Iug. 20.1Postquam dīvīsō regnō lēgātī Āfricā dēcessēre et Iugurtha contrā timōrem animī praemia sceleris adeptum sēsē videt, certum esse ratus, quod ex amīcīs apud Numantiam accēperat, omnia Rōmae vēnālia esse, simul et illōrum pollicitātiōnibus accēnsus, quōs paulō ante mūneribus explēverat, in regnum Adherbalis animum intendit.After the kingdom had been divided and the envoys had left Africa, and Jugurtha saw that, contrary to his fears, he had obtained the rewards of his crime, he took it as certain, as he had heard from his friends at Numantia, that everything at Rome was for sale; at the same time he was fired by the promises of those whom he had lately loaded with gifts, and he turned his mind to the kingdom of Adherbal. Iug. 20.2Ipse ācer, bellicōsus;He himself was keen and warlike; Iug. 20.2at is quem petēbat quiētus, inbellis, placidō ingeniō, opportūnus iniūriae, metuēns magis quam metuendus.but the man he was attacking was quiet, unwarlike, of a mild disposition, open to injury, more fearful than to be feared. Iug. 20.3Igitur ex inprōvīsō fīnīs eius cum magnā manū invādit, multōs mortālīs cum pecore atque aliā praedā capit, aedificia incendit, plēraque loca hostīliter cum equitātū adcēdit, deinde cum omnī multitūdine in regnum suom convortit, existumāns Adherbalem dolōre permōtum iniūriās suās manū vindicātūrum eamque rem bellī causam fore.So without warning he invaded his territory with a large band, captured many people together with cattle and other plunder, burned buildings, and approached most places with his cavalry as an enemy; then he turned back with his whole host into his own kingdom, thinking that Adherbal, stirred by resentment, would avenge his wrongs by force, and that this would be a cause for war.
Iug. 20.5At ille, quod neque sē parem armīs existumābat et amīcitiā populī Rōmānī magis quam Numidīs frētus erat, lēgātōs ad Iugurtham dē iniūriīs questum mīsit.But Adherbal, because he thought himself no match in arms and relied more on the friendship of the Roman people than on the Numidians, sent envoys to Jugurtha to complain of his wrongs. Iug. 20.5Quī tametsī contumēliōsa dicta rettulerant, prius tamen omnia patī dēcrēvit quam bellum sūmere, quia temptātum anteā secus cesserat.Although they had brought back insulting replies, he still resolved to endure everything rather than take up war, because when he had tried it before it had turned out badly. Iug. 20.6Neque eō magis cupīdō Iugurthae minuēbātur, quippe quī tōtum eius regnum animō iam invāserat.Yet Jugurtha's greed was not lessened by this at all, since in his mind he had already seized the whole of Adherbal's kingdom. Iug. 20.7Itaque nōn utī anteā cum praedātōriā manū, sed magnō exercitū conparātō bellum gerere coepit et apertē tōtīus Numidiae imperium petere.And so he began to wage war not, as before, with a raiding band, but with a great army that he had raised, and openly to seek the rule of all Numidia.
Iug. 20.8Cēterum, quā pergēbat, urbīs agrōs vāstāre, praedās agere, suīs animum hostibus terrōrem augēre.Moreover, wherever he went, he laid waste cities and fields, drove off plunder, and increased the courage of his own men and the terror of the enemy.