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But Sylla, though he had similar thoughts, protected the Moor from violence; exhorting his soldiers to keep up their spirits; and saying, "that a handful of brave men had often fought successfully against a multitude; that the less anxious they were to save their lives in battle, the greater would be their security; and that no man, who had arms in his hands, ought to trust for safety to his unarmed heels, or to turn to the enemy, in however great danger, the defenseless and blind parts of his body."1 Having then called almighty Jupiter to witness the guilt and perfidy of Bocchus, he ordered Volux, as being an instrument of his father's hostility,2 to quit the camp.

Volux, with tears in his eyes, entreated him to entertain no such suspicions; declaring " that nothing in the affair had been caused by treachery on his part, but all by the subtilty of Jugurtha, to whom his line of march had become known through his scouts. But as Jugurtha had no great force with him, and as his hopes and resources were dependent on his father Bocchus, he assuredly would not attempt any open violence, when the son of Bocchus would himself be a witness of it. He thought it best for Sylla, therefore, to march boldly through the middle of his camp, and that as for himself, he would either send forward his Moors, or leave them where they were, and accompany Sylla alone." This course, under such circumstances, was adopted; they set forward without delay, and, as they came upon Jugurtha unexpectedly, while he was in doubt and hesitation how to act, they passed without molestation. In a few days afterward, they arrived at the place to which their march was directed.

1 CVII. And blind parts of his body] “Cœcum corpus.” Imitated from Xenophon, Cyrop. iii. 3, 45: Μωρὸν γὰρ τὸ κρατεῖν βουλομένους, τὰ τυφλὰ, τοὐ σώματος, καὶ ἄοπλα, καὶ ἄχειρα, ταῦτα ἐναντία τάττειν τοῖς πολευίοις φεύγοντας. "It is folly for those that desire to conquer, to turn the blind, unarmed, and handless parts of the body, to the enemy in flight."

2 As being an instrument of his father's hostility] “Quoniam hostilia faceret.” “"Since he wished to deceive the Romans by pretended friendship."” Müller

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  • Commentary references to this page (1):
    • John Conington, Commentary on Vergil's Aeneid, Volume 2, 10.733
  • Cross-references to this page (7):
    • Sallust, Catilina, Iugurtha, Orationes Et Epistulae index, Bocchus
    • Sallust, Catilina, Iugurtha, Orationes Et Epistulae index, Iugurtha
    • Sallust, Catilina, Iugurtha, Orationes Et Epistulae index, Iupiter
    • Sallust, Catilina, Iugurtha, Orationes Et Epistulae index, L. Cornelius Sulla
    • Sallust, Catilina, Iugurtha, Orationes Et Epistulae index, Mauri
    • Sallust, Catilina, Iugurtha, Orationes Et Epistulae index, Maurus
    • Sallust, Catilina, Iugurtha, Orationes Et Epistulae index, Volux
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