Iug. 25.1Hīs litterīs recitātīs fuēre quī exercitum in Āfricam mittundum cēnsērent et quam prīmum Adherbalī subveniundum;When 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; Iug. 25.1dē Iugurthā interim utī cōnsulerētur, quoniam lēgātīs nōn pāruisset.and that meanwhile the case of Jugurtha should be considered, since he had not obeyed the envoys. Iug. 25.2Sed ab īsdem illīs rēgis fautōribus summā ope ēnīsum, nē tāle dēcrētum fieret.But those same supporters of the king strove with all their might to prevent such a decree being made. Iug. 25.3Ita bonum pūblicum, utī in plērīsque negōtiīs solet, prīvātā grātiā dēvictum.So the public good, as usually happens in most affairs, was overcome by private influence. Iug. 25.4Lēgantur tamen in Āfricam maiōrēs nātū nōbilēs, amplīs honōribus ūsī.Nevertheless there were sent to Africa older men of noble birth who had held high offices. Iug. 25.4In quīs fuit M. Scaurus, dē quō suprā memorāvimus, cōnsulāris et tum senātūs prīnceps.Among them was Marcus Scaurus, whom we mentioned above, a former consul and at that time leader of the senate.
Iug. 25.5Iī, quod rēs in invidiā erat, simul et ab Numidīs obsecrātī, trīduō nāvem ascendere.Because the affair was causing indignation, and because they were also entreated by the Numidians, they went on board ship within three days. Iug. 25.5Dein brevī Uticam adpulsī litterās ad Iugurtham mittunt: quam ōcissumē ad prōvinciam adcēdat, sēque ad eum ab senātū missōs.Then, 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. Iug. 25.6Ille ubi accēpit hominēs clārōs, quōrum auctōritātem Rōmae pollēre audīverat, contrā inceptum suom vēnisse, prīmō conmōtus metū atque lubīdine dīvorsus agitābātur: timēbat īram senātūs, nī pāruisset lēgātīs;When 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; Iug. 25.7porrō animus cupīdine caecus ad inceptum scelus rapiēbat.on the other hand, his mind, blinded by greed, swept him on towards the crime he had begun.
Iug. 25.8Vīcit tamen in avidō ingeniō prāvom cōnsilium.Yet in his greedy nature the wicked plan prevailed. Iug. 25.9Igitur exercitū circumdatō summā vī Cirtam inrumpere nītitur, māxumē spērāns dīductā manū hostium aut vī aut dolīs sēsē cāsum victōriae inventūrum.So, 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. Iug. 25.10Quod ubi secus prōcēdit neque quod intenderat efficere potest, ut, prius quam lēgātōs convenīret, Adherbalis potīrētur, nē amplius morandō Scaurum, quem plūrumum metuēbat, incenderet, cum paucīs equitibus in prōvinciam vēnit.When 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. Iug. 25.11Ac tametsī senātī verbīs gravēs minae nūntiābantur, quod ab oppugnātiōne nōn dēsisteret, multā tamen ōrātiōne cōnsūmptā lēgātī frūstrā discessēre.And 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.