XXXIII.
Accedebat sententiae Paulini Marius Celsus; idem placere Annio Gallo, (idem placere Annio Gallo: ‘the same [view] appealed to Annius Gallius’; placere is hist. infinitive. For Marius Celsus and Annius Gallus cf. ch. 23.) paucos ante dies lapsu equi adflicto, (adflicto: agrees with the preceding Annio Gallo.) missi qui consilium eius sciscitarentur rettulerant. (missi qui consilium eius sciscitarentur rettulerant: ‘those sent to solicit his opinion had brought back [the answer]’; qui …sciscitarentur: relative clause equivalent to a purpose clause) Otho pronus ad decertandum; frater eius Titianus et praefectus praetorii Proculus, imperitia properantes, fortunam et deos et numen Othonis adesse consiliis, adfore conatibus testabantur, neu quis obviam ire sententiae auderet, in adulationem concesserant.(neu quis obviam ire sententiae auderet, in adulationem concesserant: neu is for ne and quis for aliquis, the latter always so abbreviated before ne, si, nisi, num. ne opens a negative purpose clause, ‘lest anyone should dare contradict their opinion, they had taken shelter in adulation’.) postquam pugnari placitum, (postquam pugnari placitum: pugnari is impersonal use of passive: lit. ‘after it was decided that it be fought’) interesse pugnae imperatorem an seponi melius foret dubitavere. (interesse pugnae imperatorem an seponi melius foret dubitavere: alternative question in indirect discourse, with an alone introducing the second part: ‘they were in doubt whether it was better that the emperor be present at the battle or that he be be excluded’; cf. note for consultavit trahi bellum an fortunam experiri placeret in ch. 31.) Paulino et Celso iam non adversantibus, ne principem obiectare periculis viderentur idem illi deterioris consilii auctores perpulere ut Brixellum concederet ac dubiis proeliorum exemptus summae rerum et imperii se ipsum reservaret. (idem illi deterioris consilii auctores perpulere ut Brixellum concederet ac …se ipsum reservaret: ‘those same proponents of the more harmful policy [now] prevailed that Otho should retire to Brixellum and reserve himself for …’. illi refers to Titianus and Proculus and in the above context denotes disparagement, ‘those notorious fools’. The verb perpello is found followed by ut + subjunctive or by infinitive. Brixellum is modern Brescello, NE of Parma, about 18 miles or 27 km. directly south of Bedriacum, but on the south side of the Po river.) is primus dies Othonianas partis adflixit; namque et cum ipso (cum ipso: abl. of accompaniment) praetoriarum cohortium et speculatorum (speculatorum: speculatores were the elite of the praetorian guard. Cf. also Book 1, ch. 24.) equitumque valida manus discessit, et remanentium fractus animus, (remanentium fractus animus: ‘the very spirit of the men left behind was broken’) quando suspecti duces (quando suspecti duces: quando is causal conjunction, ‘since their commanders were suspect’) et Otho, cui uni apud militem fides, (cui uni apud militem fides [erat]: ‘who alone had credibility with the soldiers’; cui uni is dat. of possessor; cf. G. 349.) dum et ipse non nisi militibus credit, (dum et ipse non nisi militibus credit: ‘while even he himself had no trust except in his soldiers’; dum, ‘while’, is regularly with present indicative; et ipse: et is for etiam, especially when followed by a pronoun. Cf. G. 478, N. 2.) imperia ducum in incerto reliquerat.