept the inheritance, especially in case of his death without leaving any issue.
[350] In eos; that is, in equites Romanos, referring to what follows.
[351] Imperatori, a dativus incommodi, cui poena imponantur, ‘that with his assistance he should endeavour to find punishments for the general in return for the insults offered to him.’
[352] ‘This might happen even very soon.’ Adeo points out that which is essential in a thing. See Zumpt, § 281.
[353] The words milites et negotiatiores are in apposition to equites Romanos, and describe the two classes of Roman equites existing in the province, some serving in the army, and others carrying on business (negotiabantur) in the towns. If the sentence were to be understood otherwise, the copulative conjunction would not have been omitted before milites. See Zumpt, § 783. The milites gregarii and their sentiments are not mentioned, probably because such persons had little or no communication with their friends at Rome.
[354] Suffragatio, the inclination to give one’s vote in favour of a person, and the effort to procure him the votes of others; hence ‘the support given to a person’s election.’ A vote is suffragium, and suffragari, to vote for a person.
[355] This decree of the people, instituting a criminal investigation into the acts of bribery committed by Jugurtha, was mentioned in [chap. 40], where it was farther observed that the whole nobility was terrified by it.
[66.]
[356] Affectare, ‘to try to obtain a thing,’ ‘to exert one’s self for a thing.’
[357] Voluntate alienati; that is, sua sponte alienati.
[358] Discordiosus, ‘quarrelsome;’ a very rare word, but formed with perfect correctness. Zumpt, § 252.
[359] ‘The day promised (beforehand) recreation and enjoyment, rather than apprehension and terror;’ namely, to the Romans or the Roman garrison.
[360] In tali die. The preposition here is unusual, but is justified by the addition tali, indicating the particular circumstances of that day of joy. See Zumpt, § 475, note. Inermos is much more rare than inermes. See Zumpt, § 101, note.