exercitus consedit, et quia diei extremum erat, proelium non inceptum.
Sed ubi plerumque[145] noctis processit, obscuro etiamtum lumine, milites
Jugurthini signo dato castra hostium invadunt; semisomnos partim,[146]
alios arma sumentes fugant funduntque; Adherbal cum paucis equitibus
Cirtam profugit, et ni multitudo togatorum[147] fuisset, quae Numidas
insequentes moenibus prohibuit, uno die inter duos reges coeptum atque
patratum bellum foret. Igitur Jugurtha oppidum circumsedit, vineis
turribusque et machinis omnium generum expugnare aggreditur, maxime
festinans tempus legatorum antecapere, quos ante proelium factum ab
Adherbale Romam missos audiverat. Sed postquam senatus de bello eorum
accepit, tres adolescentes in Africam legantur, qui ambos reges adeant,
senatus populique Romani verbis nuntient: 'Velle et censere eos ab armis
discedere, de controversiis suis jure potius quam bello disceptare; ita
seque illisque[148] dignum esse.'

[144] _Cirta_, the capital of Numidia, situated in that part of the
country nearest to Carthage, or the Roman province. It is said to be
'not far from the sea,' only in consideration of the vast extent of
Numidia to the south. Cirta is the modern Constantina, which name it
received in honour of the Emperor Constantine, and is situated at a
distance of four days' march from Bona, the ancient Hippo Regius.
[145] _Plerumque_ for the more common _plurimum_, 'the greater part.'
See Zumpt, S 103.
[146] As Sallust in other passages connects _pars_ and _alii_, so here
_partim_ and _alios_, _partim_ being the same as _partem_.
[147] _Togati_ are Roman citizens, for they alone wore the peculiar and
privileged dress called _toga_. But it may be that other Italians
also are comprised under the name; for Romans and Italians resided in
great numbers in all the towns subject to the Roman dominion, for
the sake of commerce, and in them they formed a distinct _conventus_.