VI.
Invalidum senem Titus Vinius et Cornelius Laco, (Titius Vinius et Cornelius Laco: for Vinius cf. ch. 1 and 48; Laco became the successor of Nymphidius as prefect of the praetorian guard.) alter deterrimus mortalium, alter ignavissimus, odio flagitiorum oneratum contemptu inertiae destruebant. tardum Galbae iter (Galbae iter: Galba left Spain in July of 68 A.D. and arrived in Rome in September.) et cruentum, interfectis Cingonio Varrone consule designato et Petronio Turpiliano consulari: ille ut Nymphidii socius, hic ut dux Neronis, inauditi atque indefensi tamquam innocentes (tamquam innocentes: tamquam is here adverb modifying innocentes.) perierant. introitus in urbem trucidatis tot milibus inermium militum (trucidatis tot milibus: Galba had seven thousand marine troops or classiarii, previously enlisted by Nero, massacred at the Milvian bridge upon his entry in Rome, because they had approached him, in open breach of military discipline, to claim the bounty Nero had promised them.) infaustus omine (introitus …infaustus omine: ‘his entry inauspicious because of the unlucky omen’) atque ipsis etiam qui occiderant formidolosus. inducta legione Hispana, (legione Hispana: the Seventh legion Galbiana) remanente ea quam e classe Nero conscripserat, (remanente ea quam e classe Nero conscripserat: ‘that [legion], which Nero had raised from the fleet, continuing to remain [in Rome]’: example of abl. abs. with dependent relative clause; cf. note for evulgato arcano in ch. 4. The legion in question is the First Adiutrix, for which see Book 2, ch. 43.) plena urbs exercitu insolito; multi ad hoc numeri (multi ad hoc numeri: ‘in addition to this [there were] many units …’; numerus, especially in the plural, denotes army units, detachments, corps; cf. in numeris esse, ‘to be on active service’.) e Germania ac Britannia et Illyrico, quos idem Nero electos praemissosque ad claustra Caspiarum (ad claustra Caspiarum: also called the Sarmatian Doors, a narrow pass in the Caucasus near T’bilisi in today’s Georgia) et bellum, quod in Albanos (in Albanos: the Albani were a people on the west shore of the Caspian sea) parabat, opprimendis Vindicis coeptis (opprimendis Vindicis coeptis: use of dative gerundive, in place of ad + acc., to express purpose or intent; the usage, rare in classical writers, became increasingly frequent from Livy on; cf. G. 429. Gaius Julius Vindex, governor of Gallia Lugdunensis and himself a Gaul rose up against Nero in 68 A.D. but was defeated.) revocaverat: ingens novis rebus materia, ut non in unum aliquem prono favore ita audenti parata. (ut non in unum aliquem prono favore ita audenti parata: ut introduces the dependent clause of a comparative sentence, as ita does the main clause; non in unum aliquem prono favore is abl. abs. Lit. ‘irregardless of favor not being inclined towards any one man, yet [this massed soldiery] was ready for anyone who dared’; the correlatives ut …ita often have the adversative force of ‘although …yet’; parata refers to materia.)