XL.
Fabius interim Valens multo ac molli concubinarum spadonumque agmine segnius quam ad bellum incedens, proditam a Lucilio Basso Ravennatem classem pernicibus nuntiis accepit. et (et: et may on occasion have slightly adversative sense, ‘and yet …’.) si coeptum iter properasset, nutantem Caecinam praevenire aut ante discrimen pugnae adsequi legiones potuisset; (si coeptum iter properasset,… potuisset: use of pluperfect subjunctive in both parts of a conditional sentence for unreal condition in the past) nec deerant qui monerent ut cum fidissimis per occultos tramites vitata Ravenna Hostiliam Cremonamve pergeret. (nec deerant qui monerent ut cum fidissimis … Hostiliam Cremonamve pergeret: nec deerant qui monerent is rel. clause of characteristic; monerent ut … Hostiliam Cremonamve pergeret: a final clause with ut or ne is the regular construction with verbs of warning and beseeching, like monere and compounds. Cf G. 546. The enclitic –ve after Cremonam is in place of aut.) aliis placebat (aliis placebat: cf. note for trepidanti … placuit veneno grassari in previous chapter.) accitis ex urbe praetoriis cohortibus (accitis ex urbe praetoriis cohortibus: abl. abs. of temporal sense: ‘after summoning the praetorian cohorts from Rome’.) valida manu perrumpere: ipse inutili cunctatione agendi tempora consultando consumpsit; mox utrumque consilium aspernatus, quod inter ancipitia deterrimum est, dum media sequitur, (quod inter ancipitia deterrimum est, dum media sequitur: lit. ‘[he did] what is the worst possible thing between perilous alternatives, so long as one pursues a middle course’.) nec ausus est satis nec providit.