(1) Q. Pompeius deinde cōnsul ā Numantīnīs, quae Hispāniae cīvitās fuit opulentissima, superātus pācem ignōbilem fēcit. Post eum C. Hostīlius Mancīnus cōnsul iterum cum Numantīnīs pācem fēcit īnfāmem, quam populus et senātus iussit īnfringī atque ipsum Mancīnum hostibus trādī, ut in illō, quem auctōrem foederis habēbant, iniūriam solūtī foederis vindicārent.
(2) Post tantam igitur ignōminiam, quā ā Numantīnīs bis Rōmānī exercitūs fuerant subiugātī, P. Scīpiō Āfricānus secundō cōnsul factus et ad Numantiam missus est. Is prīmum mīlitem vitiōsum et ignāvum exercendō magis quam pūniendō sine aliquā acerbitāte corrēxit, tum multās Hispāniae cīvitātēs partim cēpit, partim in dēditiōnem accēpit, postrēmō ipsam Numantiam diū obsessam famē cōnfēcit et ā solō ēvertit, reliquam prōvinciam in fidem accēpit.
notes
Capture of Numantia, 133 BCE
Livy, Epitome 55–56; Appian, Spanish Wars 79–80.
(1) Q. Pompeius: after Q. Caecilius Metellus had crushed most of the Celtiberian resistance (143–142 BCE) except for Numantia, his successor, Q. Pompeius, found himself besieged in his own camp near Numantia. He extricated himself by making a peace treaty and pocketing the indemnity (140 BCE), then reneged on the pact. The same thing happened with Hostilius Mancinus in 137 BCE, who was compelled to pass under the yoke with 20,000 men. The senate repudiated the conditions and sent Mancinus back naked to Numantia (Bird).
Mancīnum hostibus trādī: they refused to receive him, as the senate knew they would (Hazzard).
quem auctōrem foederis habēbant: refers to Mancinus. habēbant = "considered, regarded" (LS habeō II.D)
iniūriam solūtī foederis: "the outrage of the broken treaty." solūtī > solvō -ere; foederis > foedus -eris n.
vindicārent: vindicō = "to exact punishment for offence x (accusative) upon perpetrator y (+ in + acc.)." LS vindico II.C. Imperfect subjunctive in purpose clause signaled by ut (AG 531).
(2) P. Scīpiō Āfricānus: in 134 BCE Scipio Aemilianus, grandson by adoption of P. Scipio Africanus, collected a force of 60,000 Romans and Spaniards and systematically besieged Numantia, which had only 4,000 soldiers (Bird).
secundō cōnsul factus: supply est. This was in 134 BCE. He was then at the legal age for the consulship (Hazzard). For Scipio’s first consulship, see Brev. 4.12.
mīlitem: "the soldiers," a collective noun (Hazzard)
exercendō magis quam pūniendō: "by training rather than by punishment," gerunds in the ablative case (AG 507).
ā solo ēvertit: "erased it from the earth" (LS solum).
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
| Q. |
abbreviation of the praenomen Quīntus |
| P. |
abbreviation of the praenomen or nomen Publius |
| Numantīnī, ōrum, pl. m. |
the inhabitants of Numantia |
| Hispānia, ae, f. |
Spain (including Portugal). It was divided into two provinces, Hispania Citerior and Ulterior; hence the pl. Hispaniae. |
| opulentus, a, um [ops], adj. | rich, wealthy |
| ignōbilis, e [in + (g)nōbilis], adj. |
unknown, unrenowned, obscure; base, ignoble |
| C. |
abbreviation of the praenomen Gaius |
| Hostīlius, ī, m. |
<I>Tullus Hostīlius,</I> the third king of Rome, 672–640 BC; C. Hostīlius Mancīnus,</I> consul 137 BC |
| Mancīnus, ī, m. |
C. Hostīlius Mancīnus, consul 137 B.C. |
| īnfāmis, e [in + fāma], adj. | infamous |
| Pompēius, ī, m. |
(1) Cn. Pompēius, consul 89 B.C.; (2) Cn. Pompēius, surnamed Magnus, the triumvir, consul 70 B.C.; (3) Cn. Pompēius, son of the triumvir; (4) Q. Pompēius, consul 141 B.C.; (5) Sex. Pompēius, younger son of the triumvir |
| īnfringō, ere, frēgi, frāctus |
to break off; subdue, overcome |
| foedus, eris, n. |
a treaty, alliance, league |
| solum —i n. | the ground, soil |
| vindicō, āre, āvī, ātus [vīs + dīcō] |
to claim; liberate; avenge, take vengeance on |
| ignōminia, ae [in + (g)nōmen], f. |
disgrace, dishonor, ignominy |
| bis | (num. adv.) twice |
| subiugō, āre, āvī, ātus [sub + iugum] |
to bring under the yoke; subject, subjugate |
| Scīpiō, ōnis, m. |
the name of one of the most illustrious families of Rome, Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 83 B.C., Cn. Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 222 B.C., L. (Cornēlius) Scīpiō, consul 259 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 218 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 191 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō, praetor 94 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō Āfricānus, consul 205 BC the conqueror of Hannibal in the First Punic War., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō Āfricānus (Minor), consul 147 B.C. He brought the Third Punic War to a close by capturing and destroying Carthage., L. Cornēlius Scīpiō Asiāgenēs, consul 83 B.C., P. (Cornēlius) Scīpiō Nāsīca, consul 91 B.C. |
| secundō [secundus], adv. | for the second time |
| Numantia, ae, f. | a city in Spain |
| vitiōsus, a, um [vitium], adj. |
full of faults, faulty; wicked, depraved |
| ignāvus, a, um, adj. |
inactive, lazy, slothful; cowardly, dastardly |
| pūniō, īre, īvī, ītus [poena | to punish |
| acerbitās, ātis [acerbus], f. |
harshness, severity, unkindness |
| corrigō, ere, rēxī, rēctus |
to straighten, correct, improve |
| Hispānia, ae, f. |
Spain (including Portugal). It was divided into two provinces, Hispania Citerior and Ulterior; hence the pl. Hispaniae. |
| partim [pars], adv. | partly |
| dēditiō, ōnis [dēdō], f. | a surrender |
| postrēmō [posterus], adv. | at last, finally |
| obsideō, ēre, sēdī, sessus |
to besiege, occupy; watch closely |
| ēvertō, ere, ī, versus |
to overturn, destroy, ruin |