25. C. Caeciliō Metellō et Cn. Carbōne cōnsulibus duo Metellī frātrēs eōdem diē, alterum ex Sardiniā, alterum ex Thrāciā, triumphum ēgērunt nūntiātumque Rōmae est Cimbrōs ē Galliā in Ītaliam trānsisse.
26. (1) P. Scīpiōne Nāsicā et L. Calpurniō Bēstiā cōnsulibus Iugurthae Numidārum rēgī bellum inlātum est, quod Adherbalem et Hiempsalem, Micipsae fīliōs, frātrēs suōs, rēgēs et populī Rōmānī amīcōs, interēmisset. Missus adversum eum cōnsul Calpurnius Bēstia, corruptus rēgis pecūniā, pācem cum eō flāgitiōsissimam fēcit, quae ā senātū improbāta est.
(2) Posteā contrā eundem īnsequentī annō Sp. Postumius Albīnus profectus est. Is quoque per frātrem ignōminiōsē contrā Numidās pūgnāvit.
notes
Ch. 25: The Cimbri Enter Italy (113 BCE)
Livy, Epitome 63; Plutarch, Marius 11–26; Velleius Paterculus, Roman History 2.12; Tacitus, Germania 37.
(1) C. Caeciliō Metellō et Cn. Carbōne cōnsulibus: ablative absolute with form of esse understood (AG 419.a). Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius and Gnaeus Papirius Carbo were consuls in 113 BCE. Metellus was the son of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus mentioned in Brev. 4.16. He was consul in 113 BCE, and carried on war in Macedonia against the Thracians, whom he subdued. He obtained a triumph, and in consequence, in the same year and on the same day with his brother (Hazzard).
alterum ex Sardiniā, alterum ex Thrāciā, triumphum ēgērunt: alter... alter: "the one... the other..." This was Marcus Caecilius Metellus, a brother of Gaius Caecilius mentioned above. He was consul in 115 BCE. In 114 BCE he was sent to Sardinia as proconsul, and while there he suppressed a revolt in the province. For this he was granted a triumph, which he celebrated at the same time with his brother (Hazzard). For more information on triumphs, see triumphs.
Rōmae: "at Rome," locative (AG 427.3)
Cimbrōs: The Cimbri defeated Papirius Carbo at Noreia near Ljubljana (Bird).
trānsisse: indirect discourse after the verb nūntiātumque...est (AG 577)
Ch. 26: War with Jugurtha (111–104 BCE)
Sallust, Jugurthine War 20–29; Appian, The Numidian War; Livy, Epitome 64.
(1) P. Scīpiōne Nāsicā: "Scipio with the pointed nose." This name, which was given in derision to one member of his family, clung to all his descendants (Hazzard). Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica and Lucius Calpurnius Bestia were consuls in 111 BCE.
Iugurthae Numidārum rēgī bellum inlātum est: Iugurthae rēgī is the dative object of inlātum est (LS infero I.β). Jugurtha is an interesting character in Roman history.
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He was the illegitimate nephew of Micipsa, the king of Numidia. He served under Scipio in Spain, and there made the acquaintance of the dissolute patricians who were serving in the army. On the death of his uncle, he put Hiempsal to death and seized the kingdom. He besieged Adherbal in the town of Cirta, and, having taken the town, he put him to death... In the capture of Cirta several Roman citizens were slain. This compelled the senate to make an investigation; but many of its members had been bribed by Jugurtha, and it resulted in nothing. Finally war was declared against him. The army, however, was poorly equipped and barely organized. Nothing but defeat resulted. Metellus, on taking command in 109 BCE, reformed the army, won several victories, and seemed on the point of bringing the war to an end when he was succeeded by Gaius Marius, his lieutenant. Marius speedily brought the war to a close. Jugurtha, however, was surrendered to Sulla, Marius' lieutenant, by the Mauretanians, with whom he had taken refuge. After gracing the triumphal procession of Marius, he was strangled in the Mamertine prison. He is said to have exclaimed as he touched the water and the bottom of the prison, "How cold are thy baths, O Hercules!" (Hazzard)
frātrēs suōs: Eutropius is incorrect. They were his cousins, not brothers (Hazzard).
adversum eum: refers to Jugurtha
Calpurnius Bēstia: The Romans declared war against Jugurtha and sent one of the consuls of 111 BCE, L. Calpurnius Bestia, who found the campaign difficult and eventually concluded a tolerable peace (Bird).
corruptus rēgis pecūniā: Charges of corruption against various senators were made at Rome by C. Memmius, a tribune, and Jugurtha was given a safe-conduct to Rome to give evidence. This was vetoed by another tribune, C. Baebius, and Jugurtha fled home after having his cousin and potential rival, Massiva, murdered at Rome (Bird).
