[588] Sulla undoubtedly had his quarters near the Mauretanian frontier; that is, in the extreme west; as the ambassador of Bocchus fled to him. Marius summoned him to his head-quarters, Cirta, whither he also summoned the praetor Bellienus from Utica. This praetor was no doubt propraetor of the province of Africa, sent thither from Rome to undertake the regular administration, but he was at the same time placed at the disposal of the consul Marius; for as a propraetor had the _jus praetorem_ in his province, he was sometimes simply called praetor; thus Verres is often called praetor of Sicily. All the other military commanders who happened to be in the province, and were of senatorial rank, were likewise summoned to Cirta, in order to give weight and dignity to the preliminary negotiations for peace, for its real conclusion rested with the senate. [589] _Ea_, the neuter plural, though referring to _induciae_. [590] Namely, when previously they have been successful, as had hitherto been the case with the Roman war. [591] The manuscripts have _Rufone_, which unusual name must be corrected either into _Rufo_ or _Rusone_. We prefer _Rufo_, because Suetonius, in his life of Octavianus, mentions the _Octavii Rufi_ as a senatorial family of the time here spoken of. [592] _Deprecati sunt_; that is, _deprecantes dixerunt_; for _deprecari_ properly signifies 'to avert something by prayers.' [593] _Gratiam facere_, 'to grant pardon for something.' To _quoniam poenitet_ we must supply _eum_. 105. Quis rebus cognitis Bocchus per litteras a Mario petivit, uti Sullam ad se mitteret, cujus arbitratu de communibus negotiis consuleretur.[594] Is missus cum praesidio equitum atque peditum, funditorum Balearium;[595] praeterea iere sagittarii et cohors Peligna cum velitaribus armis, itineris properandi causa, neque his secus atque aliis armis adversum tela hostium, quod ea levia sunt, muniti. Sed in itinere quinto denique die Volux filius Bocchi, repente in campis patentibus cum mille non amplius[596] equitibus sese ostendit, qui temere et effuse euntes Sullae aliisque omnibus et numerum ampliorem vero et hostilem metum efficiebant. Igitur se quisque expedire, arma atque tela temptare, intendere,[597] timor aliquantus, sed spes amplior, quippe victoribus, et adversum eos, quos saepe vicerant. Interim equites exploratum praemissi rem uti erat[598] quietam nuntiant.