28. At Jugurtha, contra spem nuntio accepto, quippe cui Romae omnia venum ire[166] in animo haeserat, filium et cum eo duos familiares ad senatum legatos mittit, hisque ut illis, quos Hiempsale interfecto miserat, praecipit, omnes mortales pecunia aggrediantur. Qui postquam Romam adventabant,[167] senatus a Bestia consultus est, placeretne legatos Jugurthae recipi moenibus; iique decrevere, nisi regnum ipsumque deditum venissent, uti in diebus proximis decem[168] Italia decederent. Consul Numidis ex senati decreto nuntiari jubet; ita infectis rebus illi domum discedunt. Interim Calpurnius, parato exercitu, legat[169] sibi homines nobiles, factiosos, quorum auctoritate, quae deliquisset, munita fore sperabat; in quis fuit Scaurus, cujus de natura et habitu supra[170] memoravimus. Nam in consule nostro multae bonaeque artes animi et corporis erant, quas omnes avaritia praepediebat; patiens laborum, acri ingenio, satis providens, belli haud ignarus, firmissimus contra pericula et insidias. Sed legiones per Italiam Rhegium atque inde Siciliam,[171] porro ex Sicilia in Africam transvectae. Igitur Calpurnius initio, paratis commeatibus, acriter Numidiam ingressus est, multosque mortales et urbes aliquot pugnando cepit. [166] _Venum eo_, or contracted _veneo_, infinitive _venire_, 'to go to be sold,' or 'to be sold;' the passive of _vendo_ (I sell) is not in use. Zumpt, S 187. [167] _Adventabant_, with the accusative, see Zumpt, S 489. [168] _In diebus_, &c.; for _in_, with words denoting time, see Zumpt, S 479. _Deditum_ is a supine. [169] _Legare_ properly signifies 'to despatch,' and 'to add to;' whence the word _legatus_ means both 'an ambassador,' and 'a person added to an officer,' who, when necessary, supplies his place. See _Catil._ chap. 59. It was the business of the senate to supply such legates to a magistrate (_senatus legat aliquem alicui_), but as this was commonly done on the proposal or recommendation of the magistrate himself, we also read _legat sibi_, 'he chooses some one to be his legate.' [170] _Supra_. See chap. 15. [171] Respecting the omission of _in_ before _Siciliam_, see Zumpt, S 398, note 1.