XI
Ceterum (ceterum: a connective adverb affected by Tacitus to mark a change of topic or its resumption; it occurs seven times in Agricola; rather awkward at times to render in English, it is variously translated or outright ignored.) Britanniam qui mortales initio coluerint, (qui … coluerint: subjunctive in indirect question) indigenae an advecti, (advecti: ‘imported’) ut inter barbaros, parum compertum. Habitus corporum varii atque ex eo argumenta. Namque (namque: an emphatic nam) rutilae Caledoniam habitantium comae, magni artus Germanicam originem adseverant; Silurum (Silurum: Celtic tribe of SE Wales) colorati vultus, torti plerumque crines et posita contra Hispania (posita contra Hispania: for the idea of Spain being opposite Wales, cf. note in ch. 10.) Hiberos veteres traiecisse easque sedes occupasse fidem faciunt; proximi Gallis et similes sunt, seu durante originis vi, (originis vi: ‘the power of heredity’) seu procurrentibus in diversa (in diversa: ‘in opposite directions’) terris positio caeli (positio caeli: ‘the position of the sun in the sky’) corporibus habitum dedit. In universum tamen aestimanti (aestimanti [mihi]: ‘to me considering’) Gallos vicinam insulam occupasse credibile est. Eorum sacra deprehendas (deprehendas: use of indefinite second person sing. to express a potential idea, ‘you may detect’; present or perfect subjunctive is found used with no discernible difference.) ac superstitionum persuasiones; sermo haud multum diversus, in deposcendis periculis eadem audacia et, ubi advenere, in detrectandis eadem formido. Plus tamen ferociae (plus ferociae: part. gen.: cf. multum fluminum in ch. 10.) Britanni praeferunt, ut quos nondum longa pax emollierit. (ut quos nondum longa pax emollierit: ut + rel. qui introduces a rel. clause of characteristic, always found with the subjunctive; cf. G., 626, note 1, A.G. 535, (e), and B., 283, 1; ut serves to reinforce the causal sense of the clause; emollierit reflects the present perfect indicative that English would use, ‘ whom a long peace has not yet softened’.) Nam Gallos quoque in bellis floruisse accepimus; (accepimus: ‘we learn that…’) mox segnitia cum otio intravit, amissa virtute pariter ac libertate. Quod Britannorum olim victis evenit: (quod Britannorum olim victis evenit: lit. ‘which happened long ago to the conquered of the Britons’) ceteri manent quales Galli fuerunt.