XVI.
Sic accensos et proelium poscentis in campum, cui Idistaviso nomen, (cui Idistaviso nomen: Idstaviso (‘meadow of the nymphs’) is nominative agreeing with nomen (the more frequent usage in Tacitus), rather than dative in agreement with cui.) deducunt. is medius inter Visurgim et collis, ut ripae fluminis cedunt aut prominentia montium resistunt, inaequaliter sinuatur. (is medius inter Visurgim et collis, ut ripae fluminis cedunt aut prominentia montium resistunt, inaequaliter sinuatur: this baffling passage appears to describe a tug of war between a river and a chain of hills for control of the intervening plain. A literal translation would be along these lines: ‘the plain (is = campus) winds irregularly between the Weser and the hills, according as the river banks give way or the projections of the hills resist [against the encroachments of the river].’ Attempts to locate the plain have failed: the information is too tenuous for definite identification. prominentia montium is partitive genitive after a substantivized adjective, as is prima silvarum below.) pone tergum (pone tergum: ‘behind their backs’; the prep. pone governs the acc.) insurgebat silva editis in altum ramis et pura humo inter arborum truncos. campum et prima silvarum (prominentia montium … prima silvarum: partitive genitives after substantivized adjectives) barbara acies tenuit: soli Cherusci iuga insedere ut proeliantibus Romanis desuper incurrerent. (ut proeliantibus Romanis desuper incurrerent: ‘in order to charge from above the Romans engaged in fighting’; proeliantibus Romanis is dative with incurrerent, although Tacitus uses elsewhere the acc., as if incurro were transitive.) noster exercitus sic incessit: auxiliares Galli Germanique in fronte, post quos pedites sagittatii; dein quattuor legiones et cum duabus praetoriis cohortibus ac delecto equite Caesar; exim totidem aliae legiones (totidem aliae legions: ‘as many legions as before’) et levis armatura cum equite sagittario ceteraeque sociorum cohortes. intentus paratusque miles ut ordo agminis in aciem adsisteret. (intentus paratusque miles ut ordo agminis in aciem adsisteret: ‘the soldiers were attentive and careful that the order of march should end in the battle line.’)