Sallust, The Jugurthine War
John Selby Watson, Rev. John Selby Watson, M.A., Ed.

1 XVIII. Getulians and Libyans] “Gœtuli et Libyes.” “"See Pompon. Mel. i. 4; Plin. H. N. v. 4, 6, 8, v. 2, xxi. 13; Herod. iv. 159, 168."” Gerlach The name Gœtuli, is, however, unknown to Herodotus. They lay to the south of Numidia and Mauretania. See Strabo, xvii. 3. Libyes is a term applied by the Greek writers properly to the Africans of the North coast, but frequently to the inhabitants of Africa in general.

2 His army, which was composed of various nations] This seems to have been an amplification of the adventure of Hercules with Geryon, who was a king in Spain. But all stories that make Hercules a leader of armies appear to be equally fabulous.

3 Medes, Persians, and Armenians] De Brosses thinks that these were not real Medes, etc., but that the names were derived from certain companions of Hercules. The point is not worth discussion.

4 Our sea] The Mediterranean. See above, c. 17.

5 More toward the Ocean] “Intra oceanum magis.” “"Intra oceanum is differently explained by different commentators. Cortius, Müller and Gerlach, understand the parts bounded by the ocean, lying close upon it, and stretching toward the west; while Langius thinks that the regions more remote from the Atlantic Ocean, and extending toward the east, are meant. But Langius did not consider that those who had inverted keels of vessels for cottages, could not have strayed far from the ocean, but must have settled in parts bordering upon it. And this is what is signified by intra oceanum. For intra aliquam rem is not always used to denote what is actually in a thing, and circumscribed by its boundaries, but what approaches toward it, and reaches close to it."” Kritzius. He then instances intra modum, intra legem ; Hortensii scripït intra famam sunt, Quintil. xi. 3, 8. But the best example which he produces is Liv. xxv. 11: Fossa ingens ducta, et vallum intra eam erigitur. Cicero, in Verr. iii. 89, has also, he notices, the same expression, Locus intra oceanum jam nullus est--quò non nostrorum hominum libido iniquitasque pervaserit, i.e., locus oceano conterminus. Bernouf absurdly follows Langius.

6 Numidians] “Numidas.” The same as Nomades, or wanderers a term applied to pastoral nations, and which, as Kritzius observes, the Africans must have had from the Greeks, perhaps those of Sicily.

7 More to the sun] “sub sole magis.” I have borrowed this expression from Rose. The Getulians were more southward.

8 These soon built themselves towns] That is, the united Medes, Armenians, and Libyans.

9 Medes--into Moors] “Mauris pro Medis.” A most improbable, not to say impossible corruption.

10 Of the Persians] “Persarum.” That is, of the Persians and Getulians united.

11 The two parties] “Utrique.” The older Numidians, and the younger, who had emigrated toward Carthage.

12 Those who had spread toward our sea--for the Libyans are less warlike than the Getulians] “Magis hi, qui ad nostrum mare processerant ; quia Libyes quám Gœtuli minùs bellicosi.” The Persians and Getulians (under the name of Numidians), and their colonists, who were more toward the Mediterranean, and were more warlike than the Libyans (who were united with the Medes and Armenians) took from them portions of their territories by conquest. This is clearly the sense, as deducible from the preceding portion of the text.

13 Lower Africa] “Africa pars inferior.” The part nearest to the sea. The ancients called the maritime parts of a country the lower parts, and the inland parts the higher, taking the notion, probably, from the course of the rivers. Lower Egypt was the part at the mouth of the Nile.