BOCCHUS I

flourished , late 2nd and early 1st centuries BC king of Mauretania from about 118 to 91 BC and father-in-law of Jugurtha, king of Numidia, directly to the east of Mauretania. At the beginning of the war between Jugurtha and the Romans (111105), Bocchus attempted unsuccessfully to make a treaty with Rome. In 106 the Mauretanian king entered the conflict to provide half-hearted assistance to Jugurtha. But, after suffering heavy losses, Bocchus was persuaded by the Roman officer Lucius Cornelius Sulla to betray his ally. He helped the Romans to capture Jugurtha and was rewarded for his treachery with some Numidian territory. Thereafter Bocchus remained a loyal dependent of Rome and a supporter of Sulla (dictator of Rome in 8281), furnishing Sulla with gifts and money.