XLI.
Eodem die (eodem die: April 14, 69 A.D.) ad Caecinam operi pontis intentum duo praetoriarum cohortium tribuni, conloquium eius postulantes, venerunt: audire condiciones ac reddere parabat, cum praecipites exploratores adesse hostem nuntiavere. interruptus tribunorum sermo, eoque incertum fuit insidias an proditionem vel aliquod honestum consilium coeptaverint. (incertum fuit insidias an proditionem vel aliquod honestum consilium coeptaverint: ‘it was not certain whether they had in mind villainies or treason or some honest plan’; —– … an …vel: a case of indirect question with three parts, the first without introductory particle, the second with an, and the third with vel (more commonly with a second an); coeptaverint is the subjunctive equivalent of coeptaverunt in direct question.) Caecina dimissis tribunis revectus in castra datum iussu Fabii Valentis pugnae signum et militem in armis invenit. dum legiones de ordine agminis sortiuntur, (dum …sortiuntur: with pres. indicative when dum = ‘while’) equites prorupere; et mirum dictu, (mirum dictum: abl. supine after certain adjectives, lit. ‘incredible in the saying’) a paucioribus Othonianis quo minus in vallum inpingerentur, Italicae legionis virtute deterriti sunt: (a paucioribus Othonianis quo minus in vallum inpingerentur, Italicae legionis virtute deterriti sunt: lit. ‘they were deterred by the valor of the Italica legion so that they should not be driven back inside the rampart by fewer Othonians’; the sense is partly final, partly consecutive. For use of quo minus + subjunctive see note for Celso et Paulino abnuentibus militem …obicere hosti, non omissuro quo minus …adgrederetur in previous chapter. For the Italica legion cf. Book 1, ch. 59.) ea strictis mucronibus redire pulsos et pugnam resumere coegit. disposita Vitellianarum legionum acies sine trepidatione: etenim (etenim: conj., ‘for’, ‘in fact’) quamquam vicino hoste aspectus armorum densis arbustis prohibebatur. apud Othonianos pavidi duces, miles ducibus infensus, mixta vehicula et lixae, et praeruptis utrimque fossis via quieto quoque agmini angusta. (via quieto quoque agmini angusta: ‘the road was narrow even for an orderly formation’.) circumsistere alii signa sua, quaerere alii; incertus undique clamor adcurrentium, vocantium: ut cuique audacia vel formido, (ut cuique audacia vel formido: cuique is dat. of possessor, ‘insofar as to each man was courage or fear’) in primam postremamve (postremamve: enclitic –ve = ‘or’) aciem prorumpebant aut relabebantur.