LXXXIX.
Ipse Vitellius a ponte Mulvio (a ponte Mulvio: two miles north of Rome, where the Flaminian Way coming down from Rimini crosses the Tiber) insigni equo, paludatus accinctusque, senatum et populum ante se agens, quo minus ut captam urbem ingrederetur, (quo minus ut captam urbem ingrederetur …deterritus: ‘he was dissuaded from entering Rome as if it were a captured city’. For use of quo minus + subjunctive see note for non omissuro quo minus …adgrederetur in ch. 40.) amicorum consilio deterritus, sumpta praetexta (praetexta: a toga with a white purple border to distinguish senators, priests, and magistrates) et composito agmine incessit. quattuor legionum aquilae per frontem (per frontem: ‘across the head of the column’) totidemque circa (circa: ‘on the sides’; circa is here adv., not prep.) e legionibus aliis vexilla, mox duodecim alarum signa et post peditum ordines eques; dein quattuor et triginta cohortes, ut nomina gentium aut species armorum forent, discretae. (ut nomina gentium aut species armorum forent, discretae: ut is in place of prout: ‘arranged as the names of their tribes or the type of armament might be’; forent is potential subjunctive.) ante aquilas praefecti castrorum tribunique et primi centurionum candida veste, ceteri iuxta (iuxta: ‘beside’) suam quisque centuriam, armis donisque fulgentes; et militum phalerae torquesque (phalerae torquesque: phalerae are embossed disks of gold, silver, or bronze worn on the breastplate as medals; torques are collars of twisted metal worn as military ornaments.) splendebant: decora facies et non Vitellio principe dignus (principe dignus: dignus governs abl.) exercitus. sic Capitolium ingressus atque ibi matrem complexus Augustae nomine honoravit.