of the senators, expressed as they are by a king.
[111] _Per vos liberos atque parentes vestros_. The words _per liberos_
belong together; to _vos_ supply _oro_. See Zumpt, S 794. Adherbal
intreats the senators by their children and parents, because Jugurtha
has so criminally trampled on the sacred rights of the family. Others
read _per vos per liberos vestros_; but this is wrong, and the
repetition of _per_ is bad: we never intreat persons by themselves,
but by something that is dear to them.
[112] _Tabescere_, 'to waste away,' 'perish;' the proper meaning is, 'to
be consumed by some disease.'

15. Postquam rex finem loquendi fecit, legati Jugurthae, largitione magis
quam causa freti, paucis respondent: 'Hiempsalem ob saevitiam suam ab
Numidis interfectum; Adherbalem ultro bellum inferentem, postquara
superatus sit, queri, quod injuriam facere nequivisset: Jugurtham ab
senatu petere, ne se alium putarent, ac Numantiae cognitus esset, neu
verba inimici ante facta sua ponerent.'[113] Deinde utrique curia
egrediuntur. Senatus statim consulitur: fautores legatorum, praeterea
magna pars gratia depravata,[114] Adherbalis dicta contemnere, Jugurthae
virtutem extollere laudibus; gratia, voce, denique omnibus modis pro
alieno scelere et flagitio sua quasi pro gloria nitebantur. At contra
pauci, quibus bonum et aequum divitiis carius erat, subveniundum
Adherbali et Hiempsalis mortem severe vindicandam censebant; sed ex
omnibus maxime Aemelius Scaurus, homo nobilis, impiger, factiosus, avidus
potentiae, honoris, divitiarum, ceterum vitia sua callide occultans. Is
postquam videt regis largitionem famosam impudentemque, veritus, quod in
tali re solet, ne polluta licentia[115] invidiam accenderet, animum a
consueta libidine continuit.

[113] _Ante facta_, &c. It would have been more common to say _factis