[148] Regarded all things as common to himself and his colleague—Ali omnia sibi cum collegâ ratus. "Other matters, unconnected with the war against Jugurtha, he thought that he would have to manage in conjunction with his colleague, and that, consequently, he might give but partial attention to them; but that the war in Numidia was committed to his sole care." Cortius. Other interpretations of these words have been suggested; but they are fanciful and unworthy of notice.
[149] Princes—Reges. Who these were, the commentators have not attempted to conjecture.
[150] XLIV. By Spurius Albinus, the proconsul.—A Spurio Albino proconsule. This is the general reading. Cortius has, Spurii Albini pro consule, with which we may understand agentis or imperantis, but can hardly believe it to be what Sallust wrote. Kritzius reads, Spurii Albini proconsulis.
[151] In a stationary camp—Stativis castris. In contradistinction to that which the soldiers formed at the end of a day's march.
[152] But neither had the camp been fortified, etc.—Sed neque muniebantur ea (se. castra), neque more militari vigiliae deducebantur. "The words sed neque muniebantur ea are wanting in almost all the manuscripts, as well as in all the editions, except that of Cyprianus Popma." Kritzius. Gerlach, however, had, previously to Kritz, inserted them in his text though in brackets; for he supposed them to be a mere conjecture of some scribe, who was not satisfied with a single neque. But they have been found in a codex of Fronto, by Angelo Mai, and have accordingly been received as genuine by Kritz and Dietsch. Potter and Burnouf have omitted the ea, thinking, I suppose, that in such a position it could hardly be Sallust's; but the verb requires a nominative case to prevent it from being referred to the following vigiliae.
[153] Foreign wine—Vino advectitio Imported. Africa does not abound in wine.
[154] XLV. With regard to other things—Caeteris. Cortius, whom Gerlach follows, considers this word as referring to the men or officers; but Kritzius and Dietsch, with better judgment, understand rebus.
[155] Numerous sentinels—Vigilias crebras. At short intervals, says Kritzius, from each other.
[156] XLVI. Villages—Mapalibus. See c. xviii. The word is here used for a collection of huts, a village.
[157] Here the consul, to try the disposition of the inhabitants, and, should they allow him, to take advantage of the situation of the place, etc.—Huc consul, simul tentandi gratiâ, et si paterentur, opportuniatis loci, praesidium imponit. This is a locus veratissimus, about which no editor has satisfied himself. I have deserted Cortius and followed Dietsch, who seems to have settled the passage, on the basis of Havercamp's text, with more judgment than any other commentator. Cortius read, Huc consul simul tentandi gratiâ, si paterent opportunitates loci, etc., taking opportuniatates in the sense of munitiones, "defenses;" but would Sallust have said that Metellus put a garrison in the place, to try if its defenses would be open to him? Havercamp's reading is, simul tentan si gratiâ, et si paterentur opportunitates loci, etc. Palmerius conjectured simul tentandi gratiâ, si paterentur; et opportunitate loci, which Gerlach and Kritsius adopt, except that they change the place of the et, and put it before si. Allen thinks that he has amended the passage by reading Huc consul, simul si paterentur tentandi, et opportunitatis loci, gratiâ; but this conjecture is liable to similar objection with that of Cortius. Other varieties of reading it is needless to notice. But it is observable that four manuscripts, as Kritzius remarks, have propter opportunitates, which led me long ago to suppose that the true reading must be simul tentandi gratiâ, simul propter opportunitates loci. Simul propter might easily have been corrupted into si paterentur.