Jugurtha

, the illegitimate son of Manastabal the brother of Micipsa. Micipsa and Manastabal were the sons of Masini a king of Numidia. Micipsa, who had inherited his father’s kingdom, educated his nephew with his two sons, Adherbal and Hiempsal; but, as he was of an aspiring disposition, he sent him with a body of troops to the a istance of Scipio, who was besieging Numantia, hoping to lose a youth whose ambition seemed to threaten the tranquillity of his children. His hopes were frustrated; Jugurtha showed himself brave and active, and endeared himself to the Roman general. Micipsa appointed him succe or to his kingdom with his two sons, but the kindne of the father proved fatal to the children. Jugurtha destroyed Hiempsal, and stripped Adherbal of his po e ions, and obliged him to fly to Rome for safety. The Romans listened to the well-grounded complaints of Adherbal, but Jugurtha’s gold prevailed among the senators, and the suppliant monarch, forsaken in his distre , perished by the snares of his enemy. Cæcilius Me tell us was at last sent against Jugurtha, and his firmne and succe soon reduced the crafty Numidian, and obliged him to fly among his savage neighbours for support. Marius and Sylla succeeded Me tell us, and fought with equal succe . Jugurtha was at last betrayed by his father-in-law Bocchus, from whom he claimed a istance, and he was delivered into the hands of Sylla, after carrying on a war of five years. He was exposed to the view of the Roman people, and dragged in chains to adorn the triumph of Marius. He was afterwards put in a prison, where he died six days after of hunger, B.C. 106. The name and the wars of Jugurtha have been immortalized by the pen of Sallust. Sallust , Jugurthine War .— Florus , bk. 3 , ch. 1 .— Paterculus , bk. 2 , ch. 10 , . — Plutarch , Caius Marius & Sulla .— Eutropius , bk. 4 , ch. 3 .