intentos putabat, non prius bellum attingere quam majorum disciplina
milites laborare coegisset. Nam Albinus, Auli fratris exercitusque clade
perculsus, postquam decreverat non egredi provincia, quantum temporis
aestivorum in imperio fuit,[257] plerumque milites stativis castris
habebat, nisi quum odos[258] aut pabuli egestas locum mutare subegerat.
Sed neque muniebantur ea, neque more militari vigiliae deducebantur; uti
cuique libebat, ab signis aberat: lixae permixti cum militibus die
noctuque vagabantur; palantes agros vastare, villas expugnare, pecoris et
mancipiorum praedas certantes agere, eaque mutare cum mercatoribus[259]
vino advectitio et aliis talibus; praeterea frumentum publice datum
vendere, panem in dies mercari; postremo, quaecunque dici aut fingi
queunt ignaviae luxuriaeque probra, ea in illo exercitu cuncta fuere et
alia amplius.

[255] _Praedator_, belonging to _exercitus_, is the same as _praedas
agens_, 'carrying off booty.' See Zumpt, S 102, note 2.
[256] _Aestivorum tempus_ is the time suited for the campaign. To
_aestivorum_ supply _castrorum_, 'a summer-camp,' and 'a campaign
made in summer;' hence, also, 'a campaign' in general, inasmuch as
warlike operations were but rarely carried on in winter.
[257] _Albinus_, during a portion of the summer of the year 109 B. C.,
continued to command as proconsul, while the consul Metellus was
detained at Rome by the election of the consuls for the year
B. C. 108.
[258] _Odos_ for _odor_. See Zumpt, S 7.
[259] _Cum mercatoribus_, 'in intercourse with merchants.' The
merchandise, in return for which another commodity is given, is
expressed by the ablative. See Zumpt, S 456.

45. Sed in ea difficultate Metellum non minus quam in rebus hostilibus