LXVIII.
At Romae cuncta in deterius audita (cuncta in deterius audita: ‘all changed for the worse by the time it was heard’) Mucianum angebant, ne quamquam egregii duces (iam enim Gallum Annium et Petilium Cerialem (Gallum Annium et Petilium Cerialem: Gallus was one of Otho’s best general; cf. Book 1, ch. 87, Book 2, ch. 23, 33, 44.; for Cerialis see Book 3, ch. 59.) delegerat) summam belli parum tolerarent. (ne quamquam egregii duces … summam belli parum tolerarent: negative purpose clause: ‘for fear that his generals, though excellent, would inadequately carry the burden of the war’.) nec relinquenda urbs sine rectore; (nec relinquenda urbs [erat] sine rectore: ‘neither was Rome to be left without someone at the head’.) et Domitiani indomitae libidines timebantur, suspectis, uti diximus, (uti diximus: ch. 39) Primo Antonio Varoque Arrio. Varus praetorianis praepositus vim atque arma retinebat: eum Mucianus pulsum loco, (pulsum loco: ‘removed from office’) ne sine solacio ageret, annonae praefecit. (ne sine solacio ageret, annonae praefecit: ‘so as not to force him out without some comfort, he put him in charge of food supplies’. ) utque Domitiani animum Varo haud alienum (Varo haud alienum: ‘not ill-disposed towards Varus’) deleniret, Arrecinum Clementem, domui Vespasiani per adfinitatem innexum (Arrecinum Clementem, domui Vespasiani per adfinitatem innexum: ‘…Arrecinus Clemens, connected to the house of Vespasian by marriage’: he was the brother of Titus’ first wife and was later put to death by order of Domitian.) et gratissimum Domitiano, praetorianis praeposuit, patrem eius sub C. Caesare egregie functum ea cura dictitans, laetum militibus idem nomen, atque ipsum, quamquam senatorii ordinis, ad utraque munia sufficere. (patrem eius sub C. Caesare egregie functum ea cura dictitans … quamquam senatorii ordinis, ad utraque munia sufficere: ‘[Mucianus] insisting that Clemens’ father had filled that post with distinction under Caligula and that, though a member of the senatorial order, Clemens was equal to both duties’, that is of senator and of prefect of the guard. Since Augustus’ time it had become a custom to choose the prefect of the praetorians among members of the equestrian class. dictitans: ‘saying over and over’; dictitare is the frequentative form of dire.) adsumuntur e civitate clarissimus quisque et alii per ambitionem. simul Domitianus Mucianusque accingebantur, dispari animo, ille spe ac iuventa properus, hic moras nectens quis flagrantem retineret, ne ferocia aetatis et pravis impulsoribus, si exercitum invasisset, paci belloque male consuleret. (Mucianus …moras nectens quis flagrantem retineret: ‘Mucianus contriving delays through which to rein back the fiery [Domitian]’) legiones victrices, octava, undecima, decima tertia Vitellianarum unaetvicensima, e recens conscriptis secunda Poeninis Cottianisque Alpibus, pars monte Graio traducuntur; (legiones …Poeninis Cottianisque Alpibus, pars monte Graio traducuntur: from north to south, the Alpes Poeninae (Graiae) and Alpes Cottianae are two of the three minor Roman provinces in the western Alps, the third and southernmost being Alpes Maritimae. The legions crossed the Alps into Gaul through the Great St. Bernard, the Small St. Bernard (monte Graio), and the Mont Genevre passes, the first two located in the Alpes Poeninae and the third in the Alpes Cottianes. Poeninis Cottianisque Alpibus, …monte Graio: ablatives of the route by which) quarta decima legio e Britannia, (quarta decima legio e Britannia: the troublesome Fourteenth legion had been sent to Britain after the first battle of Bedriacum, cf. Book 2, ch. 66.) sexta ac prima ex Hispania accitae. Igitur venientis exercitus fama et suopte ingenio ad mitiora inclinantes Galliarum civitates in Remos convenere. (suopte ingenio ad mitiora inclinantes Galliarum civitates in Remos convenere: ‘the Gallic nations, inclining in their own minds towards milder dispositions, came together in the country of the Remi’.) Trevirorum legatio illic opperiebatur, acerrimo instinctore belli Iulio Valentino. is meditata oratione cuncta magnis imperiis obiectari solita contumeliasque et invidiam in populum Romanum effudit, turbidus miscendis seditionibus et plerisque gratus vaecordi facundia. (is …cuncta magnis imperiis obiectari solita contumeliasque et invidiam in populum Romanum effudit, turbidus miscendis seditionibus et plerisque gratus vaecordi facundia: ‘he discharged all the vitriol usual to be flung at great empires and the abusive hatred against the Roman people, a man disordered in mind, bent on stirring up sedition, seductive to many for his frenetic eloquence’. contumelias et invidiam may be hendiadys.)