XXIV.
Igitur Antonius, ubi noscere suos noscique poterat, alios pudore et probris, multos laude et hortatu, omnis spe promissisque accendens, cur resumpsissent arma, Pannonicas legiones interrogabat: (interrogabat: imperfect for repeated action) illos esse campos, in quibus abolere labem prioris ignominiae, (prioris ignominiae: a reference to the first battle of Bedriacum in which the Pannonian Thirteenth legion fared poorly. Cf. Book 2, ch. 43.) ubi reciperare gloriam possent. tum ad Moesicos conversus principes auctoresque belli (principes auctoresque belli: cf. Book 2, ch. 85.) ciebat: frustra minis et verbis (minis et verbis: hendiadys) provocatos Vitellianos, si manus eorum oculosque non tolerent. (si manus eorum oculosque non tolerent: subjunctive for logical condition in indir. speech: the present tolerent, in place of the imperf. tolerarent, expected with a historical verb of saying (ciebat), is a case of repraesentatio; cf. B. 318.) haec, ut quosque accesserat; plura ad tertianos, veterum recentiumque admonens, ut sub M. Antonio Parthos, sub Corbulone Armenios, nuper Sarmatas pepulissent. (ut sub M. Antonio Parthos, sub Corbulone Armenios, nuper Sarmatas pepulissent: a reference respectively to Mark Antony’s expedition against the Parthians in 36 B.C. (which was anything but successful), to Corbulo’s victory over the Arminians in 62 – 63 A.D. during Nero’s reign, and to the conflict with the Sarmatians described in Book 1, ch. 79.) mox infensus praetorianis ‘vos’ inquit, ‘nisi vincitis, pagani, (‘vos …, pagani, …’: pagani are dwellers of a pagus or rural village; the term was also used by soldiers to express contempt for civilians; vos is highly emphatic: ‘you, civilian bums!’ or ‘you, country bumpkins!’.) quis alius imperator, quae castra alia excipient? illic signa armaque vestra sunt, et mors victis; nam ignominiam consumpsistis.’ (nam ignominiam consumpsistis: the praetorians had already failed two emperors that year, Galba whom they betrayed in favor of Otho, and then Otho himself when they retired to Brixellum as the emperor’s escort and avoided fighting in the first battle of Bedriacum (Book 2, ch. 33).) undique clamor, et orientem solem (ita in Syria mos est) tertiani salutavere.