LXIII.
Vt coepere dimoveri obruta, concursus ad exanimos complectentium, osculantium; (ut coepere dimoveri obruta, concursus ad exanimos complectentium, osculantium: lit. ‘as soon as the debris began to be removed, [there was] a rush towards the dead of people embracing and kissing [them]. ut …coepere: temporal ut is followed by perfect indicative to express action immediately preceding that of the main verb, here left understood.) et saepe certamen si confusior facies sed par forma aut aetas errorem adgnoscentibus fecerat. (et saepe certamen si confusior facies sed par forma aut aetas errorem adgnoscentibus fecerat: lit. ‘and often [there was] a dispute in cases where a face too disfigured, but similar form or age, had caused misjudgement to those trying to identify.’ si …fecerat: some clauses with si are only weakly conditional and fulfil a completive or circumstantial role. Here the si clause complements and explains certamen and could be replaced by a clause by a temporal clause with ‘whenever’, since the action is recurrent (from Ernout). confusior is absolute comparative since it lacks a second term of comparison; it is translated in English by qualifying the positive form of the adjective by means of an adverb denoting disproportion. For examples see L. 1460.) quinquaginta hominum milia eo casu debilitata vel obtrita sunt; cautumque in posterum senatus consulto ne quis gladiatorium munus ederet cui minor quadringentorum milium res neve amphitheatrum imponeretur nisi solo firmitatis spectatae. (cautumque … ne quis gladiatorium munus ederet cui minor quadringentorum milium res neve amphitheatrum imponeretur nisi solo firmitatis spectatae: lit. ‘it was taken care that no one who had resources inferior of four hundred thousand sesterces should exhibit a gladiatorial spectacle and that no amphitheater should be erected except on ground of verified solidity.’ cautum [est]: impersonal use of passive; cf. A.G. 208, d.; ne …ederet …neve …imponeretur: ne introduces the first negative purpose clause, neve (‘and that …not’) is the regular connective for the second; minor quadrigentorum milium: a comparative followed by genitive in place of quam + the case of the first term, apparently in imitation of a Greek usage (Furneaux); quis is in place of aliquis after ne; cui is dat. of possessor with a form of esse understood, which in English becomes the subject of a clause with ‘had’.) Atilius in exilium actus est. Ceterum (ceterum: with the traditional sense of accusative of relation (acc. respectiv.), ‘in respect to the rest’, ‘in other respects’) sub recentem cladem patuere procerum domus, fomenta et medici passim praebiti, fuitque urbs per illos dies quamquam maesta (quamquam maesta: in later writers quamquam, previously reserved for circumstantial clauses, is also found in an adverbial role with adjectives. Cf. L. 1900.) facie veterum institutis similis, qui magna post proelia saucios largitione et cura sustentabant.