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15] Masinissae haec audienti 
non rubor solum suffusus 
sed lacrimae etiam obortae; 
et cum se quidem 
in potestate futurum imperatoris 
dixisset
orassetque eum 
ut quantum res sineret 
fidei suae temere obstrictae
 consuleret--
promisisse enim se 
in nullius potestatem eam traditurum--
ex praetorio 
in tabernaculum suum confusus concessit. 
ibi arbitris remotis 
cum crebro suspiritu et gemitu, 
quod facile ab circumstantibus 
tabernaculum exaudiri posset, 
aliquantum temporis consumpsisset, 
ingenti ad postremum edito gemitu 
fidum e seruis unum uocat, 
sub cuius custodia 
regio more 
ad incerta fortunae uenenum erat, 
et mixtum in poculo 
ferre ad Sophonibam iubet 
ac simul nuntiare 
Masinissam libenter 
primam ei fidem praestaturum fuisse
quam uir uxori debuerit: 
quoniam eius arbitrium 
qui possint adimant, 
secundam fidem praestare 
ne uiua 
in potestatem Romanorum ueniat. 
memor patris imperatoris 
patriaeque 
et duorum regum quibus nupta fuisset, 
sibi ipsa consuleret.

Hunc nuntium ac simul uenenum ferens 
minister
cum ad Sophonibam uenisset, 
'accipio' inquit 'nuptiale munus, 
neque ingratum, 
si nihil maius uir 
uxori praestare potuit. 
hoc tamen nuntia, 
melius me morituram fuisse 
si non in funere meo nupsissem.' 
non locuta est ferocius 
quam acceptum poculum 
nullo trepidationis signo dato 
impauide hausit. 
quod ubi nuntiatum est Scipioni, 
ne quid aeger animi 
ferox iuuenis 
grauius consuleret 
accitum eum extemplo 
nunc solatur, 
nunc 
quod temeritatem 
temeritate alia luerit 
tristioremque rem 
quam necesse fuerit fecerit
leniter castigat. 
postero die 
ut a praesenti motu auerteret animum eius, 
in tribunal ascendit 
et contionem aduocari iussit. 
ibi Masinissam, 
primum regem appellatum 
eximiisque ornatum laudibus, 
aurea corona 
aurea patera 
sella curuli 
et scipione eburneo 
toga picta 
et palmata tunica donat. 
addit uerbis honorem: 
neque magnificentius quicquam 
triumpho apud Romanos 
neque triumphantibus 
ampliorem eo ornatum esse 
quo unum omnium externorum dignum
Masinissam populus Romanus ducat.
 
Laelium deinde et ipsum 
conlaudatum 
aurea corona donat; 
et alii militares uiri, 
prout a quoque nauata opera erat, 
donati. 
his honoribus 
mollitus regis animus 
erectusque 
in spem propinquam 
sublato Syphace 
omnis Numidiae potiundae. 

[15]On hearing this Masinissa 
not only blushed furiously 
but even shed tears. 
When [he had said] that he 
would comply with the general's wishes,
 
and had begged him [to consider,]
as far as he could, 
the pledge he had rashly given, 

for he had promised that he 
would not hand her into any one's power.
[He left] the headquarters tent 
and retired to his own tent, distracted.
There, with spectators sent away, 
when, with continual sighs and groans, 
which by those standing around 
the tent could [easily] be heard,
he had spent some time,
at last, giving a deep groan,
he called a trusted one of his slaves 
in whose keeping,
as is the custom of kings,
was poison for vicissitudes of Fortune,
and after mixing it in a cup 
he told him to take it to Sophonisba, 
and at the same time tell her 
that Masinissa [would have] gladly 
fulfilled the first promise 
that as husband he made to his wife, 
but since his right to do so
was being taken away by those in power, 
he was fulfilling the second promise - 
that she [should not fall] alive 
into the hands of the Romans. 
Mindful of her father the general, 
her country, 
and the two kings who had wedded her 
she should decide how to act. 

When, bearing this message and the poison
the servant
came to Sophonisba, 
she said, "I accept this wedding gift, 
no unwelcome one 
if there is nothing more that my husband 
could do for his wife.
But tell him this, 
that I should have died more happily 
had not been married so near my grave." 
Her words were no fiercer
than her actions as she took the cup and
without the slightest sign of trepidation, 
she fearlessly drained it. 
When the news reached Scipio, 
afraid that, wild with grief, 
the fierce young man 
would take some still more desperate step, 
at once sent for him, 
and now tried to console him, 
now [gently censured him] 
for having atoned for one act of madness 
by committing another 
and [making] the affair more tragic 
than it need have been. 

The next day, 
with the view of diverting his thoughts, 
Scipio mounted the tribunal 
and ordered the assembly to be summoned.
There [first addressing] Masinissa 
as king 
and adorning him with uncommon praises,
[he presented him with] a golden crown, 
a golden bowl,
a curule chair, 
an ivory sceptre 
and also with a purple-bordered toga 
and a tunic embroidered with palms. 
He enhanced these gifts by words:
that no honour was more splendid
among the Romans than that of a triumph, 
and that triumphing generals had
no more magnificent adornment than that
which, alone of all foreigners,
the Roman people thought Masinissa 
[worthy of]. 
Laelius himself, the next to be 
commended, 
he presented with a golden crown. 
And other soldiers 
according to the efforts they made,
were rewarded.
With these honours 
the king's heart was soothed, 
and he was encouraged 
to the immediate hope,
with Syphax removed,
of possessing the whole of Numidia.