342:. Metellus arrived in Africa as consul in 109 BC and dedicated the remainder of the year to a serious disciplinary reform of his demoralised forces. In spring of 108, Metellus led his reorganised army into Numidia; Jugurtha was alarmed and attempted negotiation, but Metellus prevaricated; and, without granting Jugurtha terms, he conspired with Jugurtha's envoys to capture Jugurtha and deliver him to the Romans. The crafty Jugurtha, guessing Metellus' intentions, broke up negotiation and retreated. Metellus followed and crossed the mountains into the desert, advancing to the river Muthul where the Numidians ambushed them. Through the capable leadership of Metellus, Marius and Rutilius Rufus the Romans won an indecisive victory at the
278:, where he had formed a friendship with Roman aristocrats and learned about Roman society and military tactics. Micipsa, worried that after his death Jugurtha would usurp the kingdom from his own somewhat less able sons, adopted him, and bequeathed the kingship jointly to his two sons and Jugurtha. After Micipsa's death the three kings fell out, and ultimately agreed between themselves to divide their inheritance into three separate kingdoms. When they were unable to agree on the terms of the division Jugurtha declared open war on his cousins. Hiempsal, the younger and braver of the brothers, was assassinated by Jugurtha's agents. Jugurtha gathered an army and marched against Adherbal, who fled to Rome. There he appealed to the
300:, a respected member of the aristocracy, to threaten the Numidian king into submission. The king, pretending to be open to discussion, protracted negotiations with Scaurus long enough for Cirta to run out of provisions and hope of relief. When Scaurus left without having forced Jugurtha to a commitment, Adherbal surrendered. Jugurtha promptly had him executed, along with the Romans who had joined in the defence of Cirta. But the deaths of Roman citizens caused an immediate furore among the commoners at home, and the Senate, threatened by the popular tribune
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292:, to fairly divide Numidia between the remaining contestants in 116 BC. Jugurtha bribed the Roman officials in the commission and was allotted the more fertile and populous western half of Numidia, while Adherbal received the east. Powerless Adherbal accepted and peace was made. Shortly after, in 113 BC, Jugurtha again declared war on his brother, and defeated him, forcing him to retreat into
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engage. Marius destroyed the
Numidian city of Capsa; after which town after town fell, most without military action. By the beginning of 106 BC, Marius had carved a path of destruction through the Numidian heartland, and subdued most of Jugurtha's kingdom in the process. He now reached one of Jugurtha's primary treasuries, which was kept in a fortress town near the River Muluccha.
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weighing up the advantages of handing
Jugurtha over to Sulla or Sulla over to Jugurtha. In the end Bocchus decided his future lay with Rome and he helped capture Jugurtha. Although Sulla had engineered the capture of Jugurtha, as Sulla was serving under Marius at the time, Marius took credit for this feat. The publicity attracted by this feat boosted Sulla's political career.
296:, Adherbal's capital. Adherbal held out for some months, aided by a large number of Romans and Italians who had settled in Africa for commercial purposes. From inside his siege lines, Adherbal appealed again to Rome, and the Senate dispatched a message to Jugurtha to desist. The latter ignored the demand, and the Senate sent a second commission, this time headed by
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five horn players and four centurions to accompany the
Ligurian and infiltrate the town. The Romans created a diversion to draw the defenders attention to the front of the town so the infiltration party could enter via the rear. When the infiltration party was in place Marius ordered a full assault on the town. He sent a
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The following year (107 BC), one of the new consuls, Gaius Marius, took over command of the war against
Jugurtha. Marius marched west plundering the Numidian countryside, seizing minor Numidian towns and fortresses trying to provoke Jugurtha into a set-piece battle, but the Numidian king refused to
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had gone in search of water at the base of the elevated town's rear. Apparently, he was in the mood for snails and went climbing to look for them. As he sought his dinner he found a way onto the plateau and into the town. He returned to the camp and reported what he had discovered. Marius assigned
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were able to convince king
Bocchus, Jugurtha's ally and father-in-law, it was in his best interest to abandon his son-in-law. Bocchus conspired with Sulla, who had traveled to Mauretania on a special mission to capture Jugurtha. It was a dangerous operation from the beginning, with King Bocchus
323:, where the cunning Numidian king, who had reportedly bribed Roman officers to facilitate his attack, was able to catch the Romans at a disadvantage. Half the Roman army were killed, and the survivors were forced to pass under the yoke in a disgraceful symbolism of surrender. The
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towards the gate. While the
Numidian were defending against Marius' offensive they suddenly heard horns coming from inside the town. The horns caused confusion and panic, the Romans took advantage of the situation, storming the walls and sacking the settlement.
