[567] Post ea loci, ‘afterwards.’
[568] ‘Whither he had at first directed his march. ‘Profectus might have been omitted, but its meaning is, ‘having once set out on his march.’
[569] ‘About what was useful to him and to the Roman people.’
[570] Placuit; supply eos, which might also have been expressed by the relative pronoun, quos placuit. See Zumpt, § 804. The ambassadors, having been summoned by the king himself to hear his proposals, were not under the necessity of addressing him; but they probably had orders to speak first, in order that, if he were not favourably inclined towards the Romans, they might try to win him over, or if he were favourably disposed, to strengthen him in his designs.
[571] Rati; namely, Romani, which must be taken out of populo Romano.
[572] The manuscripts have esses, which can be explained only by an amalgamation of the two clauses, and might be conceived as a form of politeness which is not contained in perpessus es.
[573] The infinitive placuisse depends on scilicet, which is here quite the same as scire licet, as in chaps. [4] and [113]. In ordinary language, scilicet is a mere adverb, ‘evidently,’ ‘forsooth.’
[574] ‘You have many opportunities;’ consequently the same as magnam opportunitatem. See Zumpt, § 756.
[575] Demittere in pectus, ‘to impress upon one’s mind,’ sibi persuadere.
[576] This is a diplomatic falsehood, as hitherto Bocchus had committed no act of hostility towards Jugurtha, and had occupied no part of Numidia against his will; but it may be that Jugurtha had promised to give up to him a part of Numidia, if he should succeed in recovering the whole. That Bocchus actually wished to have a part of Numidia, is clear from his negotiation with Sulla, [chap. 111].
[577] Tum, ‘now.’ See Zumpt, § 732.
[578] Namely, legates mittendi, ‘after he had obtained permission to despatch an embassy to Rome.’
[103.]
[579] Hibernacula, ‘a winter-camp;’ the same as hiberna, ‘winter-quarters;’ for in [chap. 100] it was stated that Marius ordered quarters to be taken in the maritime towns. It is, however, doubtful whether he placed the whole army in those towns, or whether he ordered a portion to spend the winter in barracks, or leathern tents made for the purpose. If the latter — in hibernaculis is used in its proper sense.
[580] Turrim is here the same as castellum. Perfugae omnes are not ‘all the deserters,’ but ‘nothing but deserters,’ or ‘all deserters;’ for all the soldiers of the garrison consisted of deserters.
[581] Venerant has the meaning of evenerant. Respecting sibi for ipsi, see p. 121, note 2 [[note 320]].
[582] Reliquerat, not ‘he had left them behind,’ which is the usual meaning of relinquo, but ‘he had left them unbribed:’ that is, he had neglected to bribe them.
[583] That is, he had given him the praetorian imperium during his absence, and thereby appointed him independent commander.
[584] ‘He did not treat them as untrustworthy enemies;’ for they were still enemies engaged in war with the Roman people, no peace having yet been concluded. The epithet vani belongs to them, because their master had hitherto shown himself irresolute, sometimes suing for peace, and sometimes carrying on war. Accurate, ‘with care,’ ‘with respect.’
[585] Volens expresses a hearty inclination to do that which one does.
[586] ‘Were considered as acts of kindness,’ as parts or proofs of a kindly disposition.
[587] Benevolentiae sunt, ‘are calculated to produce good-will’ towards the king.
[104.]
[588] Sulla undoubtedly had his quarters near the Mauretanian frontier; that is, in the extreme west; as the ambassador of Bocchus fled to him. Marius summoned him to his head-quarters, Cirta, whither he also summoned the praetor Bellienus from Utica. This praetor was no doubt propraetor of the province of Africa, sent thither from Rome to undertake the regular administration, but he was at the same time placed at the disposal of the consul Marius; for as a propraetor had the jus praetorem in his province, he was sometimes simply called praetor; thus Verres is often called praetor of Sicily. All the other military commanders who happened to be in the province, and were of senatorial rank, were likewise summoned to Cirta, in order to give weight and dignity to the preliminary negotiations for peace, for its real conclusion rested with the senate.
[589] Ea, the neuter plural, though referring to induciae.
[590] Namely, when previously they have been successful, as had hitherto been the case with the Roman war.
[591] The manuscripts have Rufone, which unusual name must be corrected either into Rufo or Rusone. We prefer Rufo, because Suetonius, in his life of Octavianus, mentions the Octavii Rufi as a senatorial family of the time here spoken of.
[592] Deprecati sunt; that is, deprecantes dixerunt; for deprecari properly signifies ‘to avert something by prayers.’
[593] Gratiam facere, ‘to grant pardon for something.’ To quoniam poenitet we must supply eum.
[105.]
[594] ‘By whose decision a final determination might be come to respecting the common affairs.’ Respecting the ablative arbitratu, see Zumpt, § 190.
[595] The infantry which, besides an escort of Roman cavalry, was sent to accompany Sulla, consisted of light-armed troops, who were prepared both to march through uncultivated districts, and to fight with the barbarians. Roman infantry could not have kept up with the cavalry. The inhabitants of the Balearian Islands (Majorca, Minorca, and Iviza) were celebrated in antiquity as slingers; and as socii of the Romans, they furnished slingers for the Roman armies. Their weapon was a leathern sling, by which leaden balls were thrown, with great skill and accuracy, at a distance of 500 paces. The Pelignians are a people of central Italy, not far from the Adriatic, with two important towns, Corfinium and Sulmo. All the Italian nations which had then not yet received the Roman franchise furnished their auxiliary cohorts of 400, 500, or 800 men to the Roman army. Whether the Pelignians always bore arma velitaria (a round shield, a short sword, and a light javelin), or whether they did so only on this occasion, is doubtful; but it seems that this was their proper armour.
[596] Non amplius. See Zumpt, § 485.
[597] ‘They tried (tested) their arms and darts, and directed them against the supposed enemy,’ but without making actual use of them.
[598] ‘As was in reality the case;’ namely, that the approaching cavalry had no hostile intentions.
[106.]
[599] To this and the following infinitive we must supply dicit, which is to be taken out of the preceding negat. See Zumpt, § 774.
[600] Mansurum potius, quam — vitae parceret is correctly said, though it might also be quam vitae parsurum. See Zumpt, § 603, 2. The indicative quos ducebat is a remark of the historian; quos duceret would be a remark of the speaker, which would here have been the regular form. Coenatos esse, ‘they were to have finished dining.’ See Zumpt, § 148.
[601] Ante eos, ‘before them;’ that is, on the road along which they had to march.