LXI.
Adiuncto Britannico exercitu ingens viribus opibusque Vitellius (ingens viribus opibusque Vitellius: ‘Vitellius powerful in view of forces and resources’) duos duces, duo itinera bello destinavit: Fabius Valens adlicere vel, si abnuerent, vastare Gallias et Cottianis Alpibus (Cottianis Alpibus: Alpes cottiae or cottianes was the central of three districts between France, Switzerland and Italy into which the western Alps were divided, each with an administration separate from that of neighboring provinces. Alpes cottiae include the source of the Po river and the pass of Mt. Genèvre near Briançon, very likely the pass Valens will later use.) Italiam inrumpere, Caecina propiore transitu Poeninis iugis (Poeninis iugis: the Pennine Alps are between the NW corner of Italy and SW Switzerland, with the Great Saint Bernard pass north of Aosta as the easiest route across.) degredi iussus. Valenti inferioris exercitus electi (electi: ‘picked troops’) cum aquila quintae legionis (cum aquila quintae legionis: if a legion’s eagle was on the move, the whole legion followed in a body) et cohortibus alisque, ad quadraginta milia (ad quadraginta milia: ad + acc.: ‘about’) armatorum data; triginta milia Caecina e superiore Germania ducebat, quorum robur legio unaetvicensima fuit. addita utrique Germanorum auxilia, et quibus Vitellius suas quoque copias supplevit, tota mole belli secuturus.