XXVII
Funerum nulla ambitio; id solum observatur, ut corpora clarorum virorum certis lignis crementur. (ut corpora clarorum virorum certis lignis crementur: ‘that the bodies of famous men be burned with certain kinds of wood’; the woods used were pine, juniper, oak, and beech. The simplicity of German customs, even in matters relating to death, is in stark contrast with the elaborate and costly pomp of the Romans.) Struem rogi nec vestibus nec odoribus cumulant: sua cuique arma, (sua cuique arma: lit. ‘for each man his arms’; see also the two notes in ch. 20 about the use of suus with quisque.) quorundam igni et equus adjicitur. (quorundam igni et equus adjicitur: quorundam (not quorumdam) is gen. plur. of quidam; m is changed to n before d; cf. A.G. 151, c. et is here for etiam: ‘the horse of certain men is also added to the pyre’; the horse was required for a hero to make a proper entry into Walhalla.) Sepulcrum caespes erigit; monumentorum arduum et operosum honorem, (monumentorum arduum et operosum honorem: auduum et operosum describe more properly monumentorum, but is transferred to honorem to avoid the cumbersome arduorum and operosorum monumentorum that would result, a case of enallage.) ut gravem defunctis, aspernantur. Lamenta ac lacrimas cito, dolorem et tristitiam tarde ponunt. Feminis lugere honestum est; viris meminisse. (viris meminisse: short for honestum est viris meminisse: ) Haec in commune de omnium Germanorum origine ac moribus accepimus: nunc singularum gentium instituta ritusque, (instituta ritusque: ‘civil and religious institutions’) quatenus differant, quae nationes e Germania in Gallias commigraverint, expediam. (quatenus differant … expediam: quatenus is interrogative and relative adverb here introducing an indirect question requiring subjunctive: ‘I will explain to what extent they differ’; cf. L 1773.)