Via the Volokh conspiracy, I found the superlative Mark Steyn article,
"These five regimes must go". One particular paragraph reminded me of the
clever strategy of Jugurtha, king of Numidia, in dealing with Rome, a country with
overwhelming military superiority but certain moral weaknesses. Here's the paragraph:
Third, for the duration of the war on terror, no organisation funded by
the Saudis should be eligible for any formal or informal role in any
Federal institution: it�s almost laughable the way everyone -- from the
body that approves Muslim chaplains for the US armed forces to the
diplomat the Pentagon sent to investigate Saddam�s nuclear contacts in
Africa, to the companies supplying the post-chad computerised voting
machines for next year�s elections -- turns out to be on the Saudi
shilling in one way or another.
Here is the story of Jugurtha, from the Gutenberg edition of Sallust's
The Jugurthine War.
Jugurtha, having thus accomplished his purposes,[41] and reflecting,
at leisure, on the crime which he had committed, began to feel a dread
of the Roman people, against whose resentment he had no hopes of
security but in the avarice of the nobility, and in his own wealth. A
few days afterward, therefore, he dispatched embassadors to Rome, with
a profusion of gold and silver, whom he directed, in the first place,
to make abundance of presents to his old friends, and then to procure
him new ones; and not to hesitate, in short; to effect whatever could
be done by bribery.
When these deputies had arrived at Rome, and had sent large presents,
according to the prince's direction, to his intimate friends,[42] and
to others whose influence was at that time powerful, so remarkable a
change ensued, that Jugurtha, from being an object of the greatest
odium, grew into great regard and favor with the nobility; who, partly
allured with hope, and partly with actual largesses, endeavored, by
soliciting the members of the senate individually, to prevent any
severe measures from being adopted against him. When the embassadors
accordingly, felt sure of success, the senate, on a fixed day, gave
audience to both parties[43].
...
Jugurtha, though he had already counted Scaurus among his friends at
Rome, yet received him with the most studied ceremony, and, by
presents and promises, wrought on him so effectually, that he
preferred the prince's interest to his own character, honor, and all
other considerations. The rest of the commissioners he assailed in a
similar way, and gained over most of them; by a few only integrity was
more regarded than lucre. In the division of the kingdom, that part of
Numidia which borders on Mauretania, and which is superior in
fertility and population, was allotted to Jugurtha; of the other part,
which, though better furnished with harbors and buildings, was more
valuable in appearance than in reality, Adherbal became the possessor.
...
XX. When the commissioners, after dividing the kingdom, had left
Africa, and Jugurtha saw that, contrary to his apprehensions, he had
obtained the object of his crimes; he then being convinced of the
truth of what he had heard from his friends at Numantia, "that all
things were purchasable at Rome," and being also encouraged by the
promises of those whom he had recently loaded with presents, directed
his views to the domain of Adherbal.
...
The troops were conducted through Italy to Rhegium, from thence to
Sicily, and from Sicily into Africa; and Calpurnius's first step,
after collecting provisions, was to invade Numidia with spirit, where
he took many prisoners, and several towns, by force of arms.
XXIX. But when Jugurtha began, through his emissaries, to tempt him
with bribes, and to show the difficulties of the war which he had
undertaken to conduct, his mind, corrupted with avarice, was easily
altered. His accomplice, however, and manager in all his schemes, was
Scaurus; who, though he had at first, when most of his party were
corrupted, displayed violent hostility to Jugurtha, yet was afterward
seduced, by a vast sum of money, from integrity and honor to injustice
and perfidy. Jugurtha, however, at first sought only to purchase a
suspension of hostilities, expecting to be able, during the interval,
to make some favorable impression, either by bribery or by interest,
at Rome; but when he heard that Scaurus was co-operating with
Calpurnius, he was elated with great hopes of regaining peace, and
resolved upon a conference with them in person respecting the terms of
it.
...
