XLVIII.
At Germanicus, quamquam contracto exercitu (quamquam contracto exercitu: concession is frequently expressed in Tacitus by quamquam or quamvis in combination with the participle of an abl. abs.) et parata in defectores ultione, dandum adhuc spatium ratus, si recenti exemplo sibi ipsi consulerent, (dandum adhuc spatium ratus, si recenti exemplo sibi ipsi consulerent: ‘deeming best that time should still be given, in case the rebels themselves took thought for their own safety (sibi) in view of the recent example, …’; ratus, being deponent, has active sense, as in the English ‘having deemed’, but it is translated as present subjunctive (A.G. 491). ratus introduces a conditional sentence in indir. discourse with infinitive apodosis (dandum [esse] spatium) in the form of passive periphrastic conjugation. The protasis has imperfect subjunctive in oratio obliqua for future condition in the past, the same tense that would be used for unreal conditions.) praemittit litteras ad Caecinam, (ad Caecinam: last mentioned in ch. 37 when leading the First and Twentieth legions to the civitas Ubiorum, Caecina must soon after have been transferred to Castra Vetera, something Tacitus probably forgot to tell.) venire se valida manu ac, ni supplicium in malos praesumant, usurum promisca caede. (ni supplicium in malos praesumant, usurum promisca caede: ‘unless they took beforehand punitive measures against the malefactors, he would visit wholesale slaughter’; again, a conditional sentence, this time negative, in indirect speech; the condition is future, the tense is present subjunctive, rather than the less dramatic imperfect, since the main verb, praemittit (litteras) — or whatever verb of saying one chooses to extracted from it – is historical present, which can function as either primary or historical tense with respect to the sequence of tenses; the apodosis is infinitive (future) as required.) eas Caecina aquiliferis signiferisque (aquiliferis signiferisque: after the elimination or expulsion of centurions and tribunes (see ch. 32), these were the men of highest rank left in the legions.) et quod maxime castrorum sincerum erat (quod maxime castrorum sincerum erat: maxime modifies sincerum rather than erat: lit. ‘what of the camp was most uncorrupted’; castrorum is partitive genitive after the neuter quod.) occulte recitat, utque cunctos infamiae, se ipsos morti eximant hortatur: nam in pace causas et merita spectari, ubi bellum ingruat innocentis ac noxios iuxta cadere. illi temptatis quos idoneos rebantur, (temptatis quos idoneos rebantur: abl. abs. with dependent rel. clause: ‘those they thought most suitable having been sounded’) postquam maiorem legionum partem in officio vident, (postquam maiorem legionum partem in officio vident: ‘after they saw that the larger part of the legions was prone to obedience, …’ in officio esse or manere: ‘to be or remain true to one’s obligations’; postquam …vident: like ubi and quando, postquam is regularly with indicative.) de sententia legati statuunt tempus, quo foedissimum quemque et seditioni promptum ferro invadant. (de sententia legati statuunt tempus, quo foedissimum quemque et seditioni promptum ferro invadant: ‘with the approval of the legate they fixed a time, so that thereby they may fall with swords upon all the most infamous and sedition-minded [among them].’ The prep de has here instrumental value, totally removed from any idea of origin or source. Though examples of such use exist in early Latin, it became more common after the Augustan age (Ernout). quo invadant: quo is frequently found replacing ut in purpose clauses.) tunc signo inter se dato inrumpunt contubernia, trucidant (praemittit …recitat …hortatur …statuunt …inrumpunt …trucidant: all six main verbs in the chapter are historical presents; all verbs of dependent clauses are present subjunctive or present indicative: the odd man out is the imperfect consulerent. Events are placed under the reader’s eyes, directly, as it were, from the scene of action, much like a modern reportage in actual time on television.) ignaros, nullo nisi consciis noscente quod caedis initium, quis finis. (nullo nisi consciis noscente quod …, quis …: abl. abs. bringing in indirect questions: ‘no one, except those in the know, being aware what …, which …’; quod and qui or quid and quis would be expected in place of quod and quis, but Tacitus is forever willing to try new ways, here either for novelty’s or for euphony’s sake.)