▁Jug ur tha ' s ▁conduct . ▁The ▁Senate ▁failed ▁to ▁make ▁any ▁effect ual ▁response , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 1 3 ▁Jug ur tha ▁finally ▁decided ▁to ▁in va de ▁his ▁cousin ' s ▁kingdom ▁in ▁force . ▁Ad her bal ▁met ▁him ▁with ▁his ▁sc ant y ▁forces ▁near ▁Rus ica de , ▁and ▁was ▁rout ed . ▁He ▁retre ated ▁with ▁the ▁surv iv ors ▁to ▁his ▁capital , ▁Cir ta . ▁ ▁Sie ge ▁ ▁Cir ta ▁was ▁strongly ▁situated ▁on ▁a ▁rising ▁hill ▁with ▁the ▁river ▁Am ps aga ▁looping ▁around ▁its ▁base . ▁The ▁city ▁had ▁a ▁s izable ▁Roman ▁minor ity , ▁mostly ▁mer ch ants ▁of ▁some ▁standing ▁and ▁their ▁families ; ▁these ▁joined ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁in ▁man ning ▁the ▁walls ▁and ▁def ending ▁the ▁city . ▁Cir ta ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁hold ▁out ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁time ▁against ▁the ▁bes ie ging ▁army . ▁Ad her bal , ▁before ▁falling ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁town , ▁had ▁sent ▁mess engers ▁to ▁Rome ▁to ▁notify ▁the ▁Senate ▁of ▁Jug ur tha ' s ▁invasion . ▁A ▁commission ▁of ▁ten ▁in ex per ien ced ▁Rom ans ▁was ▁des patch ed ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁with ▁Jug ur tha . ▁Jug ur tha ▁dismiss ed ▁them , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁Ad her bal ▁had ▁attempted ▁to ▁poison ▁him , ▁and ▁they ▁returned ▁to ▁Rome ▁without ▁result . ▁The ▁Senate ▁sent ▁a ▁more ▁senior ▁de putation ▁head ed ▁by ▁Marcus ▁S ca urus , ▁one