During the course of these proceedings at Rome, those whom Bestia had
left in Numidia in command of the army, following the example of their
general, had been guilty of many scandalous transactions. Some, seduced
by gold, had restored Jugurtha his elephants; others had sold him his
deserters; others had ravaged the lands of those at peace with us; so
strong a spirit of rapacity, like the contagion of a pestilence, had
pervaded the breasts of all.
...
XXXIII. Jugurtha, accordingly, accompanied Cassius to Rome, but
without any mark of royalty, and in the garb, as much as possible, of
a suppliant[122]; and, though he felt great confidence on his own
part, and was supported by all those through whose power or villainy
he had accomplished his projects, he purchased, by a vast bribe, the
aid of Caius Baebius, a tribune of the people, by whose audacity he
hoped to be protected against the law, and against all harm.
An assembly of the people being convoked, Memmius, although they were
violently exasperated against Jugurtha, (some demanding that he should
be cast into prison, others that, unless he should name his
accomplices in guilt, he should be put to death, according to the
usage of their ancestors, as a public enemy), yet, regarding rather
their character than their resentment, endeavored to calm their
turbulence and mitigate their rage; and assured them that, as far as
depended on him, the public faith should not be broken. At length,
when silence was obtained, he brought forward Jugurtha, and addressed
them. He detailed the misdeeds of Jugurtha at Rome and in Numidia, and
set forth his crimes toward his father and brothers; and admonished
the prince, "that the Roman people, though they were well aware by
whose support and agency he had acted, yet desired further testimony
from himself; that, if he disclosed the truth, there was great hope
for him in the honor and clemency of the Romans; but if he concealed
it, he would certainly not save his accomplices, but ruin himself and
his hopes forever."
XXXIV. But when Memmius had concluded his speech, and Jugurtha was
expected to give his answer, Caius Baebius, the tribune of the people,
whom I have just noticed as having been bribed, enjoined the prince to
hold his peace[123]; and though the multitude, who formed the
assembly, were desperately enraged, and endeavored to terrify the
tribune by outcries, by angry looks, by violent gestures, and by every
other act to which anger prompts[124], his audacity was at last
triumphant.
...
A few days after, he himself departed,
having been ordered by the senate to quit Italy. But, as he was going
from Rome, he is said, after frequently looking back on it in silence,
to have at last exclaimed, "That it was a venal city, and would soon
perish, if it could but find a purchaser!"[130]
...
XL. At Rome, in the mean time, Caius Mamilius Limetanus, one of the
tribunes, proposed that the people should pass a bill for instituting
an inquiry into the conduct of those by whose influence Jugurtha had
set at naught the decrees of the senate, as well as of those who,
whether as embassadors or commanders, had received money from him, or
who had restored to him his elephants and deserters, or had made any
compacts with the enemy relative to peace or war. To this bill some,
who were conscious of guilt, and others, who apprehended danger from
the jealousy of parties, secretly raised obstructions through the
agency of friends, and especially of men among the Latins and Italian
allies[139], since they could not openly resist it, without admitting
that these and similar practices met their approbation. But as to the
people, it is incredible what eagerness they displayed, and with what
spirit they approved, voted, and passed the bill, though rather from
hatred to the nobility, against whom these severe measures were
directed, than from concern for the republic; so violent was the fury
of party.
The Numidians divided into two parties, the greater number
following Adherbal, but the more warlike, Jugurtha; who, accordingly,
armed as large a force as he could, brought several cities, partly by
force and partly by their own consent, under his power, and prepared
to make himself sovereign of the whole of Numidia. Adherbal, though he
had sent embassadors to Rome, to inform the senate of his brother's
murder and his own circumstances, yet, relying on the number of his
troops, prepared for an armed resistance. When the matter, however,
came to a contest, he was defeated, and fled from the field of battle
into our province,[40] and from thence hastened to Rome.
In the end, Jugurtha lost his kingdom and his life because the outraged Roman citizenry
found two honest generals, one of whom was the famous Marius, who wouldn't take
Jugurtha's bribes. But his strategy was not a bad idea, given how poorly he did once
things came down to force of arms.
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