43. Post Auli foedus exercitusque nostri foedam fugam, Metellus et Silanus consules designati,[250] provincias inter se partiverant, Metelloque Numidia evenerat, acri viro et quamquam adverso populi partium,[251] fama tamen aequabili et inviolata. Is ubi primum magistratum ingressus est, alia omnia sibi cum collega ratus, ad bellum, quod gesturus erat, animum intendit.[252] Igitur diffidens veteri exercitui, milites scribere, praesidia[253] undique accersere, arma, tela, equos et cetera instrumenta militiae parare, ad hoc commeatum affatim, denique omnia, quae in bello vario et multarum rerum egenti usui esse solent. Ceteram ad ea patranda senatus auctoritate, socii nomenque Latinum et reges ultro auxilia mittendo, postremo omnis civitas summo studio adnitebatur. Itaque ex sententia omnibus rebus paratis compositisque, in Numidiam proficiscitur, magna spe civium, quum propter artes bonas, tum maxime, quod adversum divitias invictum animum gerebat, et avaritia magistratuum ante id tempus in Numidia nostrae opes contusae[254] hostiumque auctae erant. [250] The consuls here mentioned entered upon their office on the 1st of January, 109 B.C. The preparation for the campaign accordingly belongs to the latter part of the year 110. [251] 'An opponent of the popular party;' _adversus_ being used as a substantive, in the sense of _adversarius_; as an adjective, it is construed with the dative. [252] _Cum collega_, a short expression for _conjuncta cum collega_, 'everything else he considered as common between himself and his colleague, but to the Numidian war he alone directed his attention, as though it were his own exclusive business.' [253] _Praesidia_ is generally 'resources;' but here the same as _auxilia_, 'auxiliary troops.' [254] _Contusae_, from _contundere_, for _imminutae_, _debilitatae_, _fractae_.