Iug. 81.1Igitur in locum ambōbus placitum exercitūs conveniunt.So the armies met at a place agreed by both. Iug. 81.1Ibi fidē datā et acceptā Iugurtha Bocchī animum ōrātiōne accendit: Rōmānōs iniūstōs, profundā avāritiā, commūnīs omnium hostīs esse;There, after pledges had been given and received, Jugurtha fired Bocchus' spirit with a speech: the Romans were unjust, of boundless greed, the common enemies of all mankind; Iug. 81.1eandem illōs causam bellī cum Bocchō habēre, quam sēcum et cum aliīs gentibus, lubīdinem imperitandī, Quīs omnia regna advorsa sint;they had the same reason for war with Bocchus as with himself and other nations, the lust for dominion, to which all kingdoms were hostile; Iug. 81.1tum sēsē, paulō ante Carthāginiēnsīs, item rēgem Persēn, post utī quisque opulentissumus videātur, ita Rōmānīs hostem fore.at that moment it was himself, a little before it had been the Carthaginians, likewise King Perseus, and later whoever seemed wealthiest would in turn be an enemy to the Romans. Iug. 81.2Hīs atque aliīs tālibus dictīs ad Cirtam oppidum iter cōnstituunt, quod ibi Q. Metellus praedam captīvōsque et impedīmenta locāverat.After these and other such words they decided on a march to the town of Cirta, because Quintus Metellus had placed his plunder, prisoners and baggage there.
Iug. 81.3Ita Iugurtha ratus aut captā urbe operae pretium fore aut, sī Rōmānus auxiliō suīs vēnisset, proeliō sēsē certātūrōs.So Jugurtha reckoned that either, if the city were taken, it would be worth the effort, or, if the Roman came to the help of his men, they would fight it out in battle. Iug. 81.4Nam callidus id modo festīnābat, Bocchī pācem inminuere, nē morās agitandō aliud quam bellum māllet.For in his cunning he was eager only to spoil Bocchus' chance of peace, so that he should not, by spinning out delays, come to prefer something other than war.