1When this letter had been read out, there were some who proposed that an army should be sent to Africa and help brought to Adherbal as soon as possible; 1and that meanwhile the case of Jugurtha should be considered, since he had not obeyed the envoys. 2But those same supporters of the king strove with all their might to prevent such a decree being made. 3So the public good, as usually happens in most affairs, was overcome by private influence. 4Nevertheless there were sent to Africa older men of noble birth who had held high offices. 4Among them was Marcus Scaurus, whom we mentioned above, a former consul and at that time leader of the senate.
5Because the affair was causing indignation, and because they were also entreated by the Numidians, they went on board ship within three days. 5Then, having soon put in at Utica, they sent a letter to Jugurtha: he was to come to the province as quickly as possible, and they had been sent to him by the senate. 6When he heard that distinguished men, whose authority he had heard was powerful at Rome, had come to oppose his undertaking, at first he was shaken and torn between fear and desire: he feared the anger of the senate if he did not obey the envoys; 7on the other hand, his mind, blinded by greed, swept him on towards the crime he had begun.
8Yet in his greedy nature the wicked plan prevailed. 9So, surrounding Cirta with his army, he tried with all his might to break into it, hoping above all that by dividing the enemy's force he would find a chance of victory either by force or by trickery. 10When this turned out otherwise and he could not achieve what he had intended, to get possession of Adherbal before he met the envoys, then, so as not to inflame Scaurus, whom he feared most of all, by delaying any longer, he came into the province with a few horsemen. 11And although grave threats were delivered to him in the name of the senate because he would not desist from the siege, still, after much talk had been spent, the envoys departed without result.