C. Sallusti Crispi De Bello Catilinario Et JugurthinoSallust
History
C. Sallusti Crispi De Bello Catilinario Et Jugurthino
Sallust
Jugurthine War, 111-105 B.C.; Rome -- History -- Conspiracy of Catiline, 65-62 B.C.
rewarded with external distinctions; but if a criminal remains
unpunished, he does harm by his example, and undermines the organism
of the state.
32. Haec atque alia hujuscemodi saepe dicundo Memmius populo persuadet,
uti L. Cassius, qui tum praetor erat, ad Jugurtham mitteretur eumque
interposita fide publica Romam duceret, quo facilius indicio regis Scauri
et reliquorum, quos pecuniae captae arcessebant,[205] delicta
patefierent. Dum haec Romae geruntur, qui in Numidia relicti a Bestia
exercitui praeerant, secuti morem imperatoris sui plurima et
flagitiosissima facinora fecere. Fuere, qui auro corrupti elephantos
Jugurthae traderent; alii perfugas vendere, pars ex pacatis praedas
agebant; tanta vis avaritiae in animos eorum veluti tabes invaserat. At
Cassius, perlata rogatione[206] a G. Memmio ac perculsa omni nobilitate,
ad Jugurtham proficiscitur eique timido et ex conscientia diffidenti
rebus suis persuadet, quoniam se populo Romano dedisset, ne vim quam
misericordiam ejus experiri mallet. Privatim praeterea fidem suam
interponit, quam ille non minoris quam publicam ducebat; talis ea
tempestate fama de Cassio erat.
[205] _Arcessere_, 'to summon before a court of justice,' governs the
genitive of the thing for which a person is summoned.
[206] _Rogatio_, 'a proposal to the people,' because, in making a
proposal, as well as at elections of magistrates, the people were
requested (_rogabatur_) to pass a resolution.
33. Igitur Jugurtha contra decus regium cultu quam maxime miserabili cum
Cassio Romam venit. Ac tametsi in ipso magna vis animi erat, confirmatus
ab omnibus, quorum potentia aut scelere cuncta ea gesserat, quae supra
diximus, G. Baebium tribunum plebis magna mercede parat, cujus impudentia
contra jus et injurias omnes munitus foret. At G. Memmius, advocata
contione, quamquam regi infesta plebes erat, et pars in vincula duci
jubebat, pars, ni socios sceleris sui aperiret, more majorum de hoste
supplicium sumi; dignitati quam irae magis consulens, sedare motus et
animos eorum mollire, postremo confirmare, fidem publicam per sese[207]
inviolatam fore. Post, ubi silentium coepit, producto Jugurtha, verba
facit; Romae Numidiaeque[208] facinora ejus memorat, scelera in patrem
fratresque ostendit. Quibus juvantibus quibusque ministris ea egerit,
quamquam intellegat populus Romanus, tamen velle manifesta magis ex illo
habere. Si verum aperiat, in fide et clementia populi Romani magnam spem
illi sitam; sin reticeat, non sociis saluti fore,[209] sed se suasque
spes corrupturum.
[207] _Per sese_, 'as far as lay in him,' 'as much as he could,' as in
the phrase _per me licet_.
[208] Respecting _Romae Numidiaeque_, where _Numidiae_ by a kind of
attraction takes the same case as _Romae_, instead of _in Numidia_,
see Zumpt, S 398, note 1.
[209] 'He (Jugurtha) would not, indeed, thereby be a safety to his
accomplices, but destroy his own hope (of obtaining pardon).'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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