LXXXII.
Temptavit tamen Antonius vocatas ad contionem legiones mitigare, ut castris iuxta pontem Mulvium (iuxta pontem Mulvium: ‘in the vicinity of the Milvian bridge’; the Milvian or Mulvian bridge is north of Rome on the Via Flaminia and crosses the river where it makes a large west bend ) positis postera die urbem ingrederentur. (temptavit … ut … ingrederentur: ‘he tried in order that his troops should enter …’; the ut clause is final.) ratio cunctandi, ne asperatus proelio miles non populo, non senatui, ne templis quidem ac delubris deorum consuleret. (ne … miles … consuleret: ‘lest the soldiers have no regard for …’; ne introduces a negative clause of purpose.) sed omnem prolationem ut inimicam victoriae suspectabant; simul fulgentia per collis vexilla, quamquam imbellis populus (imbellis populous: the populace that volunteered service as described in ch. 80.) sequeretur, speciem hostilis exercitus fecerant. tripertito agmine pars, ut adstiterat, (ut adstiterat: ut can have the rather esoteric sense of ‘where’, ‘in the same place he was standing on.’) Flaminia via, pars iuxta ripam Tiberis incessit; tertium agmen per Salariam Collinae portae propinquabat. (per Salariam Collinae portae propinquabat: ‘approached the Collina gate by the Salarian way’; whereas the Flaminian way enters Rome in the NW corner of the city, the Salarian way, so called because it was the old salt route to Rieti, enters Rome in the NE corner by the Collina gate, also known as Porta Salaria.) plebs invectis equitibus fusa; (plebs invectis equitibus fusa: ‘the rabble was scattered by a cavalry charge.’: with four words Tacitus, no lover of mobs, brushes off the vast multitude that had so joyously run to arms. invectis equitibus: abl. abs, ‘cavalry having been brought in’) miles Vitellianus trinis et ipse praesidiis occurrit. (miles Vitellianus trinis et ipse praesidiis occurrit: ‘the Vitellian troops, themselves also (et ipse) divided into three columns, came up to attack) proelia ante urbem multa et varia, sed Flavianis consilio ducum praestantibus (consilio ducum praestantibus: ‘having the advantage because of the leadership of their generals’. There is no doubt that lack of leadership in the Vitellian army contributed much to the ultimate success of the Flavian party. One wanders what a good general could have achieved with such fine, devoted troops as Vitellius had.) saepius prospera. ii tantum conflictati sunt qui in partem sinistram urbis ad Sallustianos hortos per angusta et lubrica viarum flexerant. (ii tantum conflictati sunt qui in partem sinistram urbis ad Sallustianos hortos per angusta et lubrica viarum flexerant: ‘those were severely tested who had turned to the eastern part of the city towards the gardens of Sallust through narrow and slippery streets.’ These are the men of the third column approaching along the Salarian way. The left part of the city (for them) would be the eastern city districts, with the Sallustian gardens on their right after entering Rome and the Praetorian camp on their left. The gardens belonged to the historian Sallust (86-34 B.C.), but later became the property of the emperors, as mentioned in Tacitus’ Annales, XIII 47. per angusta et lubrica viarum: lit. ‘through the narrow and slimy passages of the streets’, examples of the neuter plural of adjectives used as nouns.) superstantes maceriis hortorum Vitelliani ad serum usque diem saxis pilisque subeuntis arcebant, donec ab equitibus, qui porta Collina inruperant, circumvenirentur. (donec … circumvenirentur: for use of donec in Tacitus see note at the end of ch. 78.) concurrere et in campo Martio infestae acies. (concurrere et in campo Martio infestae acies: ‘the two sides also (et) collided and fought in the Campus Martius.’ The Campus Martius was a wide open area in the western part of the city, within the first (westward) bend of the Tiber after entering Rome. The Flavian forces engaging here were the first and second of the three columns approaching Rome from the north. See above. concurrere is historical infinitive.) pro Flavianis fortuna et parta totiens victoria: Vitelliani desperatione sola ruebant, (pro Flavianis fortuna et parta totiens victoria: Vitelliani desperatione sola ruebant: ‘fortune was for the Flavians and [so was] victory won so many times: the Vitellians kept charging out of pure despair.’) et quamquam pulsi, (quamquam pulsi: as noted in earlier, occasions, quamquam in combination with a participle became fairly common with later writers.) rursus in urbe congregabantur.