V
Terra, etsi aliquanto specie differt, (etsi … differt: the indicative is the prevailing construction with concessive etsi.) in universum tamen aut silvis horrida aut paludibus foeda: (silvis horrida aut paludibus foeda: some examples of heavily forested areas are the Hercynian forest in central Germany, the Teutoburger Wald west of it, and the Black Forest in the south west; vast expanses of marshy ground are found in the Low Countries and around the mouth of the Elbe river. Smaller bogs are scattered all over Germany.) humidior, qua Gallias; ventosior, qua Noricum ac Pannoniam (Noricum ac Pannoniam: the Roman province of Noricum was hemmed in between Rhaetia and Pnnonia (see ch. 1), and included most of modern Austria and part of Slovenia.) aspicit: satis ferax; frugiferarum arborum impatiens: pecorum (pecorum: usually said of sheep, goats, and pigs, but may include also cattle.) fecunda, sed plerumque improcera; ne armentis quidem suus honor, aut gloria frontis: (ne armentis quidem suus honor, aut gloria frontis [est]: armentis (‘herds of cattle’) is dat. of possessor with implied est: ‘their cattle do not even have the imposing appearance peculiar to them nor the glory of their forehead’; suus honor: i.e. ‘the beauty that is naturally theirs’; gloria frontis: ‘their frontal glory’; Tacitus is thinking of the Italian cattle, especially oxen, enormous in size and with huge branching horns.) numero gaudent; eaeque solae et gratissimae opes sunt. Argentum et aurum propitii an irati dii negaverint, dubito. (argentum et aurum propitii an irati dii negaverint, dubito: dubito introduces a double or alternative indirect question, regularly in the subjunctive: ‘I am not sure whether benevolent or angry gods have denied them silver and gold’; Tacitus consistently omits the interrogative particle (utrum or –ne) before the first part of the question.) Nec tamen affirmaverim, (nec … affirmaverim: see note for crediderim … dixerim in ch. 2.) nullam Germaniae venam argentum aurumve gignere: quis enim scrutatus est? possessione et usu haud perinde afficiuntur. (possessione et usu haud perinde afficiuntur: ‘they are not impressed to any extent by the possession and use [of gold and silver]’: haud perinde: ‘not to the expected extent’) Est videre (est videre: lit. ‘it is to see’, i.e. ‘it is possible to see’ or ‘one can see’: a construction imitative of the Greek use of the infinitive as an ordinary noun, to the extent of even appending an article to it. Being the subject of est, the action of videre is made more relevant.) apud illos argentea vasa, legatis et principibus eorum muneri data, non in alia vilitate, quam quae humo finguntur (non in alia vilitate, quam quae humo finguntur: lit. ‘not [held] in a different esteem than those [vessels] which are shaped from clay’) quanquam proximi, (proximi: the German tribes closest to the Roman provinces west of the Rhine and south of the Danube.) ob usum commerciorum, (ob usum commerciorum: ‘for the purposes of commerce’) aurum et argentum in pretio habent, (quanquam … aurum et argentum in pretio habent: quanquam is with indicative for objective concession based on fact; in pretio habere is an alternative to magni habere, genitive of value) formasque quasdam nostrae pecuniae agnoscunt (agnoscunt: ‘they are aware of the value’.) atque eligunt: interiores simplicius et antiquius permutatione mercium utuntur. Pecuniam probant veterem et diu notam, serratos bigatosque. (serratos bigatosque: the serrati and bigati denarii, old silver coins minted during republican times, purer and more trusted than those produced under the emperors: the notches around the edge permitted to see if the coin was silver throughout or merely plated; the bigati carried the image of a chariot drawn by a pair of horses.) Argentum quoque, magis quam aurum sequuntur, (sequuntur: sequor has here the sense of ‘to seek as a matter of choice’.) nulla affectione animi, (nulla affectione animi: ‘not on account of any heartfelt regard’) sed quia numerus argenteorum facilior usui est promiscua ac vilia mercantibus. (facilior usui est promiscua ac vilia mercantibus: usui is dat. of purpose: ‘it is easier to use for those trading common items of little value’.)