LXXXII.
Militum impetus ne foribus quidem Palatii coercitus quo minus convivium inrumperent, (quo minus convivium inrumperent: for use of quo minus after verbs of preventing such as coerceo cf. note for non terruit Galbam quominus in castra pergeret in ch. 18.) ostendi sibi Othonem expostulantes, vulnerato Iulio Martiale tribuno et Vitellio Saturnino praefecto legionis, dum ruentibus obsistunt. (dum … obsistunt: dum in the sense of ‘while’ requires present indicative.) undique arma et minae, modo in centuriones tribunosque, modo in senatum universum, lymphatis caeco pavore animis, (lymphatis caeco pavore animis: abl. abs., ‘ their minds driven mad by blind fear’) et quia neminem unum destinare irae poterant, licentiam in omnis poscentibus, donec Otho contra decus imperii toro insistens precibus et lacrimis aegre cohibuit, (donec … cohibuit: donec requires indicative when a limit has actually been reached, subjunctive when something is anticipated.) redieruntque in castra inviti neque innocentes. postera die velut capta urbe clausae domus, rarus per vias populus, maesta plebs; deiecti in terram militum vultus ac plus tristitiae quam paenitentiae. manipulatim (manipulatim: ‘one company at a time’) adlocuti sunt Licinius Proculus et Plotius Firmus praefecti, ex suo quisque ingenio mitius aut horridius. (ex suo quisque ingenio mitius aut horridius: ‘each [speaker] more mildly or more harshly in accordance with his temperament’) finis sermonis in eo ut quina milia nummum singulis militibus numerarentur: (in eo ut quina milia nummum … numerarentur: ‘to the effect that five thousand sesterces would be counted out to …’: the sense is consecutive, hence the subjunctive; nummum is partitive genitive plur. in place of nummorum; by nummus a small coin of little value is usually intended, but after mille or milia it means sestertius: five thousand sesterces or 1250 denarii, several times greater than a legionary’s annual salary, was a munificent sum indeed.) tum Otho ingredi castra ausus. atque illum tribuni centurionesque circumsistunt, abiectis militiae insignibus otium et salutem flagitantes. (otium et salutem flagitantes: ‘insisting on being granted a discharge and safety’) sensit invidiam miles et compositus in obsequium auctores seditionis ad supplicium ultro (ultro: ‘of their own accord’) postulabat.