IV
Ipse eorum opinionibus accedo, qui Germaniae populos nullis aliis aliarum nationum connubiis infectos propriam et sinceram et tantum sui similem gentem exstitisse (tantum sui similem gentem exstitisse: ‘that they have existed as a race only similar to itself’: the use of the genitive with similis, in place of the dative, is more frequent when the complement is a pronoun, similis mei, tui, sui, nostri, etc.; also, when the resemblance is pronounced or exact, rather than approximate. Cf. A.G. 385, c. 2 and L. 1204.) arbitrantur: unde habitus quoque corporum, quanquam in tanto hominum numero, (quanquam in tanto hominum numero: quanquam introduces a concession, i.e. ‘although variations might be expected in such vast number of people’.) idem omnibus; truces et cacrulei oculi, rutilae comae, magna corpora et (et: et is on occasion better served in translation by the English ‘but’ rather than ‘and’ ) tantum ad impetum valida; laboris atque operum non eadem patientia: minimeque (minime: amounts to a negative, ‘not at all’. ) sitim aestumque tolerare, (tolerare: goes with assueverunt the meaning of which it completes: ‘they have not at all become habituated to tolerate thirst and heat.’) frigora atque inediam coelo solove assueverunt