LXVI.
Civilis societate Agrippinensium auctus proximas civitates adfectare aut adversantibus bellum inferre statuit. occupatisque Sunucis (Sunucis: they were the Ubii’s neighbors on the west, towards the Meuse. ) et iuventute eorum per cohortis composita, quo minus ultra pergeret, Claudius Labeo Baetasiorum Tungrorumque et Nerviorum tumultuaria manu restitit, (quo minus ultra pergeret, Claudius Labeo Baetasiorum Tungrorumque et Nerviorum tumultuaria manu restitit: ‘Claudius Labeo opposed resistance with a makeshift force of hastily recruited Baetasii, Tungri, and Nervii, to halt Civilis’ further advance’. For Labeo, the Baetasii, the Tungri, and the Nervii see ch. 56. quominus, (ut eo minus, ‘that thereby the less’), ushers in a negative final clause after verbs of preventing, resisting, refusing. Cf. G. 549.) fretus loco, quia pontem Mosae fluminis anteceperat. (fretus loco, quia pontem Mosae fluminis anteceperat: ‘confident in his position, because he had occupied in advance the bridge over the Meuse’; the bridge was presumably at Maastricht. fretus governs dative.) pugnabaturque in angustiis ambigue donec Germani transnatantes terga Labeonis invasere; simul Civilis, ausus an ex composito, (ausus an ex composito: alternative question with an introducing the second part, as is practically the norm with Tacitus: ‘was he reckless or was it something arranged?’ ex (de) composito: idiom, ‘by pre-arrangement’) intulit se agmini Tungrorum, (intulit se agmini Tungrorum: intulit se is reflexive, ‘betook himself’; agmini is dat. with infero.) et clara voce ‘non ideo’ inquit ‘bellum sumpsimus, ut (non ideo …bellum sumpsimus, ut …: ideo …ut: tautological in English, lit. ‘for the reason …in order that’; the reason is expressed in the form of a purpose clause.) Batavi et Treviri gentibus imperent: procul haec a nobis adrogantia. accipite societatem: transgredior ad vos, seu me ducem seu militem mavultis.’ movebatur vulgus condebantque gladios, cum Campanus ac Iuvenalis e primoribus Tungrorum universam ei gentem dedidere; Labeo antequam circumveniretur profugit. Civilis Baetasios quoque ac Nervios in fidem acceptos copiis suis adiunxit, ingens rerum, (ingens rerum: ‘possessed of large dominions’) perculsis civitatum animis vel sponte inclinantibus. (perculsis civitatum animis vel sponte inclinantibus: ‘the hearts of the people being shaken by fear or accepting of their own free will’: abl. abs. equivalent to an abl. of cause or even instrument)