Bocchus

• a king of Mauritania, father-in-law of Jugurtha, whom he gave up bound to Sulla, Sall. J. 19, 7; 80; 81; 83; 97; 101 sqq.; Vell. 2, 12, 1; Val. Max. 8, 14, 4; Flor. 3, 1, 15; Mel. 1, 5, 5; Plin. 5, 2, 1, § 19; 8, 5, 5, § 15.—
• • • 2 A plant, so called in honor of him: Βώχ, βοτάνης εἶδος, Hesych.; Verg. Cul. 404.—
• II A king of Mauritania, son of the former, Auct. B. Afr. 25.

(Βόκχος).

1. A king of Mauretania, who acted a prominent part in the war of the Romans against Jugurtha. He was a barbarian without any principles, assuming alternately the appearance of a friend of Jugurtha and of the Romans, as his momentary inclination or avarice dictated; but he ended his prevarication by betraying Jugurtha to the Romans. In B. C. 108, Jugurtha, who was then hard pressed by the proconsul Q. Metellus, applied for assistance to Bocchus, whose daughter was his wife. Bocchus complied the more readily with this request, since at the beginning of the war he had made offers of alliance and friendship to the Romans, which had been rejected. But when Q. Metellus also sent an embassy to him at the same time, Bocchus entered into negotiations with him likewise, and in consequence of this the war against Jugurtha was almost suspended so long as Q. Metellus had the command. When in B. C. 107, C. Marius came to Africa as the successor of Metellus, Bocchus sent several embassies to him, expressing his desire to enter into friendly relations with Rome; but when at the same time Jugurtha promised Bocchus the third part of Numidia, and C. Marius ravaged the portion of Bocchus's dominion which he had formerly taken from Jugurtha, Bocchus accepted the proposal of Jugurtha, and joined him with a large force. The two kings thus united made an attack upon the Romans, but were defeated in two successive engagements. Hereupon, Bocchus again sent an embassy to Marius, requesting him to despatch two of his most trustworthy officers to him, that he might negotiate with them. Marius accordingly sent his quaestor, Sulla, and A. Manlius, who succeded in effecting a decided change in the king's mind. Soon after, Bocchus despatched ambassadors to Rome, but they fell into the hands of the Gaetuli, and having made their escape into the camp of Sulla, who received them very hospitably, they proceeded to Rome, where hopes of an ailiance and the friendship of the Roman people were held out to them. When Bocchus was informed of this, he requested an interview with Sulla. This being granted, Sulla tried to persuade Bocchus to deliver up Jugurtha into the hands of the Romans. At the same time, however, Jugurtha also endeavoured to induce him to betray Sulla, and these clashing proposals made Bocchus hesitate for a while; but he at last determined to comply with the wish of Sulla. Jugurtha was accordingly invited to negotiate for peace, and when he arrived, was treacherously taken prisoner, and delivered up to Sulla, B. C. 106. According to some accounts, Jugurtha had come as a fugitive to Bocchus, and was then handed over to the Romans. Bocchus was rewarded for his treachery by an alliance with Rome, and he was even allowed to dedicate in the Capitol statues of Victory and golden images of Jugurtha representing him in the act of being delivered up to Sulla. (Sal. Jug. 19, 80-- 120; Appian, Numid. 3, 4; Liv. Epit. 66; Dio Cass. Fragm. Reimar. n. 168, 169; Eutrop. 4.27; Florus, 3.1; Oros. 5.15; Vell. 2.12; Plut. Mar. 10, 32, Sull. 3.)

2. Probably a son of the preceding, and a brother of Bogud, who is expressly called a son of Bocchus I. (Oros. 5.21.) These two brothers for a time possessed the kingdom of Mauretania in common, and, being hostile to the Pompeian party, J. Caesar confirmed them, in B. C. 49, as kings of Mauretania, which some writers describe as if Caesar had then raised them to this dignity. In Caesar's African war, Bocchus was of great service, by taking Cirta, the capital of Juba, king of Numidia, and thus compelling him to abandon the cause of Scipio. Caesar rewarded him with a portion of the dominions of Masinissa, the ally of Juba, which however was taken from him, after the death of Caesar, by Arabion, the son of Masinissa. There is a statement in Dio Cassius (43.36), that, in B. C. 45, Bocchus sent his sons to Spain to join Cn. Pompey. If this is true, it can only be accounted for by the supposition, that Bocchus was induced by jealousy of his brother Bogud to desert the cause of Caesar and join the enemy; for all we know of the two brothers shews that the good understanding between them had ceased. During the civil war between Antony and Octavianus, Bocchus sided with the latter, while Bogud was in alliance with Antony. When Bogud was in Spain, B. C. 38, Bocchus usurped the sole government of Mauretania, in which he was afterwards confirmed by Octavianus. He died about B. C. 33, whereupon his kingdom became a Roman province. (D. C. 41.42, 43.3, 36, 48.45, 49.43; Appian, App. BC 2.96, 4.54, 5.26; Hirt. B. Afr. 25; Strab. xvii. p.828.) [L.S]

(1) A king of Mauretania, and father-in-law of Iugurtha (q.v.), with whom at first he made war against the Romans, but whom he afterwards delivered up to Sulla , the quaestor of Marius, B.C. 106.

(2) The son of the preceding, who took part in the Civil Wars. He was confirmed in his kingdom by Augustus.