LXX.
At (at: at signals a fresh turn in the narrative or the return to a subject after an interlude. Here it picks up the chronicle of events from ch. 63, at the point where Germanicus is embarking his four legions for the return to Vetera.) Germanicus legionum, quas navibus vexerat, secundam et quartam decimam itinere terrestri P. Vitellio ducendas tradit, quo levior classis vadoso mari innaret vel reciproco sideret. (quo levior classis vadoso mari innaret vel reciproco sideret: quo replaces ut in clauses of purpose, especially if a comparative is present: ‘that thereby the fleet might sail more easily or sit [more gently] on the sea floor at low tide’; reciproco [aestu]: abl. of time, ‘with the tide reversed’, i.e. ‘at low tide’; vadoso mari: ‘a sea full of shoals’: the fleet has reached the mouth of the Ems river and before entering the shallow waters along the Frisian coast, Germanicus decides to disembark two of the four legions to lighten up the ships.) Vitellius (P. Vitellius: one of Germanicus’ legates and uncle of the future Roman emperor.) primum iter sicca humo aut modice adlabente aestu (sicca humo aut modice adlabente aestu: ‘on dry ground or with a moderately lapping tide’) quietum habuit: mox inpulsu aquilonis, simul sidere aequinoctii, quo maxime tumescit Oceanus, (inpulsu aquilonis, simul sidere aequinoctii, quo maxime tumescit Oceanus: ‘under the impetus of the north wind and at the same time of the equinoctial star, on account of which the sea swells to its maximus size’; Aquilo or Boreas is the ancient personification of the cold north wind; the sidus or constellation in question is the Libra or Balance of the zodiac system, the star influencing human affairs from Sept. 23 to Oct. 22, which presages the wintry season and all its woes.) rapi agique agmen. et opplebantur terrae: eadem freto litori campis facies, (eadem freto litori campis facies: ‘the same appearance for the sea, the shore, and the plains’: the absence of punctuation (asyndeton) between the members of the series adds to the dreariness of the scene.) neque discemi poterant incerta ab solidis, brevia a profundis. sternuntur fluctibus, hauriuntur (sternuntur …, hauriuntur: the subjects are the soldiers.) gurgitibus; iumenta, sarcinae, corpora exanima interfluunt, occursant. permiscentur inter se manipuli, modo pectore, modo ore tenus extantes, aliquando subtracto solo disiecti aut obruti. (aliquando subtracto solo disiecti aut obruti: lit. ’occasionally, the ground failing underfoot, they were carried away or submerged.’) non vox et mutui hortatus (vox et mutui hortatus: may be taken as hendiadys, ‘cries of mutual encouragement’) iuvabant adversante unda; (adversante unda: abl. abs.: ‘the tide opposing their efforts.’) nihil strenuus ab ignavo, sapiens ab inprudenti, consilia a casu differre: cuncta pari violentia involvebantur. tandem Vitellius in editiora enisus eodem agmen subduxit. pernoctavere sine utensilibus, (utensilibus: often = ‘food’, ‘provisions’) sine igni, magna pars nudo aut mulcato corpore, (magna pars nudo aut mulcato corpore: ‘many of the men naked or injured’; nudo aut mulcato corpore is abl. of attendant circumstance, here without cum; see G. 392.) haud minus miserabiles quam quos hostis circumsidet: quippe illic etiam honestae mortis usus, his inglorium exitium. (haud minus miserabiles quam quos hostis circumsidet: quippe illic etiam honestae mortis usus [est], his inglorium exitium: lit. ‘[they were] no less pitiable than those whom an enemy encircles, for even in that situation (illic) there is occasion of an honorable death; for these men there was [only] death without glory.’ quippe is here subordinating conjunction of causal sense, like quia or quod, and, like them, usually followed by indicative.) Iux reddidit terram, penetratumque ad amnem [Visurgin], (penetratumque ad amnem [Visurgin]: the river arrived at must have been other than the Weser (Visurgis), which is well east of the Ems (Amisia), since the legions were following the Frisian coast west of the Ems. Visurgin is likely a gloss left by a reader, unfamiliar with the geography of Germany, and later incorporated into the text during a subsequent transcription. penetratum [est] is impersonal use of the passive of, in this case, a transitive verb, ‘it was arrived at’.) quo Caesar classe contenderat. inpositae dein legiones, vagante fama submersas; (vagante fama submersas: abl. abs. with complementary infinitive clause: ‘the rumor circulating that the legions had drowned’) nec fides salutis, antequam Caesarem exercitumque reducem videre. (nec fides salutis [erat], … antequam … videre: lit. ‘no faith was there of safety before they saw …’; antequam takes perfect indicative for established fact in past time.)