1When Metellus saw that his undertaking was in vain, that the town was not being taken and that Jugurtha would not fight except from ambush or on his own ground, and that the summer was now over, he withdrew from Zama and placed garrisons in those cities which had gone over to him and were sufficiently fortified by position or walls. 2As for the army, he stationed it in the province which is nearest to Numidia, for the sake of wintering. 3Nor did he give up that time to rest or luxury after the manner of others, but, since the war was making little progress by arms, he prepared to lay a trap for the king through his friends and to use their treachery in place of arms.
4So he approached with many promises Bomilcar, who had been at Rome with Jugurtha and from there, after giving sureties, had secretly fled trial for the murder of Massiva, because through his very close friendship he had the greatest opportunity of deceiving him. 4And first he arranged for him to come to him secretly for a conference; 4then, giving his word that, if he handed Jugurtha over to him alive or dead, the senate would grant him immunity and all his possessions, he easily persuaded the Numidian, who was both faithless by nature and afraid that, if peace were made with the Romans, he himself would be handed over for punishment under its terms.