Iug. 80.1Iugurtha postquam āmissā Thalā nihil satis firmum contrā Metellum putat, per magnās sōlitūdinēs cum paucīs profectus pervēnit ad Gaetūlōs, genus hominum ferum incultumque et eō tempore ignārum nōminis Rōmānī.Jugurtha, after the loss of Thala, thinking nothing strong enough against Metellus, set out with a few men through vast wildernesses and came to the Gaetulians, a wild and uncivilised race of men, and at that time ignorant of the Roman name. Iug. 80.2Eōrum multitūdinem in ūnum cōgit ac paulātim cōnsuēfacit ōrdinēs habēre, signa sequī, imperium observāre, item alia mīlitāria facere.He gathered a great number of them in one place and gradually accustomed them to keep their ranks, follow the standards, obey commands, and do the other things soldiers do. Iug. 80.3Praetereā rēgis Bocchī proxumōs magnīs mūneribus et maiōribus prōmissīs ad studium suī perdūcit, quīs adiūtōribus rēgem aggressus inpellit, utī advorsus Rōmānōs bellum incipiat.Besides this, with great gifts and greater promises he won the goodwill of the closest friends of King Bocchus, and with their help he approached the king and induced him to begin war against the Romans. Iug. 80.4Id eā grātiā facilius prōniusque fuit, quod Bocchus initiō huiusce bellī lēgātōs Rōmam mīserat foedus et amīcitiam petītum, quam rem opportūnissumam inceptō bellō paucī impedīverant caecī avāritiā, Quīs omnia honesta atque inhonesta vēndere mōs erat.This was easier and readier for the reason that Bocchus, at the beginning of this war, had sent envoys to Rome to seek a treaty and friendship, but a few men blinded by greed, whose habit it was to sell everything, honourable and dishonourable, had prevented a thing most advantageous for the war that had been begun.
Iug. 80.6Et iam anteā Iugurthae fīlia Bocchō nūpserat.And even before this a daughter of Jugurtha had married Bocchus. Iug. 80.6Vērum ea necessitūdō apud Numidās Maurōsque levis dūcitur, quia singulī prō opibus quisque quam plūrumās uxōrēs, dēnās aliī, aliī plūrīs habent, sed rēgēs eō amplius.But that tie is thought of little weight among the Numidians and Moors, because each of them has as many wives as he can afford, some ten, others more, and kings more still. Iug. 80.7Ita animus multitūdine distrahitur: nūlla prō sociā obtinet, pariter omnēs vīlēs sunt.Thus affection is divided by their number: none holds the place of a partner; all are equally cheap.