XIX.
Postquam in conspectu Padus (postquam in conspectu Padus [advenere]: a puzzling point: Piacenza is located within yards of the Po; did these troops march a day to arrive within sight of a river that was near them at the start? Several explanations have been offered, none convincing.) et nox adpetebat vallari castra placuit. is labor urbano militi insolitus contundit animos. tum vetustissimus quisque (vetustissimus quisque: cf. valentissimum quemque in ch. 8.) castigare (castigare: infinitive of narration, as are also ostendere and laudari further on.) credulitatem suam, metum ac discrimen ostendere si cum exercitu Caecina patentibus campis tam paucas cohortis circumfudisset. (si …circumfudisset: a case of protasis with apodosis omitted, or rather the apodosis is implicit in metum ac discrimen of previous line, thus: ‘they would have been in grave danger if Caecina had attacked’; cf. G. 601.) iamque totis castris modesti sermones, et inserentibus se centurionibus tribunisque (inserentibus se centurionibus tribunisque: abl. abs., as is relictis exploratoribus below) laudari providentia ducis quod coloniam virium et opum validam robur ac sedem bello legisset. ipse postremo Spurinna, non tam culpam exprobrans quam rationem ostendens, (non tam culpam exprobrans quam rationem ostendens: correlative pair tam …quam introduce the two parts of a comparison: ‘not so much rebuking their errors as explaining his own reasons’.) relictis exploratoribus ceteros Placentiam reduxit minus turbidos et imperia accipientis. solidati muri, propugnacula addita, auctae turres, provisa parataque non arma modo sed obsequium et parendi amor, quod solum illis partibus defuit, cum virtutis haud paeniteret. (cum virtutis haud paeniteret: cum is here causal, hence the subjunctive: ‘since one could hardly be critical of their valor’; paeniteret is impersonal construction of paeniteo in the subjunctive after causal cum; virtutis: paenitet requires genitive of the motive of the sentiment.)