XXXIV.
Hic exitus Cremonae anno ducentesimo octogesimo sexto a primordio sui. condita erat Ti. Sempronio P. Cornelio consulibus, ingruente in Italiam Annibale, (ingruente in Italiam Annibale: in 218 B.C.) propugnaculum adversus Gallos trans Padum agentis (agentis: the sense of agere that applies here is ‘to spend one’s life’, ‘to live’) et si qua alia vis per Alpis rueret. (si qua alia vis per Alpis rueret: ‘in case another menace should descend through the Alps’: imperfect subjunctive for condition possible or likely to be realized in the past) igitur numero colonorum, opportunitate fluminum, (opportunitate fluminum: the Po and the Adda, just to name two of the rivers) ubere agri, adnexu conubiisque gentium adolevit floruitque, bellis externis intacta, civilibus infelix. Antonius pudore flagitii, crebrescente invidia, edixit ne quis Cremonensem captivum detineret. (edixit ne quis Cremonensem captivum detineret: ne quis …detineret is prohibition in indir. discourse after edixit; it corresponds to the present subjunctive ne quis detineat of dir. speech (cf. G. 263, 3. and A.G. 588, Note 2.) ; quis is for aliquis after si, nisi, ne, num.) inritamque praedam militibus effecerat consensus Italiae, emptionem talium mancipiorum aspernantis: (inritamque praedam militibus effecerat consensus Italiae, emptionem talium mancipiorum aspernantis: ‘the consensus of an Italy refusing the purchase of such slaves rendered the booty worthless for the solsdiers’.) occidi coepere; (occidi coepere: ‘[the prisoners] began to be killed’.) quod ubi enotuit, a propinquis adfinibusque (a propinquis adfinibusque: ‘relatives by blood or marriage’) occulte redemptabantur. mox rediit Cremonam reliquus populus: reposita fora templaque magnificentia municipum; et Vespasianus hortabatur. (et Vespasianus hortabatur: ‘in addition, Vespasian kept urging to action’: pointed sarcasm aimed at Vespasian’s proverbial avarice. Faced with a national human tragedy, for which he was to a large extent responsible as leader of the Flavian party, he sends encouraging words. The contrast between the concrete help offered by the Italian municipalities and Vespasian’s verbal assistance is striking.)