[177] Sicca—It stood on the banks of the Bagradas, at some distance from the coast, and contained a celebrated Temple of Venus. Val. Max., ii. 6. D'Anville thinks it the same as the modern Kef.
[178] LVII. Javelins—Pila. This pilum may have been, as Müller suggests, similar to the falarica which Livy (xxi. 8) says that the Saguntines used against their besiegers. Falarica erat Saguntinis, missile telum hastili abiegno—id, sicut in pilo, quadratum stuppa circumligabant, linebantque pice:—quod cum medium accensum mitteretur, etc. Of Sallust's other words, in the latter part of this sentence, the sense is clear, but the readings of different editors are extremely various. Cortius and Gerlach have sudes, pila praeterea picem sulphure et taedâ mixtam ardentia mittere: but it can scarcely be believed that Sallust wrote picem—taedâ mixtam. Havercamp gives pice et sulphure taedam mixtam ardentia mittere, which has been adopted by Kritzius and Dietsch, except that they have changed ardentia, on the authority of some of the manuscripts, into ardenti.
[179] LIX. And thus, with the aid of the light-armed foot, almost succeeded in giving the enemy a defeat—Ita expeditis peditibus suis hostes paene victos dare. Cortius, Kritzius, and Allen, concur in regarding expeditis peditibus as an ablative of the instrument, i.e. as equivalent to per expeditos pedites and victos dare as nothing more than vincere. This appears to be the right mode of explanation; but most of the translators, French as well as English, have taken expeditis peditibus as a dative, and given to the passage the sense that "the cavalry delivered up the enemy, when nearly conquered, to be dispatched by the light-armed foot."
[180] LX. Attacks, or preparations for defense, were made in all quarters—Oppugnare aut parare omnibus locis. There is much discussion among the critics whether these verbs are to be referred to the besiegers or the besieged. Cortius and Gerlach attribute oppugnare to the Romans, and parare to the men of Zama; a distinction which Kritzius justly condemns. There can be little doubt that they are spoken of both parties equally.
[181] LXI. The rest of his forces—in that part of our province nearest to Numidia—Caeterum exercitum in provinciam, quae proxima est Numidiae, hiemandi gratiâ collocat. "The words quae proxima est Numidiae Cortius would eject as superfluous and spurious. But it is to be understood that Metellus did not distribute his troops through the whole of the province, but in that part which is nearest to Numidia, in order that they might be easily assembled in case of an attack of the enemy or any other emergency. There is, therefore, no need to read with the Bipont edition and Müller, qua proxima, etc. though this is in itself not a bad conjecture." Kritzius.
[182] LXII. Was summoned to appear in person at Tisidium, etc. —Cum ipse ad imperandum Tisidium vocaretur. The gerund is used, as grammarians say, in a passive sense. "The town of Tisidium is nowhere else mentioned. Strabo (xvii. 3, p. 488, Ed. Tauch.) speaks of a place named [Greek: Tisiaioi], which was utterly destroyed, and not a vestige of it left." Gerlach.
[183] LXIII. Sacrificing to the gods—Per hostias dis supplicante. Supplicating or worshiping the gods with sacrifices, and trying to learn their intentions as to the future by inspection of the entrails. "Marius was either a sincere believer in the absurd superstitions and dreams of the soothsayers, or pretended to be so, from a knowledge of the nature of mankind, who are eager to listen to wonders, and are ore willing to be deceived than to be taught." Burnouf. See Plutarch, Life of Marius. He could interpret omens for himself, according to Valerius Maximus, i. 5.
[184] The people—disposed of, etc.—Etiam tum alios magistratus plebes, consulatum nobilitas, inter se per manus tradebat. The commentators have seen the necessity of understanding a verb with plebes. Kritzius suggests habebat; Gerlach grebat or accipiebat.
[185] A disgrace to it—Pollutus. He was considered, as it were, unclean. See Cat., c. 23, fin.
[186] LXIV. As soon as the public business would allow him—Ubi primum potuisset per negotia publica. As soon as he could through (regard to) the public business.