LXVI.
Quod si (quod si: quod preceding si is generally ignored as it contributes little to translation except to make it more stilted. Cf. G. 610, 2.) tam facile suorum mentis flexisset Vitellius, quam ipse cesserat, incruentam urbem Vespasiani exercitus intrasset. (quod si tam facile suorum mentis flexisset Vitellius, quam ipse cesserat, incruentam urbem Vespasiani exercitus intrasset: conditional sentence with plup. subjunctive in both protasis and apodosis for condition impliedly false, i.e. contrary to fact, in reference to past events. The protasis is in the form of a conditional clause of comparison with tam …quam. The plup. indicative cesserat reflects the fact that Vitellius had already given way to the idea of surrender.) ceterum (ceterum: ‘however that may be’) ut quisque Vitellio fidus, ita pacem et condiciones abnuebant, discrimen ac dedecus ostentantes et fidem in libidine victoris. (ut quisque Vitellio fidus, ita pacem … abnuebant discrimen ac dedecus ostentantes et fidem in libidine victoris: ‘to the extent that anyone was faithful to Vitellius, to the same extent he rejected peace, pointing out the dangers and the dishonor of surrender and the reliance on the good pleasure of the victor.’ quisque …abnuebant: quisque, inherently singular, may be found with a plural verb. Cf. A.G. 317, e. abnuebant or ostentantes or both introduce at this point indir. speech that continues to the end of the chapter and reflects the views and counsel of those around Vitellius.) nec tantam Vespasiano superbiam ut privatum Vitellium pateretur, ne victos quidem laturos: (nec tantam Vespasiano superbiam ut privatum Vitellium pateretur, ne victos quidem laturos: ‘that Vespasian had not so much confidence to tolerate Vitellius as a private citizen; not even the Vitellians would put up with it.’) ita periculum ex misericordia. (ita periculum ex misericordia: whose periculum and whose misericordia? The prevalent interpretarion is that Vespasian could not afford to spare the life of his opponent for fear that Vitellius’ supporters might rally around him again in the future, if allowed to live as a private citizen. Thus mercy would be a threat to the victor.) ipsum sane senem (senem: Vitellius was 57 years old.) et prosperis adversisque satiatum, sed quod nomen, quem statum filio eius Germanico fore? nunc pecuniam et familiam et beatos Campaniae sinus promitti: set ubi imperium Vespasianus invaserit, non ipsi, non amicis eius, non denique exercitibus securitatem nisi extincto aemulo redituram. (ubi imperium Vespasianus invaserit, non ipsi, non amicis eius, non denique exercitibus securitatem nisi extincto aemulo redituram: lit. ‘that when Vespasian would have seized supreme power, security would return neither to him, nor to his friends, nor ultimately to the armies, unless the rival being dead.’ ubi …invaserit: perf. subjunctive for temporal clause in indir. speech; corresponds to future perfect of direct speech. Cf. G. 561 and 565. amicis eius, not amicis suis since Vespasian ins not the subject of the clause. nisi extincto aemulo: the use of nisi with a participle (of an abl. abs. to boot) is pre-eminently post-classical.) Fabium illis (illis: i.e. to the Flavian leaders) Valentem, captivum et casibus dubiis reservatum, (casibus dubiis reservatum: ‘held in reserve for a critical outcome’, i.e. ‘as surety against possible defeat’) praegravem fuisse, nedum Primus ac Fuscus et specimen partium Mucianus ullam in Vitellium nisi occidendi licentiam habeant. (nedum Primus ac Fuscus et specimen partium Mucianus ullam in Vitellium nisi occidendi licentiam habeant: ‘that much less would Primus and Fuscus and Mucianus himself, the embodiment of the Flavian party, would have any other option in respect of Vitellius except to kill him. nedum …habeant: although nedum is essentially a coordinating conjunction, it is always found followed by subjunctive. habeant, in place of haberent, is a case of repraesentatio, for which see A.G. 585, b. N. Primus …Fuscus …Mucianus: for the first two cf. Book 2, ch. 86, for Mucianus Book 2, ch. 5.) non a Caesare Pompeium, non ab Augusto Antonium incolumis relictos, (non a Caesare Pompeium, non ab Augusto Antonium incolumis relictos: both Pompei and Marc Antony did not in fact die at the hand of their victors, even though the latter were indirectly the cause of their death.) nisi forte Vespasianus altiores spiritus gerat, Vitellii cliens, cum Vitellius collega Claudio foret. (nisi forte Vespasianus altiores spiritus gerat, Vitellii cliens, cum Vitellius collega Claudio foret: ‘unless perchance Vespasian, this former client of a Vitellius when L. Vitellius was the colleague of Claudius, should have a loftier nature [than Caesar and Augustus]; nisi forte …gerat: nisi forte is always followed by indicative, except in indir. discourse; the present gerat, in place of gereret, is another example of repraesentatio, as was habeat before. Vitellii: not the emperor, but his father L. Vitellius, the colleague of emperor Claudius in the censorship and in two of L. Vitellius’ three consulships. cliens: a reference perhaps to some service received by Vespasian from L. Vitellius in the latter’s official capacity. ) quin, ut censuram patris, ut tris consulatus, ut tot egregiae domus honores deceret, desperatione saltem in audaciam accingeretur. (quin, ut censuram patris, ut tris consulatus, ut tot egregiae domus honores deceret, desperatione saltem in audaciam accingeretur: ‘indeed, why did he not, in despair at least, steel himself to bold action, as became his father’s censorship, his triple consulate, and so many honors of his illustrious house.’ quin …in audaciam accingeretur: corresponds to quin accingeris of direct speech, since quin is usually followed by pres. indicative. Questions with quin amount to exhortations or commands, ‘why not nerve himself to boldly dare?’ ut …deceret: clauses with comparative ut take indicative, except in indir. speech.) perstare militem, superesse studia populi; denique nihil atrocius eventurum quam in quod sponte ruant. (denique nihil atrocius eventurum quam in quod sponte ruant: ‘ultimately nothing worse was going to happen than what they were inevitably hurtling towards.’) moriendum victis, moriendum deditis: (moriendum victis, moriendum deditis: impersonal use, with implied esse, of second (passive) periphrastic conjugation to express duty or necessity. victis and detitis are datives of agent.) id solum referre, novissimum spiritum per ludibrium et contumelias effundant an per virtutem. (id solum referre, novissimum spiritum per ludibrium et contumelias effundant an per virtutem: id solum referre: impersonal use of refero, having a neuter pronoun or a clause as subject. effundant: yet another example of repraesentatio, as is also ruant a couple of lines above.