XIX.
Isdem diebus Batavorum et Canninefatium cohortis, cum iussu Vitellii in urbem pergerent, (cum … pergerent: temporal cum is with subjunctive (historical cum) to indicate the circumstances under which something occurs. ) missus a Civile nuntius adsequitur. (adsequitur: historical present, ‘overtook’) intumuere statim superbia ferociaque (intumuere statim superbia ferociaque: ‘they immediatedly became puffed up with pride and arrogance.’) et pretium itineris donativum, duplex stipendium, augeri equitum numerum, promissa sane a Vitellio, postulabant, non ut adsequerentur, (non ut adsequerentur: ‘not in order to obtain their demands’; for a different meaning of adsequor see note above for adsequitur.) sed causam seditioni. et Flaccus multa concedendo (multa concedendo: example of abl. gerund without preposition having a direct object) nihil aliud effecerat quam ut acrius exposcerent quae sciebant negaturum. (nihil aliud effecerat quam ut acrius exposcerent quae sciebant negaturum: ‘had not achieved anything save that they would demand more acrimoniously what they knew he would refuse.’ quam ut + comparative brings in a result clause requiring subjunctive; cf. A.G. 535, c.) spreto Flacco (spreto Flacco: abl. abs., ‘Flaccus being ignored’) inferiorem Germaniam petivere ut Civili iungerentur. Hordeonius adhibitis tribunis centurionibusque consultavit num obsequium abnuentis vi coerceret; (consultavit num obsequium abnuentis vi coerceret: ‘asked them if he should bring to order by force the Batavi refusing obedience.’ num opens an indir. question with the sense of ‘whether’ or ‘if’, unlike in direct questions, where num suggests a negative answer.) mox insita ignavia et trepidis ministris, quos ambiguus auxiliorum animus et subito dilectu suppletae legiones angebant, (mox insita ignavia et trepidis ministris, quos ambiguus auxiliorum animus et subito dilectu suppletae legiones angebant: ‘then, because of his innate diffidence and the fears of his officers, whom the unreliable attitude of the auxiliaries and the legions filled by hasty recruitment made uneasy, …’; ministris my in fact refer to the recruiting officers, who would be the first to know the mood of the new charges.) statuit continere intra castra militem: dein paenitentia et arguentibus ipsis qui suaserant, (dein paenitentia et arguentibus ipsis qui suaserant: abl. abs. with dependent rel. clause: ‘soon repentance [setting in] and those who had counselled the decision turning against it themselves’) tamquam secuturus (tamquam secuturus: ‘as if intending to follow in pursuit’; tamquam used as adverb to modify a participle is a fairly common occurrence in Tacitus, but rare in classical Latin. Cf. G. 609. Note 1.) scripsit Herennio Gallo legionis primae legato, qui Bonnam (Bonnam: modern Bonn, north of Koblenz and south of Cologne) obtinebat, ut arceret transitu Batavos: (ut arceret transitu Batavos: ‘in order for him to prevent the Batavi from passing’) se cum exercitu tergis eorum haesurum. (se cum exercitu tergis eorum haesurum: ‘that he would cling to their rear with the army’; cum exercitu is abl of accompaniment; tergis is dative with haereo.) et opprimi poterant si hinc Hordeonius, inde Gallus, motis utrimque copiis, (motis utrimque copiis: abl. abs., ‘the troops having been moved into position at both ends [of the Batavian column]’) medios clausissent. Flaccus omisit inceptum (Flaccus omisit inceptum: ‘Flaccus abandoned his intention’) aliisque litteris Gallum monuit ne terreret abeuntis: (monuit ne terreret abeuntis: ‘he warned him not to bother the retreating Batavi.’ moneo is one on the list of verbs of warning, urging or demanding that are followes by ut or ne to express purpose.) unde suspicio sponte legatorum excitari bellum (unde suspicio sponte legatorum excitari bellum: ‘hence the suspicion that the war was set going by the will of the generals.’ sponte: as a noun is only used in the abl., raraly in the genitive. ) cunctaque quae acciderant aut metuebantur non inertia militis neque hostium vi, sed fraude ducum evenire.