LV.
Vitellius ut e somno excitus Iulium Priscum et Alfenum Varum (Iulium Priscum et Alfenum Varum: for Julius Priscus see Book 2, ch. 92 at the outset, for Alfenus Varus at the end of ch. 36 of the present Book.) cum quattuordecim praetoriis cohortibus et omnibus equitum alis obsidere Appenninum iubet; secuta e classicis legio. (e classicis legio: from troops belonging to the fleet; later we know that this new legion was the Second Adiutrix.) tot milia armatorum, lecta equis virisque, si dux alius foret, inferendo quoque bello satis pollebant. (si dux alius foret, inferendo quoque bello satis pollebant: imperf. subjunctive for condition contrary to fact; the use of imperfect indicative in the apodosis implies confidence in the likelihood of the suggested outcome. Cf. A.G. 517, b.) ceterae cohortes ad tuendam urbem L. Vitellio fratri datae: ipse nihil e solito luxu remittens et diffidentia properus festinare comitia, (diffidentia properus festinare comitia: ‘hurried on by mistrust in his future, he rushed the elections ahead of time’. festinare is historical infinitive, as are dilargiri, dimittere, iuvare, lacerare in the lines following. comitia: an empty word by this time: the people no longer assembled in the Forum to elect the consuls, but only to hear the names of those chosen by the senate.) quibus consules in multos annos destinabat; (quibus consules …destinabat: ‘in which [comitia] he nominated the consuls’; with respect to the election of consuls, the emperor’s privilege was limited to presenting a list of his favorite candidates. The actual choice was left to the senate.) foedera sociis, Latium (Latium: or ius Latii: set of legal prerogatives short of full Roman citizenship) externis dilargiri; his tributa dimittere, alios immunitatibus iuvare; denique nulla in posterum cura lacerare imperium. sed vulgus ad magnitudinem beneficiorum hiabat, (vulgus ad magnitudinem beneficiorum hiabat: the Latin text is doubtful at to the verb; of the suggested emendations, the one adopted here (hiabat from hio) has the largest following.) stultissimus quisque (stultissimus quisque: for idiomatic use of quisque + superlative cf. A.G. 313, b.) pecuniis mercabatur, apud sapientis cassa habebantur quae neque dari neque accipi salva re publica poterant. (apud sapientis cassa habebantur quae neque dari neque accipi salva re publica poterant: ‘with people of good sense all that could neither be given nor received in a properly managed state was considered to be against reason.’ cassa: neuter plur. of cassus, adj.: ‘nonsense’, ‘meaningless rubbish ’) tandem flagitante exercitu, qui Mevaniam (Mevaniam: today’s Bevagna, nea Foligno in Umbria, about 50 km. or 31 miles south of Perugia) insederat, magno senatorum agmine, quorum multos ambitione, pluris formidine trahebat, (trahebat: the subject is Vitellius.) in castra venit, incertus animi et infidis consiliis obnoxius.