LVI.
Spectator flagitii Hordeonius Flaccus consularis legatus aderat, (consularis legatus: both Upper and Lower Germany were imperial, not senatorial, provinces; as such they were governed through a consular legate chosen by the emperor.) non compescere ruentis, non retinere dubios, non cohortari bonos ausus, sed segnis pavidus et socordia innocens. (socordia innocens: ‘shielded from guilt by ineptness’) quattuor centuriones duetvicensimae legionis, Nonius Receptus, Donatius Valens, Romilius Marcellus, Calpurnius Repentinus, cum protegerent Galbae imagines, impetu militum abrepti vinctique. nec cuiquam ultra fides aut memoria prioris sacramenti, (nec cuiquam ultra fides aut memoria prioris sacramenti [erat]: ‘no longer did anyone have loyalty or [even] a memory of the recent oath’; cuiquam is dative of possessor with implied form of esse; ultra is here adv., not prep.) sed quod in seditionibus accidit, unde plures erant omnes fuere. (unde plures erant omnes fuere: unde is relative adverb, ‘on the side where most were, all were’) Nocte quae kalendas Ianuarias secuta est in coloniam Agrippinensem (in coloniam Agrippinensem: today’s Köln or Cologne, north of Bonn, named after Agrippina, daughter of Germanicus, sister of Caligula, wife of Claudius, and mother of Nero, who was born there.) aquilifer quartae legionis epulanti Vitellio nuntiat quartam et duetvicensimam legiones proiectis Galbae imaginibus in senatus ac populi Romani verba iurasse. id sacramentum inane visum: occupari nutantem fortunam et offerri principem placuit. (occupari … fortunam et offerri principem placuit: when used impersonally and followed by infinitive clauses, placeo, like iubeo, prefers a passive construction with the accusative subject of the infinitive(s) clearly expressed: ‘it was decided that Fortune be laid hold of and that a prince be offered’.) missi a Vitellio ad legiones legatosque qui descivisse a Galba superiorem exercitum nuntiarent: (qui … nuntiarent: relative clause in place of purpose clause) proinde aut bellandum adversus desciscentis aut, si concordia et pax placeat, faciendum imperatorem: et minore discrimine sumi principem quam quaeri.