LII.
Eodem anno coeptum in Africa (Africa: the Roman province between Cyrenaica to the east and Mauritania to the west, comprising the coastal regions of Libya and most of modern Tunisia.) bellum, duce hostium Tacfarinate. is natione Numida, (natione Numida: ‘a Numidian as to nationality’; natione is abl. of specification. Numidia is the part of Africa closest to Mauritania, west and south of Carthage.) in castris Romanis auxiliaria stipendia meritus, mox desertor, vagos primum et latrociniis suetos ad praedam et raptus congregare, dein more militiae per vexilla et turmas componere, (per vexilla et turmas componere: ‘to organize into infantry and cavalry detachments’; Numidia was a nation of horsemen, but might have copied the Romans and added some infantry to their formations.) postremo non inconditae turbae sed Musulamiorum (Musulamiorum: the Musulamii lived in the western part of Numidia, near Mauritania, close to the desert, as explained by Tacitus.) dux haberi. valida ea gens et solitudinibus Africae propinqua, nullo etiam tum urbium cultu, cepit arma Maurosque accolas (Maurosque accolas: i.e. the Mauri near the border between Numidia and Mauritania.) in bellum traxit: dux et his, Mazippa. (dux et his [erat], Mazippa: his is dative of possessor with the implied erat: either ‘for these also there was a leader, Mazippa’, or ‘these also had a leader, Mazippa’) divisusque exercitus, ut Tacfarinas lectos viros et Romanum in modum armatos castris attineret, disciplina et imperiis suesceret, (disciplina et imperiis suesceret: suesco is only found here with transitive sense, ‘to habituate’ vs. intrans. ‘to become habituated’, and followed by abl. Some texts change disciplina to disciplinae, dative being the regular case after suesco.) Mazippa levi cum copia incendia et caedis et terrorem circumferret. compulerantque Cinithios, (Cinithios: the Cinithii were settled in southern Tunisia, inland from the gulf of Gabes or Syrtis minor, east of the ancient lake Tritonis.) haud spernendam nationem, in eadem, (compulerant … in eadem: ‘they pushed them into the same [hostilities they were engaged in].’ eadem is neuter plural pronoun from idem.) cum Furius Camillus pro consule Africae legionem et quod sub signis sociorum (quod sub signis sociorum: ‘what he had under arms of the allies’; sociorum is partitive genitive after the neuter quod.) in unum conductos ad hostem duxit, (cum Furius Camillus … legionem … ad hostem duxit: use of inverse temporal cum + perfect indicative: not only is the cum clause placed after the main clause, but also appears to usurp the role of the main clause, being the part of the sentence that advances the narrative by introducing new and unexpected developments. See G. 581.) modicam manum, si multitudinem Numidarum atque Maurorum spectares; (modicam manum, si multitudinem Numidarum atque Maurorum spectares: lit. ‘a mere handful of men if one considered the multitude of Numidians and Mauri’; spectares is potential subjunctive with the second person singular as indefinite subject. Cf. A.G. 447, 2.) sed nihil aeque cavebatur quam ne bellum metu eluderent; (nihil aeque cavebatur quam ne bellum metu eluderent: ‘nothing was taken as much precaution against (nihil cavebatur ne …) as (aeque quam) that the enemy should evade the clash out of fear.’ A simpler example of the use of caveo ne … could be cave ne cadas, ‘beware of falling’, lit. ‘guard against falling’. Camillus was eager to bring the war to a swift end with one decisive engagement and was afraid that the enemy might not give him the opportunity.) spe victoriae inducti sunt ut vincerentur. (spe victoriae inducti sunt ut vincerentur: the verb induco is here followed by complementary ut clause: ‘they were lured by the hope of victory to be defeated.’) igitur legio medio, leves cohortes duaeque alae in cornibus locantur. nec Tacfarinas pugnam detrectavit. fusi Numidae, multosque post annos Furio nomini partum decus militiae. (multosque post annos Furio nomini partum [est] decus militiae: ‘after many years military glory was secured by the house of the Furii.’ Furio nomini is dative of agent, used on occasion by Tacitus after a passive verb, to underline the person for whom the action is performed.) nam post illum reciperatorem urbis filiumque eius Camillum (illum reciperatorem urbis filiumque eius Camillum: ‘the illustrious liberator of Rome and his son Camillus’; the allusion is to M. Furius Camillus who defeated the Gauls in 390 B.C. and saved Rome just as it was about to capitulate. His son Camillus was consul, but never had the honor of a triumph, though a couple of other members of the family had that distinction.) penes alias familias imperatoria laus fuerat; atque hic, quem memoramus, bellorum expers habebatur. (bellorum expers habebatur: ‘was considered inexpert about matters of war’) eo pronior Tiberius (eo pronior Tiberius: ‘all the more disposed was Tiberius to …’) res gestas apud senatum celebravit; et decrevere patres triumphalia insignia, quod Camillo ob modestiam vitae impune fuit. (quod Camillo ob modestiam vitae impune fuit: quod refers to triumphalia insignia: lit. ‘something that was without harm to Camillus on account of the simplicity of his life.’ The suggestion here is that Camillus was not the type to inspire jealousy or fear in a suspicious nature like Tiberius’.)