frontier of Africa on the Mediterranean, and the frontiers in the
east and west. The extent of Africa southward was too little known to
him to speak about it.
[123] 'The inclined plain,' or, as the geographer Mela says, 'the valley
which inclines towards Egypt.' The length of this valley extends from
south to north as far as the Mediterranean, and in the upper part it
separates the immense desert in the west from the oasis in the east,
which is considered as a part of Egypt. The easternmost country in
Africa on the Mediterranean was Cyrenaica. It is therefore quite
clear that Sallust does not include Egypt in Africa.
[124] Sallust wants to give a short account of the original inhabitants
of Africa, and their amalgamation with new immigrants, such as it
was translated for him from the Punic books of King Hiempsal. This
Hiempsal is not the same as the one already mentioned, who had been
murdered by Jugurtha, but a later descendant of Masinissa, who ruled
after Jugurtha, and was still alive in the days of Cicero, about
B. C. 60. _Interpretatum est_, in a passive sense. See Zumpt, S 632.

18. Africam initio habuere Gaetuli et Libyes, asperi incultique, quis
cibus erat caro ferina atque humi pabulum, uti pecoribus. Hi neque
moribus neque lege aut imperio cujusquam regebantur; vagi, palantes, qua
nox coegerat, sedes habebant. Sed postquam in Hispania Hercules, sicuti
Afri putant, interiit, exercitus ejus, compositus ex variis gentibus,
amisso duce ac passim multis sibi quisque imperium petentibus,[125] brevi
dilabitur. Ex eo numero Medi, Persae et Armenii, navibus in Africam
transvecti, proximos nostro mari[126] locos occupavere. Sed Persae intra
Oceanum magis; hique alveos navium inverses pro tuguriis habuere, quia
neque materia in agris neque ab Hispanis emundi aut mutandi copia erat;
mare magnum et ignara[127] lingua commercia prohibebant. Hi paulatim per
connubia Gaetulos secum miscuere, et quia saepe temptantes agros[128]