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Marius was determined to capture the town and its treasury, but because of the landscape and the location of fortress he was unable to employ the necessary siege engines. Several attempts at storming the fortress ended in failure.
334:, who had a reputation for integrity and courage. Metellus proved the soundness of his judgement by selecting as officers for the campaign men of ability rather than of rank, men like
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Although the Senate were securities for
Micipsa's will, they now allowed themselves to be bribed by Jugurtha into overlooking his crimes, and organized a commission, led by the ex-
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the defenders probably assumed the Romans had breached their defences at the rear while they were occupied fighting the frontal assault
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After
Postumius' defeat, the Senate finally shook itself from its lethargy, appointing as commander in Africa the plebeian noble
231:'s treasuries which was reported to be inside the fortress. Marius besieged the fortress town and finally took it by trickery.
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Jugurtha continued his war against Rome for two more years. Unfortunately for
Jugurtha, Marius and his subordinate
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commanded a Roman army against
Jugurtha, but he allowed himself to be bribed. The following year the consul
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258:, who ruled from 149 to 118 BC. At the time of his death Micipsa had three potential heirs, his two sons,
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327:, however, when it heard of this capitulation, refused to honour the conditions and continued the war.
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succeeded the command against the Numidian king, but he let himself be bribed too. Spurius's brother,
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of Numidia, who was a steadfast ally of Rome, died in 149, he was succeeded by his son
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between 112 and 105 B.C. and main battles of the war
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497:2nd century BC in the Roman Republic
502:Sieges involving the Roman Republic
420:Marc Hyden, Gaius Marius, pp 78–82.
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217:siege of the fortress at Muluccha
19:Siege of the fortress at Muluccha
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270:. Jugurtha had fought under
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332:Quintus Caecilius Metellus
98:Unknown Numidian commander
512:Battles involving Numidia
313:Spurius Postumius Albinus
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309:Lucius Calpurnius Bestia
317:Aulus Postumius Albinus
48:near the Muluccha River
340:Publius Rutilius Rufus
307:In 111 BC, the consul
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88:Commanders and leaders
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116:Casualties and losses
396:Notes and references
344:Battle of the Muthul
507:Kingdom of Numidia
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492:100s BC conflicts
282:for arbitration.
276:siege of Numantia
272:Scipio Aemilianus
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94:Gaius Marius
66:Belligerents
24:Part of the
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481:Categories
235:Background
383:Aftermath
371:auxiliary
358:The siege
252:Masinissa
204:2nd Cirta
465:Plutarch
368:Ligurian
268:Jugurtha
264:Hiempsal
260:Adherbal
229:Jugurtha
199:Muluccha
103:Strength
78:Jugurtha
44:Location
376:testudo
274:at the
256:Micipsa
244:Numidia
124:Unknown
121:Unknown
111:Unknown
82:Numidia
487:106 BC
321:Sahara
287:Consul
184:Muthul
179:Suthul
54:Result
39:106 BC
389:Sulla
348:Thala
294:Cirta
250:King
194:Thala
174:Cirta
76:King
471:, 3.
338:and
262:and
215:The
189:Zama
36:Date
80:of
483::
467:,
350:.
153:e
146:t
139:v
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