XXXI.
Sane ante utriusque exitum, quo egregiam Otho famam, Vitellius flagitiosissimam meruere, (exitum, quo egregiam Otho famam, Vitellius flagitiosissimam meruere: lit. ‘death by which they acquired, Otho glorious, Vitellius foulest renown.’) minus Vitellii ignavae voluptates quam Othonis flagrantissimae libidines timebantur: addiderat huic terrorem atque odium caedes Galbae, contra (contra: adverb, ‘on the other hand’) illi initium belli nemo imputabat. Vitellius ventre et gula sibi inhonestus, (Vitellius ventre et gula sibi inhonestus: ‘Vitellius [was] injurious to himself because of his insatiable gluttony’. ventre et gula is both hendiadys and metonymy. sibi is dative of interest.) Otho luxu saevitia audacia rei publicae exitiosior ducebatur. (Otho …rei publicae exitiosior ducebatur: ‘Otho was considered more ruinous to the state’.) Coniunctis Caecinae ac Valentis copiis nulla ultra penes Vitellianos mora quin totis viribus certarent: (nulla ultra penes Vitellianos mora quin totis viribus certarent: ‘[there was] no further delay on the part of the Vitellians keeping them from engaging with all their forces.’ quin …certarent: lit. ‘why they should not fight’; quin opens a clause of consecutive sense with subjunctive after verbs or other words of hindering or delaying, when these are used in the negative; cf. G. 555, A.G. 558.) Otho consultavit trahi bellum an fortunam experiri placeret. (consultavit trahi bellum an fortunam experiri placeret: double or alternative question in indirect speech: utrum, before the first part, is often absent and only an asks the question in the second part.)