(2) Sp. Postumius Albīnus: In 110 BCE Sp. Postumius Albinus fought inconclusively against Jugurtha and eventually returned to Rome, leaving his brother, Aulus, in charge. Aulus was defeated in 109 BCE, and his army was sent under the yoke (Bird; cf. LS iugum I.B.4).
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
| C. |
abbreviation of the praenomen Gaius |
| Caecilius, ī, m. |
the name of a Roman gens. Q. Caecilius, consul 206 B.C. |
| Cn. |
abbreviation of the praenomen Gnaeus |
| Carbō, ōnis, m. |
Cn. (Papirius) Carbō, consul 113 B.C.; (Cn.) Papīrius Carbō, consul 82 B.C. |
| Metellus, ī, m. |
(1) C. Caecilius Metellus, consul 113 B.C.; (2) L. Caecilius Metellus, consul 251 B.C.; (3) L. Caecilius Metellus, consul 123 B.C.; (4) (Q. Caecilius) Metellus Macedonicus, consul 143 B.C.; (5) Q. Caecilius Metellus (Numidicus), consul 109 B.C.; (6) Q. Caecilius Metellus Creticus, consul 69 B.C.; (7) L. (Caecilius) Metellus, carried on war against Mithradates; (8) M. (Caecilius) Metellus |
| Sardinia, ae, f. |
Sardinia, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, west of Italy |
| Thrācia, ae, f. |
a large district in the southeastern part of Europe, between the Aegean Sea, Macedonia, and the Black Sea |
| triumphus, ī, m. |
a triumph, a splendid procession in which the victorious general entered the city accompanied by his soldiers and the spoil and captives he had taken. The procession passed around the Capitoline Hill into the Via Sacra, then into the Forum, and up to the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. |
| nūntiō, āre, āvī, ātus [nūntius] |
to tell, announce, report |
| Cimbrī, ōrum, pl. m. |
the Cimbri, a Germanic tribe which, together with the Teutones, invaded Italy, and was defeated by Marius, 101 B.C. |
| Gallia, ae, f. |
the country of the Gauls; modern France and the territories on the west bank of the Rhine. The northern part of Italy was settled by Gauls, and was called Gallia Cisalpina; hence the pl. Galliae. |
| P. |
abbreviation of the praenomen or nomen Publius |
| 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. |
| Nāsīca, ae, f. |
P. (Cornēlius) Scīpiō Nāsīca, consul 91 B.C. |
| Adherbal, alis, m. |
a Numidian prince, son of Macipsa, slain by Jugurtha |
| Calpurnius —i m. |
L. Calpurnius Bēstia, consul 111 B.C. |
| Bēstia, ae, m. |
L. Calpurnius Bēstia, consul 111 B.C. |
| Iugurtha, ae, m. |
Jugurtha, king of Numidia. |
| Numidae, ārum, pl. m. | the Numidians |
| insequor, ī, secūtus sum |
to pursue, follow up |
| Hiempsal, alis, m. |
son of Micipsa, king of Numidia, was murdered by Jugurtha |
| Micipsa, ae, m. |
king of Numidia, the eldest of the sons of Masinissa |
| interimō, ere, ēmī, ēmptus |
to take from the midst of, kill |
| flāgitiōsus, a, um [flagitium, a crime], adj. |
shameful, disgraceful, infamous |
| improbō, āre, āvī, ātus [improbus] |
to disprove, blame, censure; reject |
| Sp. |
an abbreviation of the praenomen Spurius |
| Postumius, ī, m. |
1) Sp. Postumius (Albīnus), consul 344 and 321 B.C.; 2) Aulus Postumius Albinus, consul 242 B.C.; 3) L. Postumius Albīnus, consul 234 and 229 B.C.; 4) Sp. Postumius Albinus, consul 186 B.C.; 5) Sp. Postumius Albīnus, consul 110 B.C. |
| Albīnus, ī, m. |
a family name at Rome, Clōdius Albīnus, governor of Britain at the death of Commodus. He revolted, and was defeated and slain by Septimius Sevērus at Lugdūnum, 197 A.D.; Sp. Postumius (Albīnus), consul 344 and 321 B.C.; Aulus Postumius Albinus, consul 242 B.C., L. Postumius Albīnus, consul 234 and 229 B.C.; Sp. Postumius Albinus, consul 186 B.C.; Sp. Postumius Albīnus, consul 110 B.C. |
| ignōminiōse [ignōminiōsus, disgraceful], adv. |
ignominiously, disgracefully |
| Q. |
abbreviation of the praenomen Quīntus |