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Sallust · Bellum Iugurthinum

Bellum Iugurthinum 74

Jugurtha wavers and is beaten

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Iug. 74.1Eōdem tempore Iugurtha āmissīs amīcīs, quōrum plērōsque ipse necāverat, cēterī formīdine pars ad Rōmānōs, aliī ad rēgem Bocchum profūgerant, quom neque bellum gerī sine administrīs posset et novōrum fidem in tantā perfidiā veterum experīrī perīculōsum dūceret, varius incertusque agitābat.At the same time Jugurtha, having lost his friends, most of whom he had himself put to death, while the rest had fled out of fear, some to the Romans, others to King Bocchus, since the war could not be waged without helpers and he thought it dangerous to test the loyalty of new men when the old had been so treacherous, wavered in doubt and uncertainty. Iug. 74.1Neque illī rēs neque cōnsilium aut quisquam hominum satis placēbat: itinera praefectōsque in diēs mūtāre;No plan, no course of action, no man satisfied him: he changed his routes and his officers from day to day; Iug. 74.1modo advorsum hostīs, interdum in sōlitūdinēs pergere;now he advanced against the enemy, now into the wilderness; Iug. 74.1saepe in fugā ac post paulō in armīs spem habēre;often he put his hope in flight, and a little later in arms; Iug. 74.1dubitāre, virtūtī an fideī populārium minus crēderet: ita quōcumque intenderat, rēs advorsae erant.he doubted whether he should trust his countrymen's courage or their loyalty less: thus, wherever he turned, things went against him.

Iug. 74.2Sed inter eās morās repente sēsē Metellus cum exercitū ostendit.But in the midst of these delays Metellus suddenly appeared with his army. Iug. 74.2Numidae ab Iugurthā prō tempore parātī īnstrūctīque, Dein proelium incipitur.The Numidians were made ready and drawn up by Jugurtha as well as time allowed, and then battle was joined. Iug. 74.3Quā in parte rēx pugnae adfuit, ibi aliquamdiū certātum, cēterī eius omnēs mīlitēs prīmō congressū pulsī fugātīque.In the part of the fight where the king was present, there was a struggle for some time; all his other soldiers were routed and put to flight at the first encounter. Iug. 74.3Rōmānī signōrum et armōrum aliquantō numerō, hostium paucōrum potītī;The Romans took a considerable number of standards and arms, but few of the enemy; Iug. 74.3nam ferme Numidīs in omnibus proeliīs magis pedēs quam arma tūta sunt.for in almost all battles their feet protect the Numidians more than their arms.

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (112 words)
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
tempus, temporis, n.time, season
āmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missussend away, lose
amīcus, -ī, m.friend
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
plērīque, plēraeque, plēraquemost, very many
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
necō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusput to death, slay, kill
cēterī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.the other, the remaining, the rest of
formīdō, -inis f.fear, dread; something to be dreaded
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
Rōmānus, -a, -umRoman
alius, -a, -udanother, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
rēx, rēgis, m.king
profugiō, -ere, -fūgīflee, escape
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
bellum, -ī, n.war
gerō, gerere, gessī, gestuscarry, wear; carry on, do
sine, prep. with abl.without
administer, -trī m.assistant, helper
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
novus, -a, -umnew; novissimus, last
fidēs, -eī f.faith, trust; pledge
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
tantus, -a, -umso great or much
perfidia, -ae f.treachery, bad faith
vetus, veterisold, former
experior, -īrī, expertus sumtry, test, experience
perīculōsus, -a, -umdangerous
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductuslead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry
varius, -a, -umvarious
incertus, -a, -umuncertain, unreliable
que, enclitic conj.and
agitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusdrive about; discuss, debate
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
cōnsilium, -ī, n.advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
quisquam, quicquam, indef. pron.any one, anything
homō, hominis, m.man
satis, adv.enough, sufficiently
placeō, -ēre, placuī, placitum (+ dat.)please (placuit eī: he decided)
iter, itineris, n.a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march
praefectus, -ī m.commander, officer
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.day
mūtō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuschange
modo, adv.only
adversum (prep. + acc.; also adversus)against, opposite
hostis, -is, m. and f.enemy, foe
interdum (adv.)sometimes
sōlitūdō, -inis f.loneliness; a wilderness, desert
pergō, -ere, perrēxī, perrēctumgo on, press on
saepe, adv.often, frequently
fuga, -ae, f.flight
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
post, adv.after, later; prep. with acc., after, behind
paulō, adv.by a little, a little, somewhat
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
spēs, speī, f.hope
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
dubitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusdoubt, hesitate
virtūs, -tūtis, f.manliness, courage, bravery
an, conj.or (in questions)
populāris, -eof the people; popular; courting the people (a 'popular' politician)
minus, comp. adv.less
crēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditusbelieve
ita, adv.in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
quōcumque (adv.)to whatever place; in whatever direction
intendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentusstretch out; stretch, draw, aim
adversus, -a, -umfacing; unfavourable, unsuccessful
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
sed, conj.but
inter, prep, with acc.among, between
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
mora, -ae, f.delay
repente (adv.)suddenly
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
cum, prep, with abl.with
exercitus, -ūs, m.army
ostendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentusstretch out before, show, explain
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
prō, prep. with abl.before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for
parātus, -a, -umprepared, equipped, ready
īnstruo, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctusbuild in or into; draw up; equip, furnish,
deinde, adv.then, next
proelium, -ī, n.battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle
incipiō, -ere, incēpī, inceptumbegin
pugna, -ae, f.fighting, battle, combat
adsum, adesse, adfuībe present, be at hand
ibi, adv.in that place, there
aliquam diū (adv.)for some time
certō, adv.with certainty, for certain, certainly
omnis, -eall, every
mīles, mīlitis, m.soldier
prīmus, -a, -umfirst, foremost
congressus, -ūs m.meeting; encounter, clash
pellō, pellere, pepulī, pulsusdrive, drive away, beat, rout
fugō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusput to flight, rout
signum, -ī, n.sign, signal
aliquantus, -a, -umsome, a fair amount (aliquantum itineris: some way)
numerus, -ī, m.number
paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.few
potior, -īrī, -ītusbecome master of, get possession of
nam, conj.for
ferme (adv.)about, nearly, almost
magis, comp. adv.more, rather
pēs, pedis, m.foot
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
tūtus, -a, -umsafe
Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum. Latin text: the Perseus digital text of Sallust's Jugurthine War, with chapter 79 onwards in part from A. W. Ahlberg (Teubner, 1919), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.