IX.
Piso Delmatico mari (Delmatico mari: the northern part of the Adriatic sea, known today as the Golf of Venice; Dalmatia or Delmatia refers to the regions along the eastern coast of the Adriatic.) tramisso relictisque apud Anconam navibus per Picenum ac mox Flaminiam viam (Anconam … Picenum … Flaminiam viam: Ancona is a seaport on the Adriatic coast of Italy, halfway between Rimini and Pescara; Picenum was a region of central Italy between the Apennines and the Adriatic sea. Ancona was at its northern end; the Flaminian way ran from Rome to Rimini on the Adriatic coast.) adsequitur legionem, quae e Pannonia (legionem … e Pannonia: this was the Ninth legion from the army of Pannonia, being sent to the province of Africa to fight Tacfarinas; cf. Book 2, ch. 52.) in urbem, dein praesidio Africae ducebatur: eaque res agitata rumoribus ut in agmine atque itinere crebro se militibus ostentavisset. (eaque res agitata rumoribus ut in agmine atque itinere crebro se militibus ostentavisset: ut is here interrogative adverb introducing an indirect question with subjunctive: lit. ‘that matter, how he had often exhibited himself to the soldiers while their column was on the march, became minutely analysed in the small talk of the people.’ in agmine atque itinere may be hendiadys: ‘while the marching column advanced’ or similar.) ab Narnia, vitandae suspicionis an quia pavidis consilia in incerto sunt, (vitandae suspicionis an quia pavidis consilia in incerto sunt: ‘either to avoid suspicion or because to those who fear decisions are not coherent’; the particle an, normally reserved for alternative indirect questions, can be found replacing aut or vel in simple choices. Cf. legions metu an contumacia locum deseruere in Book 1, ch. 65. vitandae suspicionis: predicate genitive gerundive expressing purpose: ‘for suspicion to be avoided’; cf. A.G. 504, a., Note 1. Cf. also cognoscendae antiquitatis in Book 2, ch. 59.) Nare (Narnia … Nare: Narnia (modern Narni) is a town WSW of Terni, south of Perugia, where the river Nera (ancient Nar) crosses the Flaminian way and after a shorth distance empties into the Tiber just north of Otricoli (Roman Ocriculum).) ac mox Tiberi devectus auxit vulgi iras, quia navem tumulo Caesarum adpulerat (quia navem tumulo Caesarum adpulerat: ‘because he had brought his vessel to shore at the mausoleum of the Caesars [in the campus Martius]’; cf. ch. 4. quia …adpulerat: quia is followed by indicative when the reason given is assigned by the author.) dieque et ripa frequenti, (dieque et ripa frequenti: possibly abl. abs., rather than abl. of time or place: ‘it being daylight and the river bank crowded’; cf. Agricola ch. 40 for the way Agricola made his way into Rome at night avoiding crowds.) magno clientium agmine ipse, feminarum comitatu Plancina et vultu alacres incessere. fuit inter inritamenta invidiae domus foro imminens festa ornatu conviviumque et epulae et celebritate loci nihil occultum. (fuit inter inritamenta invidiae domus foro imminens festa ornatu conviviumque et epulae et celebritate loci nihil occultum: lit ‘among the incitements to hatred were his house dominating the Forum, festive with decorations (ornatu), the gathering of guests, the banquet, nothing being out of sight, given the crowded character of the place.’ fuit: domus, convivium, epulae are all subjects of fuit, which agrees in number with the nearest, and (usually) the most important subject.)