XLVII.
Ipse aversus a consiliis belli (aversus a consiliis belli: aversus is found with a or ab + abl. or with dative.) ‘hunc’ inquit ‘animum, hanc virtutem vestram ultra periculis obicere nimis grande vitae meae pretium puto. quanto plus spei ostenditis, si vivere placeret, tanto pulchrior mors erit. experti in vicem (in vicem: ‘mutually’) sumus ego ac fortuna. nec tempus conputaveritis: (nec tempus conputaveritis: perfect subjunctive serves as imperative in negative commands.) difficilius est temperare felicitati qua te non putes diu usurum. (difficilius est temperare felicitati qua te non putes diu usurum: difficilius: the Latin comparative often corresponds to the English positive modified by ‘rather’, ‘somewhat’, ‘too’. qua, whose antecedent is felicitati, is abl. with utor. non putes diu usurum: potential subjunctive with indefinite second person singular, ‘which [prosperity] you may not believe that you (te)) will enjoy for long’. putes introduces indirect speech requiring infinitive with acc. subject.) civile bellum a Vitellio coepit, et ut de principatu certaremus armis initium illic fuit: (ut de principatu certaremus armis initium illic fuit: ‘there was the reason that we fought for the principate’. The ut clause is explanatory: it explains initium in the main clause; the overall sense is consecutive, ‘the result being that we went to war’. Cf. G. 557.) ne plus quam semel certemus penes me exemplum erit; (ne plus quam semel certemus penes me exemplum erit: ne …certemus is neg. purpose clause and subject of erit; penes me exemplum erit: ‘will be the example in my power [to give]’) hinc Othonem posteritas aestimet. (aestimet: jussive or hortatory subjunctive, as are eat and moremur below) fruetur Vitellius fratre, coniuge, liberis: mihi non ultione neque solaciis opus est. (mihi non ultione neque solaciis opus est: lit. ‘there is no need for me of either revenge or consolation’ ultione …solaciis: abl. with opus est) alii diutius imperium tenuerint, nemo tam fortiter reliquerit. (tenuerint … reliquerit: future perfect, not perfect subjunctive) an ego tantum Romanae pubis, tot egregios exercitus sterni rursus et rei publicae eripi patiar? (an ego tantum Romanae pubis,…sterni rursus …patiar?: direct question, ‘will I suffer that so much of Roman youth be laid low again?’; the question is rhetorical as indicated by the use of an to denote surprise or displeasure that such question can even be asked; tantum Romanae pubis: partitive genitive after the neuter tantum. The pronoun ego, unlike English ‘I’, is redundant in Latin, unless used for emphasis.) eat hic mecum animus, tamquam perituri pro me fueritis, set este superstites. (tamquam perituri pro me fueritis, set este superstites: ‘as if you had been about to sacrifice your life for me, yet you must live’. For tamquam perituri …fueritis cf. note for nedum Othonis ac Vitellii exercitus sponte posituri bellum fuerint in ch. 38.) nec diu moremur, ego incolumitatem vestram, vos constantiam meam. (nec diu moremur, ego incolumitatem vestram, vos constantiam meam: lit. ‘let us not delay any longer, I your security, you my resolution’; Otho encourages his followers to leave in order to safeguard their chances of a pardon from Vitellius. The sentiment is fully expressed at the outset of the next chapter.) plura de extremis loqui pars ignaviae est. praecipuum destinationis meae documentum habete quod de nemine queror; (praecipuum destinationis meae documentum habete quod de nemine queror: habete is present imperative: ‘have [as] the main proof of my resolve [to die] the fact that (quod) I complain of no one’.) nam incusare deos vel homines eius est qui vivere velit.’ (qui vivere velit: subjunctive in rel. clause of causal sense, ‘because he wants to live.’)