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.
51. Ceterum facies totius negotii varia, incerta, foeda atque
miserabilis; dispersi a suis pars cedere, alii insequi, neque signa neque
ordines observare, ubi quemque periculum ceperat, ibi resistere ac
propulsare, arma tela,[287] equi viri, hostes atque cives permixti, nihil
consilio neque imperio agi, fors omnia regere: itaque multum diei
processerat, quum etiamtum eventus in incerto erat. Denique omnibus
labore et aestu languidis, Metellus ubi videt Numidas minus instare,
paulatim milites in unum conducit, ordines restituit et cohortes
legionarias quatuor adversum pedites hostium collocat. Eorum magna pars
superioribus locis fessa consederat. Simul orare, hortari milites, ne
deficerent, neu paterentur hostes fugientes vincere; neque illis[288]
castra esse neque munimentum ullum, quo cedentes tenderent, in armis
omnia sita. Sed ne Jugurtha quidem interea quietus erat; circumire,
hortari, renovare proelium et ipse cum delectis temptare omnia, subvenire
suis, hostibus dubiis instare, quos firmos cognoverat, eminus pugnando
retinere.
[287] Respecting the omission of _et_, see Zumpt, S 782. _Arma_ and
_tela_ are the two kinds of arms, the one being used in a close
contest, and the other at a distance; the use of either of them
depended on chance (_fors regebat_). _Itaque_ in the next clause is
the same as et _ita_, and not the conjunction _itaque = igitur_.
[288] They had no camp, no fortifications into which they could retreat.
_Illis_ refers to the Romans addressed, and is rendered by the
emphatic they; instead of _illis_, the speaker might have used
_ipsis_ whereby he would have included himself, whereas now he is
speaking only of the soldiers. Compare Zumpt, S 702.
52. Eo modo inter se duo imperatores, summi viri certabant, ipsi pares,
ceterum opibus disparibus. Nam Metello virtus militum erat, locus
adversus, Jugurthae alia omnia praeter milites opportuna. Denique Romani,
ubi intelligunt neque sibi perfugium esse neque ab hoste copiam pugnandi
fieri (et jam diei[289] vesper erat) adverse colle, sicuti praeceptum
fuerat, evadunt. Amisso loco Numidae fusi fugatique; pauci interiere,
plerosque velocitas et regio hostibus ignara tutata sunt.[290] Interea
Bomilcar, quem elephantis et parti copiarum pedestrium praefectum ab
Jugurtha supra diximus, ubi cum Rutilius praetergressus est, paulatim
suos in aequum locum deducit ac, dum legatus ad flumen, quo praemissus
erat, festinans pergit, quietus, uti res postulabat, aciem exornat, neque
remittit, quid ubique hostis ageret,[291] explorare. Postquam Rutilium
consedisse jam et animo vacuum accepit, simulque ex Jugurthae proelio
clamorem augeri, veritus, ne legatus cognita re laborantibus suis auxilio
foret, aciem, quam diffidens virtuti militum arte statuerat,[292] quo
hostium itineri officeret, latius porrigit, eoque modo ad Rutilii castra
procedit.
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