I.
Interfecto Vitellio bellum magis desierat quam pax coeperat. (bellum magis desierat quam pax coeperat: ‘the war had broken off rather than the peace had started.’ desierat is from desino.) armati per urbem victores implacabili odio victos consectabantur: plenae caedibus viae, cruenta fora templaque, passim trucidatis, ut quemque fors obtulerat. (passim trucidatis, ut quemque fors obtulerat: passim trucidatis is abl. abs: ‘men being killed everywhere, as chance brought (had brought) each forward’. Latin is more particular about time relatioships than English: the plup. obtulerat suggests that this action precedes that of trucidatis. The next note but one offers a similar example.) ac mox augescente licentia scrutari ac protrahere (scrutari … protrahere: historical infinitives, as is obtruncare further on.) abditos; si quem procerum habitu et iuventa conspexerant, obtruncare nullo militum aut populi discrimine. (si quem procerum habitu et iuventa conspexerant, obtruncare nullo militum aut populi discrimine: lit. ‘if they saw anyone tall in build and of youthful appearance, they struck him down with no distinction of soldiers or civilians.’ German soldiers were generally tall and were recruited by the Romans when young. If anyone met the description, he was taken to be a Vitellius supporter. procerum habitu et iuventa: not ‘tall in build and youth’ (zeugma) for procerum governs habitu but not iuventa, which is an independent abl. of quality. quem is for aliquem after si.) quae saevitia recentibus odiis sanguine explebatur, dein verterat in avaritiam. (quae saevitia recentibus odiis sanguine explebatur, dein verterat in avaritiam: ‘the cruelty which in the recent outburst of hate was sated by blood, then turned into greediness.’ ) nihil usquam secretum aut clausum sinebant, (nihil usquam secretum aut clausum sinebant: lit. ‘they would permit no secret or closed place.’) Vitellianos occultari simulantes. initium id perfringendarum domuum, (initium id perfringendarum domuum: lit. ‘this [was] the outset of private homes to be broken in’, partitive genitive gerundive after the neuter id) vel si resisteretur, (vel si resisteretur: imperf. subjunctive for potential (future) condition from the point of view of the past.) causa caedis; nec deerat egentissimus quisque e plebe et pessimi servitiorum prodere ultro ditis dominos, (nec deerat egentissimus quisque e plebe et pessimi servitiorum prodere ultro ditis dominos: ‘the poorest among the populace and the worst of the slaves were not averse to voluntarily inform on their rich masters.’ nec deerat …prodere: here nec deerat is with the sense of ‘he was nothing loath to …’ or ‘not at all disinclined to …’) alii ab amicis monstrabantur. ubique lamenta, conclamationes et fortuna captae urbis, adeo ut Othoniani Vitellianique militis invidiosa antea petulantia desideraretur. (adeo ut … desideraretur: adeo ut is followed by consecutive clause with subjunctive.) duces partium accendendo civili bello acres, temperandae victoriae impares, (duces partium accendendo civili bello acres, temperandae victoriae impares: ‘the leaders of the party, tireless in setting off the fires of civil war, were powerless to moderate the victory.’ accendendo civili bello: abl. gerundive, lit. ‘in the civil war to be kindled’; if gerund were used (but rarely is) we would have accendendo civile bellum); temperandae victoriae impares: dative gerundive after adjectives denoting fitness (or lack thereof). Cf. A.G. 505, a.) (quippe: here conj. with the causal force of quippe qui; found with indicative or subjunctive, depending on period or writer.) inter turbas et discordias pessimo cuique plurima vis, pax et quies bonis artibus indigent