XXV.
Antequam miscerentur acies, (antequam miscerentur acies: for use of subjunctive with antequam cf. antequam Titus adventaret in ch. 6.) terga vertentibus Vitellianis, (terga vertentibus Vitellianis: ‘the Vitellian [cavalry] taking to their heels’: as arranged beforehand in previous chapter.) Celsus doli prudens repressit suos: Vitelliani temere exurgentes cedente sensim Celso longius (longius: ‘too far’) secuti ultro (ultro: ‘of their own accord’, ‘spontaneously’) in insidias praecipitantur; nam a lateribus cohortes, legionum adversa frons, et subito discursu (subito discursu: ‘by a sudden manoeuver’) terga cinxerant equites. signum pugnae non statim a Suetonio Paulino pediti (pediti: ‘to the infantry’) datum: cunctator natura (cunctator natura: ‘a temporizer by nature’; natura is abl. of cause, ‘on account of his nature’.) et cui cauta potius consilia cum ratione quam prospera ex casu placerent, (cui cauta potius consilia cum ratione quam prospera ex casu placerent: ‘to whom cautious plans appealed more than accidental success’; cui …placerent: subjunctive in relative clause of characteristic; cf. G. 631, A.G. 535, B.283; ex casu: ‘from accident’) compleri fossas, aperiri campum, pandi aciem iubebat, (compleri fossas, aperiri campum, pandi aciem iubebat: for use of iubeo with passive infinitive, cf. interfici iubet in ch. 16.; fossas, campum, aciem are subjects respectively of compleri, aperiri, pandi.) satis cito incipi victoriam ratus ubi provisum foret ne vincerentur. (satis cito incipi victoriam ratus ubi provisum foret ne vincerentur: ‘convinced that victory would be set soon enough on its way, when precautions had been taken to avoid been beaten’; ubi provisum foret: ubi + subjunctive in indirect speech introduced by ratus. The same sentence in direct speech (i. e. without ratus) would be satis cito incipitur victoria ubi provisum erat ne vincerentur. The verb provideo, here used impersonally, is always found followed by ut or ne + subjunctive when its sense is ‘to see to it that …’.) ea cunctatione spatium Vitellianis datum in vineas nexu traducum impeditas (in vineas nexu traducum impeditas: ‘in vineyards obstructed by the tangle of branches’) refugiendi; (spatium …refugiendi: gen. gerund after certain nouns to express purpose) et modica silva adhaerebat, unde rursus ausi promptissimos praetorianorum equitum interfecere. vulneratur rex Epiphanes, impigre pro Othone pugnam ciens. (rex Epiphanes, impigre pro Othone pugnam ciens: ‘king Epiphanes, actively urging on the fight on Otho’s behalf.’ Epiphanes was the son of Antiochus, king of Commagene in northern Syria.)