XXVIII.
Noctem minacem et in scelus erupturam fors lenivit: nam luna claro repente caelo visa languescere. id miles rationis ignarus omen praesentium accepit, suis laboribus defectionem sideris adsimulans, prospereque cessura qua pergerent si fulgor et claritudo deae redderetur. (suis laboribus defectionem sideris adsimulans, prospereque cessura [esse] qua pergerent si fulgor et claritudo deae redderetur: the passage is governed by the preceding main clause miles …omen …accepit: ‘the soldiers, comparing the faintness of the moon to their own trials [took it as an omen] that the course on which they were moving forward (i.e. that of mutiny) was going to turn out well, if the luminous brightness of the goddess was restored’ (Fureaux).’ The fem. cessura and qua refer to an implied via or ‘course’. fulgor and claritudo form hendiadys; si …redderetur is potential condition.) igitur aeris sono, tubarum cornuumque concentu strepere; (aeris sono, tubarum cornuumque concentu strepere: ‘they made a deafening din with the sound of brass instruments, of trumpets and horns blaring together’. Though the real cause of eclipses had been known for a long time, the popular belief persisted that on such occasions the moon was in the grip of a spell and that in her fight with witchcraft the clangor produced by brass helped her prevail. The total eclipse has been calculated to have occurred on Sept. 27 of 14 A.D. and to have lasted at Nauportus from 3:18 to 7 a.m.) prout splendidior obscuriorve laetari aut maerere; (prout splendidior obscuriorve laetari aut maerere: prout is conjunction, like ut, and is usually found with indicative, though here the verb is implied: ‘according as she grew brighter or darker, …’; ve …aut: the enclitic –ve avoids repetition of aut; laetari and maerere are historical infinitives, as is strepere above and redire near the end of the chapter..) et postquam ortae nubes offecere visui creditumque conditam tenebris, ut sunt mobiles ad superstitionem perculsae semel mentes, sibi aeternum laborem portendi, sua facinora aversari deos lamentantur. utendum inclinatione ea Caesar et quae casus obtulerat in sapientiam vertenda ratus (utendum inclinatione ea Caesar et quae casus obtulerat in sapientiam vertenda ratus: ‘Drusus, realizing he should profit of that change of mood and that what chance was offering could be turned to wise use, …’; inclinatione is abl. with utor.) circumiri tentoria iubet; (circumiri tentoria iubet: after verbs of will such as iubeo, there is a marked tendency to provide the following infinitive with a subject, even if it means changing the infinitive to passive and using the thing in the acc. as subject: so in place of circumire tentoria iubet, ‘he orders to go round the tents’, we have circumiri tentoria iubet, ‘he orders the tents to be gone round’. iubet is historical present, of which there are several examples in the chapter.) accitur centurio Clemens et si alii bonis artibus grati in vulgus. (et si alii bonis artibus grati in vulgus: ‘and whoever else if popular with the rank and file on account of their pleasing manners.’ in vulgus = apud vulgus.) hi vigiliis, stationibus, custodiis portarum se inserunt, spem offerunt, metum intendunt. ‘quo usque filium imperatoris obsidebimus? quis certaminum finis? Percennione et Vibuleno sacramentum dicturi sumus? (Percennione et Vibuleno sacramentum dicturi sumus?: the enclitic –ne, usually attached to the emphatic word, elicits a Yes or No answer: ‘[even to] Percennius and Vibulenus are we going to swear allegiance?’ alicui sacramentum dicere is idiom.) Percennius et Vibulenus stipendia militibus, agros emeritis (emeritis: emeritus was a soldier who had completed his term in the army.) largientur? denique pro Neronibus et Drusis imperium populi Romani capessent? (denique pro Neronibus et Drusis imperium populi Romani capessent?: ‘in short, are they, instead of the Neros and the Drusi to hold the dominion of the Roman people?.’ Livia, Tiberius’ mother, was of the family of the Drusi and her first husband (Tiberius’ natural father) was a Claudius Nero.) quin potius, ut novissimi in culpam, ita primi ad paenitentiam sumus? (quin potius, ut novissimi in culpam, ita primi ad paenitentiam sumus?: lit. ‘why not, just as the last ones to offend, so we in the same way are first for repentance?’; Clemens and the other men sent among the sentinels, the night patrols, and the soldiers guarding the gates are addressing newcomers to the legions (tirones), to whom most of the camp work, especially at night, is usually assigned because of their lack of seniority in the service. These troops are less hard to convince than hardened veterans and also can be made to believe that they are less guilty than the rest. The use of sumus in place of estis gives the urging more the air of an exhortation and less that of a command.) tarda sunt quae in commune expostulantur: privatam gratiam statim mereare, statim recipias.’ (tarda sunt quae in commune expostulantur: privatam gratiam statim mereare, statim recipias: ‘slow in coming are the things which are solicited in common; a personal favor you may soon merit and soon receive.’ mereare (alternate form of merearis) and recipias are potential subjunctives in the indefinite second person singular.) commotis per haec mentibus et inter se suspectis, tironem a veterano. legionem a legione dissociant. tum redire paulatim amor obsequii: omittunt portas, (omittunt portas: ‘they stopped blocking the gates’, as they had done previously to prevent Drusus’ armed escort from entering the camp.) signa unum in locum principio seditionis congregata suas in sedes referunt.