LXXVII.
‘Nobis (nobis: example of nosism, the practice of using the plural in place of the singular in reference to oneself, also known as ‘royal we’) nihil ultra adrogabo quam ne post Valentem et Caecinam numeremur: ne tamen Mucianum socium spreveris, (ne …spreveris: perf. subjunctive in negative commands; cf. note for nec speciem adulantis expaveris in previous chapter.) quia aemulum non experiris. (quia …experiris: quia, like quod, takes indicative.) me Vitellio antepono, te mihi. tuae domui triumphale nomen, (triumphale nomen: Vespasian had obtained the ornamenta triumphalia under Claudius for his campaign in Britain.) duo iuvenes, capax iam imperii alter et primis militiae annis apud Germanicos quoque exercitus clarus. absurdum fuerit (fuerit: potential suvjunctive) non cedere imperio ei cuius filium adoptaturus essem, si ipse imperarem. (adoptaturus essem, si ipse imperarem: cf. note for videretur …si …esset in previous chapter; adoptaturus essem in place of adoptarem to preserve both future and potential sense, ‘I would be about to adopt’ vs. ‘I would adopt’.) ceterum (ceterum: ‘for the rest’) inter nos non idem prosperarum adversarumque rerum ordo erit: nam si vincimus, honorem quem dederis habebo: (si vincimus, honorem quem dederis habebo: indicative in both protasis and apodosis for simple, logical supposition: given this, that will necessarily follow, as in ‘if you don’t eat, you die’.) discrimen ac pericula ex aequo patiemur. immo, (immo: ‘or rather’) ut melius est, (ut melius est: ‘since it is better so’) tu tuos exercitus rege, (tu tuos exercitus rege: cf. note for ego te, …voco in previous chapter.) mihi bellum et proeliorum incerta trade. acriore hodie disciplina victi quam victores agunt. hos ira, odium, ultionis cupiditas ad virtutem accendit: illi per fastidium et contumacia hebescunt. aperiet et recludet contecta et tumescentia victricium partium vulnera bellum ipsum; nec mihi (mihi: dat. of possessor with est) maior in tua vigilantia parsimonia sapientia fiducia est quam in Vitellii torpore inscitia saevitia. sed meliorem in bello causam quam in pace habemus; nam qui deliberant, desciverunt.’ (nam qui deliberant, desciverunt: ‘since they who conspire have already defected’. Very similar sentiments are expressed at the end of ch. 15 in Agricola.)