XVII.
Visis Cheruscorum catervis, (catervis: unlike the Romans, whose disciplined formations have just been described, the German forces were, by comparison, disorganized masses of men acting instinctively.) quae per ferociam proruperant, validissimos equitum incurrere latus, Stertinium cum ceteris turmis circumgredi tergaque invadere iubet, (cum … iubet: example of inverse cum, with the temporal clause seemingly taking over the function of main clause in moving the action forward. Cf. L 1869.) ipse in tempore adfuturus. (ipse in tempore adfuturus: ‘he himself was going to enter the fray at the opportune moment.’) interea pulcherrimum augurium, octo aquilae petere silvas et intrare visae imperatorem advertere. exclamat irent, sequerentur Romanas avis, propria legionum numina. (exclamat irent, sequerentur Romanas avis, propria legionum numina: ‘he calls out to his men to advance, to follow the birds of Rome, the true protective spirits of the legions.’ The flock of eight eagles, the same number as the legions, pointing the way to the enemy, was a truly auspicious omen for the troops, eagles being a symbol of strength in ancient Rome and the emblem of the Roman army. They were regarded with religious awe and thought to have powers to guard and defend. A case in point is found in ch. 39 of Book 1, where Munitius Plancus, an ex-consul, on being pursued by mutinous soldiers and in danger of death, is said to have sought protection by clasping the standards and the eagle of a legion, hopeful that their sacred character would shield him from harm.) simul pedestris acies infertur et praemissus eques postremos ac latera impulit. mirumque dictu, (mirumque dictu: abl. supine found after certain adjectives (rarely after verbs), such as mirus, facilis, difficilis, etc.; it is basically an abl. of relation, ‘marvelous in relation to saying.’) duo hostium agmina diversa fuga, qui silvam tenuerant, in aperta, qui campis adstiterant, in silvam ruebant. (duo hostium agmina diversa fuga, qui silvam tenuerant, in aperta, qui campis adstiterant, in silvam ruebant: diversa fuga is probably locative ablative without preposition, as often in Livy and Tacitus (Ernout): ‘two enemy columns in opposite flight, those who held the forest rushed towards the plain, those who had formed up in the plain darted towards the forest.’ The Germans who held the plain, had come under flank attack from the picked cavalry, those at the edge of the woods from the legions in the Roman center. campis is for in campis, abl. of place; duo agmina: the neuter of duo remains the same, only the feminine, duae, changes form.) medii inter hos Cherusci collibus detrudebantur, (medii inter hos Cherusci collibus detrudebantur: ‘the Cherusci between them were being chased from the hills, [under pressure from the rear by Stertinius’ cavalry]’. collibus detrudebantur: the verb detrudo is usually followed by de + abl., here by simple abl.) inter quos insignis Arminius manu voce vulnere sustentabat pugnam. incubueratque sagittariis, illa rupturus, ni Raetorum Vindelicorumque et Gallicae cohortes signa obiecissent. (incubueratque sagittariis, illa rupturus [erat], ni Raetorum Vindelicorumque et Gallicae cohortes signa obiecissent: ‘he had fallen with all his force on the foot archers and would have broken out at that point (illa), if the Raetian, Vindelician, and Gallic cohorts had not opposed their standards.’ rupturus [erat], ni …obiecissent: with conditions contrary to fact (type III), the protasis has plup. subjunctive for unreal condition in the past and the apodosis may have, in place of imperfect or plup. subjunctive, the active periphrastic with eram or fui (cf. A.G. 517, d.; incubuerat sagittariis: the intransitive incubo takes dative; illa or illac is adverb, ‘by that way’. Raetia and Vindelicia were Roman provinces in the Alpine regions of Austria and in southern Germany respectively (Vindelicia = Bavaria); signa obiecere means ‘to face an attack’, ‘to oppose resistance’, since soldiers in battle regulated their movements by those of their standards.) nisu tamen corporis et impetu equi pervasit, (nisu tamen corporis et impetu equi pervasit: ‘by a supreme effort and the impetus of his horse he made it through.’) oblitus faciem suo curore ne nosceretur. quidam adgnitum a Chaucis inter auxilia Romana agentibus emissumque tradiderunt. (…adgnitum a Chaucis …emissum [esse]: in oratio obliqua after tradiderunt: ‘…having been recognized by the Chauci, he was let go’; the Chauci lived along the coastal regions of the North Sea, from Friesland in Holland to the Elbe river; they were allies of Rome since 12 B.C.) virtus seu fraus eadem Inguiomero (Inguiomero: Arminius’ uncle: see Book 1, ch. 60.) effugium dedit: ceteri passim trucidati. et plerosque tranare Visurgim conantis iniecta tela aut vis fluminis, postremo moles ruentium et incidentes ripae operuere. (plerosque tranare Visurgim conantis iniecta tela aut vis fluminis, postremo moles ruentium et incidentes ripae operuere: lit. ‘arrows shot at them or the force of the current, lastly the weight of the mass of people rushing headlong into the water and the bank of the river giving way killed many.’ operuere from operio, ‘to bury’, is an example of zeugma: it fits well with the subject moles ruentium and incidentes ripae, but less well with iniecta tela, and not at all with vis fluminis.) quidam turpi fuga in summa arborum nisi (in summa arborum nisi: nisi is perfect participle of nitor: ‘having struggled to the top of the trees, they …’) ramisque se occultantes admotis sagittariis (admotis sagittariis: ‘the archers having been sent for’) per ludibrium figebantur, alios prorutae arbores adflixere. (alios prorutae arbores adflixere: ‘others the felled trees brought them to the ground’.)