[602] ‘He protects the Mauretanian against violence.’
[603] A dative. See Zumpt, § 419.
[604] The same as inermibus. See Zumpt, § 101. Nudum et caecum corpus, ‘the undefended part of the body, and not provided with eyes;’ that is, the back, which a person ought not to turn towards the enemy, if he wants to be safe.
[605] ‘It seemed to him to be the most advisable.’ Instead of factu, other editions have factum, ‘it seemed to him to be the best thing.’
[606] ‘As the matter stood,’ a limitation suggesting that, under other circumstances, that dangerous way would not have been chosen.
[607] ‘As they had come upon him unexpectedly;’ for Jugurtha had not imagined that the Romans would thus, without negotiation, pass through his lines.
[108.]
[608] ‘As ambassador with a public commission,’ though at the same time he privately acted the part of a spy.
[609] ‘That he kept firmly and unalterably everything which had been previously determined upon with Sulla.’
[610] ‘In order that the common business might be conducted the more carelessly.’ The laying aside of fear in the presence of Jugurtha’s ambassador was to induce Sulla to carry on the negotiations for peace more openly, frankly, and incautiously, since, under the influence of fear, he would have been cautious and mistrustful. Non pertimescere are joined together as one idea, somewhat in the sense of contemnere, ‘he should disregard’ the ambassador, and accordingly act with Bocchus more confidentially.
[611] The infinitive of the impersonal passive cavetur ab insidiis, ‘precaution is taken against snares.’
[612] Punica fides is proverbially the same as mala fides, the Carthaginians being generally regarded by the Romans as perfidious double-dealers. Attinere is the same as morari, ‘to detain.’
[613] ‘His inclination.’
[109.]
[614] ‘And says (which must be taken from the preceding jubet) that as yet he had determined upon nothing.’ As past time is here spoken of, it should properly not be etiamnunc, but etiamtunc; and it is doubtful as to whether the reading of some manuscripts tum etiam ought not to be received into the text. If etiamnunc is correct, we must explain it by supposing that the historian abandons the character of a narrator of past events, and transfers himself to the present.
[615] ‘A conscientious (trustworthy) man, and acceptable to both’ (Sulla and Bocchus).
[110.]
[616] The king calls the quaestor Sulla a private person, being unwilling, as a king, to allow any one a public character who is not, like himself, a king. But in the opinion of the Romans, the quaestor Sulla was by no means a private person.
[617] ‘I have assisted many at their request, and others of my own accord (unasked), while I myself was in need of no man’s assistance.’
[618] Fuerit mihi eguisse, the concessive mood: ‘granting that it was the case that I needed,’ might also have been expressed simly by eguerim.
[619] ‘This you may try at once.’ For this meaning of adeo, whereby that which precedes is confirmed by the result, see Zumpt, § 281.
[620] ‘Unimpaired,’ ‘in the same condition.’
[621] We should express the same idea rather thus: regem munificentia vinci flagitiosius est, quam armis.
[622] About factum volui, see Zumpt, § 611.
[623] ‘Your wish will not be refused by me.’ Bocchus no doubt here alludes to the surrender of Jugurtha, but he is yet doubtful as to whether it is worthy of himself.
[111.]
[624] ‘What he promised them, they would not consider as a favour (as a thing for which they owed him gratitude); that he must do something beyond, something that might appear to be their interest more than his.’
[625] ‘Would then come to him,’ implying an advantage gained without exertion.
[626] Negitare, a rare word, but very expressive; for the simple negare, in a case like this, is stronger than a repeated assertion that you cannot, or will not, do a certain thing. The affinitas (connexion by marriage) refers to what is mentioned [chap. 80], a daughter of Bocchus being married to Jugurtha. Respecting their cognatio (relation by blood) nothing is known, but there must have been a family connexion between the neighbouring kings. Intervenisse — that is, factum esse — referring especially to foedus.