chapter 49
), in a transverse direction (_transverso itinere_) from the range to the river running parallel with it. _In immensum_, however, must be understood relatively of a very great extent, and not absolutely of an infinite extent. [274] 'On dry and sandy ground' is a very singular expression, and has been noticed as such by the Roman grammarians themselves; for _humi_ (on the ground) is otherwise used without an adjective as an adverb. The adjective is here put in the ablative, to denote the place where, and in the neuter gender, _humi_ being regarded as indeclinable. In ordinary language, it would be _in humo arida_.
49. Igitur in eo colle, quem transverso itinere porrectum docuimus, Jugurtha, extenuata suorum acie,[275] consedit, elephantis et parti copiarum pedestrium Bomilcarem praefecit eumque edocet, quae ageret; ipse propior montem[276] cum omni equitatu et peditibus delectis suos collocat. Dein singulas turmas et manipulos circumiens monet atque obtestatur, uti memores pristinae virtutis et victoriae sese regnumque suum ab Romanorum avaritia defendant; cum iis certamen fore, quos antea victos sub jugum miserint; ducem illis, non animum mutatum; quae ab imperatore decuerint,[277] omnia suis provisa, locum superiorem, ut prudentes cum imperitis, ne pauciores cum pluribus aut rudes cum bello melioribus manum consererent; proinde parati intentique essent signo dato Romanos invadere; illum diem aut omnes labores et victorias confirmaturum, aut maximarum aerumnarum initium fore. Ad hoc viritim, uti quemque ob militare facinus pecunia aut honore extulerat, commonefacere beneficii sui et eum ipsum aliis ostentare; postremo pro cujusque ingenio pollicendo, minitando, obtestando, alium alio modo excitare; quum interim Metellus, ignarus hostium, monte degrediens cum exercitu conspicitur,[278] primo dubius, quidnam insolita facies ostenderet (nam inter virgulta equi Numidaeque consederant, neque plane occultati humilitate arborum, et tamen incerti,[279] quidnam esset, cum natura loci tum dolo ipsi atque signa militaria obscurati); dein, brevi cognitis insidiis paulisper agmen constituit. Ibi commutatis ordinibus,[280] in dextero latere, quod proximum hostes erat, triplicibus subsidiis aciem instruxit, inter manipulos funditores et sagittarios dispertit, equitatum omnem in cornibus locat, ac pauca pro tempore milites hortatus aciem, sicuti instruxerat, transversis principiis[281] in planum deducit.
[275] 'The battle-line being long, but not deep.' [276] _Montem_, the same as _monti_. See Zumpt, S 411. [277] _Decuerint_. Sallust might have written _decuerit_ in the singular. Compare Zumpt, S 226. [278] _Quum interim Metellus--conspicitur_, is the apodosis. 'Then, in the meantime, Metellus appears.' Respecting this use of _quum_ with the present indicative, see Zumpt, S 580, 2; for the circumstance of _interim_ being used here, where we might expect _subito_, does not alter the case, and only expresses that Jugurtha was yet engaged in encouraging his army when Metellus became visible. [279] _Incerti_ is here used passively and personally, 'uncertain what it might be,' for _de quibus incertum erat, quidnam esset_; and the neuter _quidnam_ is used in the sense of the masculine plural, 'it was uncertain whether they were men, and what sort of men.' In like manner we have seen (