LVII.
Neque multo post legati a Segeste venerunt auxilium orantes adversus vim popularium a quis circumsedebatur, validiore apud eos Arminio quoniam bellum suadebat: nam barbaris, quanto quis audacia promptus, tanto magis fidus rebusque motis potior habetur. (quanto quis audacia promptus, tanto magis fidus rebusque motis potior habetur: comparative sentence with quanto and tanto introducing the dependent and main part: ‘the more decided a man in venturing, the more trusted he is and held preferable in unsettled times.’ quis is for aliquis; potior is comparative of potis or pote.) addiderat Segestes legatis filium, nomine Segimundum: sed iuvenis conscientia cunctabatur. quippe anno quo Germaniae descivere sacerdos apud aram Vbiorum creatus ruperat vittas, (conscientia cunctabatur, quippe anno quo Germaniae descivere sacerdos apud aram Vbiorum creatus ruperat vittas: ‘he was made hesitant by his consciousness of guilt, since in the year in which the German tribes revolted, he, a priest ordained at the altar of the Ubii, had rent the ritual bands.’ conscientia is abl of cause; the particle quippe, used in origin in a coordinating capacity to express asseveration (‘indeed’, ‘in truth’), became in time a causal conjunction akin to quoniam or quia; the plural Germaniae refers to the German nations east of the Rhine that had been or were under Roman rule. Though they never became Roman provinces, they were held by Roman forts. anno quo Germaniae descivere: the revolt occurred in 9 A.D. and was followed by the battle in which Varus died and three legions were lost. sacerdos apud aram Vbiorum creatus: the fact that Segimundus, a Cheruscan, was made a priest at the altar in the capital of the Ubii to officiate in the new cult of Augustus, may indicate that Colonia Agrippinensis (Cologne) was intended to become the center of such worship among the Germans.) profugus ad rebellis. adductus tamen in spem clementiae Romanae pertulit patris mandata benigneque exceptus cum praesidio Gallicam in ripam (Gallicam in ripam: though German tribes lived along the west bank of the Rhine, the river was still considered the natural border of Gaul.) missus est. Germanico pretium fuit convertere agmen, (Germanico pretium fuit convertere agmen: ‘for Germanicus it was worthwhile to reverse the direction of march.’ alicui pretium esse: is short for alicui pretium operae esse.) pugnatumque in obsidentis, et ereptus Segestes magna cum propinquorum et clientium manu. inerant feminae nobiles, inter quas uxor Arminii eademque filia Segestis, (uxor Arminii eademque filia Segestis: lit. ‘Arminius’ wife and that same daughter of Segestes’; her name, provided by the Greek historian Strabo, seems to have been Thusnelda. Now a prisoner, she was later taken to Rome to be exhibited in Germanicus’ triumph, together with Segimundus, the son of Segestes. ) mariti magis quam parentis animo, (mariti magis quam parentis animo: animo is abl. of specification: ‘more of the husband than of the father as to her spirit’) neque victa in lacrimas (victa in lacrimas: ‘reduced to tears’; in + acc. expresses the effect resulting from a given action or condition.) neque voce supplex; compressis intra sinum manibus (compressis intra sinum manibus: ‘her hands being pressed within the folds [of her robe, below the breasts]’) gravidum uterum intuens. ferebantur et spolia Varianae cladis, (ferebantur et spolia Varianae cladis: ‘the spoils of the Varian debacle were also brought forward.’ Very likely these included captured weapons, bodily armor, tools, badges, decorations, banners, etc.) plerisque eorum qui tum in deditionem veniebant praedae data: simul Segestes ipse, ingens visu et memoria bonae societatis inpavidus. (ingens visu et memoria bonae societatis inpavidus: lit. ‘gigantic in the viewing and fearless because of his record of steadfast loyalty’; visu is abl. supine, basically an abl. of specification (A.G. 510); memoria is abl. of cause.)