XXXIX.
Interea legati ab senatu (legati ab senatu: these are the envoys sent to Germanicus by Tiberius to bring the senate’s decree conferring on him the proconsulare imperium for life; cf. ch. 14.) regressum iam apud aram Vbiorum (aram Vbiorum: an altar in the oppidum Ubiorum dedicated to Augustus. It will be mentioned again in ch. 57.) Germanicum adeunt. duae ibi legiones, prima atque vicesima, veteranique nuper missi sub vexillo hiemabant. (veterani missi sub vexillo: these vexillarii are the veterans with sixteen years of service just discharged from the legions and placed in the reserve under a banner of their own.) pavidos et conscientia vaecordes intrat metus venisse patrum iussu qui inrita facerent quae per seditionem expresserant. (pavidos et conscientia vaecordes intrat metus venisse patrum iussu qui inrita facerent quae per seditionem expresserant: lit. ‘fear penetrated the apprehensive veterans, conscious of their guilt, that [the envoys] had come with orders of the senate that would revoke what they had extorted by their revolt.’ qui …facerent is in place of ut facerent; intrat is historical present, of which there are several other examples in the chapter.) utque mos vulgo quamvis falsis reum subdere, Munatium Plancum consulatu functum, (Munatium Plancum consulatu functum: ‘Munatius Plancus having served as consul’; he had been consul in 13 A.D. fungor is here with abl., but the acc. is also common. The deponent functum has passive form and active sense. The same applies to amplexus below.) principem legationis, auctorem senatus consulti incusant; et nocte concubia vexillum in domo Germanici situm flagitare occipiunt, (nocte concubia vexillum in domo Germanici situm flagitare occipiunt: nocte concubia is abl. of time when: ‘in the early part of the night’, ‘at bedtime’; concubia is adj. referring to lying together: ‘early in the night they began to clamor for the ensign kept in Germanicus’ lodgings.’ By vexillum the banner newly assigned to the discharged veterans is very likely meant, to them the symbol and proof of the concessions they had secured through mutiny. They now demanded it as guarantee that promises would be kept.) concursuque ad ianuam facto moliuntur foris, (concursu ad ianuam facto moliuntur foris: ianua is the doorway of a house, foris the actual entry door: ‘a rush to the entrance having being made, they force the door.’ The plur. fores is a door with two leaves.) extractum cubili Caesarem tradere vexillum intento mortis metu subigunt. (Caesarem tradere vexillum intento mortis metu subigunt: ‘they oblige Caesar to hand over the ensign under threat of death.’ intento mortis metu: abl. abs., lit. ‘the threat of death having been proffered’) mox vagi per vias obvios habuere legatos, audita consternatione ad Germanicum tendentis. ingerunt contumelias, caedem parant, Planco maxime, quem dignitas fuga impediverat; neque aliud periclitanti subsidium quam castra primae legionis. illic signa et aquilam amplexus religione sese tutabatur, (signa et aquilam amplexus religione sese tutabatur: ‘embracing the standards and the eagle he protected himself in their sanctity.’ The eagles (both the birds and the emblems of the legions) were considered sacred by the soldiers. In Book 2, ch. 17 they are called propria legionum numina, ‘the legions’ own divinities’.) ac ni aquilifer Calpurnius vim extremam arcuisset, rarum etiam inter hostis, legatus populi Romani Romanis in castris sanguine suo altaria deum commaculavisset. (ni aquilifer Calpurnius vim extremam arcuisset, … legatus … sanguine suo altaria deum commaculavisset: conditional sentence of type III (unreal or contrary to fact condition): plup. subjunctive in both protasis and apodosis for action in the past. Cf. B. 304.) luce demum, postquam dux et miles et facta noscebantur, ingressus castra Germanicus perduci ad se Plancum imperat (perduci ad se Plancum imperat: impero is here with acc. and passive infinitive, the regular construction with iubeo; more commonly impero is found followed by ut + subjunctive.) recepitque in tribunal. tum fatalem increpans rabiem, neque militum sed deum ira resurgere, (fatalem increpans rabiem, neque militum sed deum ira resurgere: ‘deploring that an inescapable furor was springing up again, not from the soldiers’ anger, but from the wrath of the gods.’) cur venerint legati aperit; (cur venerint legati aperit: subjunctive for indirect question after cur; venerint in place of venissent indicates that the historical present aperit is considered a primary (or principal) tense. See G. 509, 1, a.) ius legationis atque ipsius Planci gravem et immeritum casum, simul quantum dedecoris adierit legio, facunde miseratur, (ius legationis atque ipsius Planci gravem et immeritum casum, simul quantum dedecoris adierit legio, facunde miseratur: lit. ‘he movingly commiserated the [infringed] immunity of envoys, the grave and unfair treatment of Plancus, together with such serious disgrace as that incurred by the legion.’ quantum dedecoris adierit legio is indirect question: ‘how much disgrace the legion had incurred’; see cur venerint legati aperit above for use of mood and tense. dedecoris is partitive genitive after the neuter quantum.) attonitaque magis quam quieta contione legatos praesidio auxiliarium equitum dimittit.