received, on different
occasions, very considerable succours from that king.

This confederacy, which was cemented on either side by no other tie than
that of interest, had never been strong; and a last defeat which Jugurtha
met with, broke at once all the bands of it. Bocchus now meditated the
dark design of delivering up his son-in-law to the Romans. For this
purpose he had desired Marius to send him a trusty person. Sylla, who was
an officer of uncommon merit, and served under him as quaestor, was thought
every way qualified for this negotiation. He was not afraid to put himself
into the hands of the barbarian king; and accordingly set out for his
court. Being arrived, Bocchus, who, like the rest of his countrymen, did
not pride himself on sincerity, and was for ever projecting new designs,
debated within himself, whether it would not be his interest to deliver up
Sylla to Jugurtha. He was a long time fluctuating in this uncertainty, and
conflicting with a contrariety of sentiments: and the sudden changes which
displayed themselves in his countenance, in his air, and in his whole
person, showed evidently how strongly his mind was affected. At length,
returning to his first design, he made his terms with Sylla, and delivered
up Jugurtha into his hands, who was sent immediately to Marius.

Sylla, says Plutarch,(950)(951) acted, on this occasion, like a young man
fired with a strong thirst of glory, the sweets of which he had just begun
to taste. Instead of ascribing to the general under whom he fought all the
honour of this event, as his duty required, and which ought to be an
inviolable maxim, he reserved the greatest part of it to himself, and had
a ring made, which he always wore, wherein he was represented receiving
Jugurtha from the hands of Bocchus; and this ring he used ever after as
his signet. But Marius was so highly exasperated at this kind of insult,
that he could never forgive him; and this circumstance gave rise to the
implacable hatred between these two Romans, which afterwards broke out
with so much fury, and cost the republic so much blood.

(M152) Marius entered Rome in triumph,(952) exhibiting such a spectacle to
the Romans, as they could scarce believe they saw, when it passed before
their eyes; I mean, Jugurtha in chains; that so formidable an enemy,
during whose life they had not dared to flatter themselves with the hopes
of being able to put an end to this war; so well was his courage sustained