XXXI.
Haec in Germania ante Cremonense proelium (ante Cremonense proelium: that is, before late Oct. of 69 A.D., the day of the battle being Oct. 24-25; at this point Civilis is besieging the legions at Castra Vetera near Xanten, Vocula and Gallus are at Gelduba (Gellep) with two legions and the governor Hordeonius Flaccus is at Novaesium (Neuss).) gesta, cuius eventum litterae Primi Antonii docuere, addito Caecinae edicto; (addito Caecinae edicto: although Tacitus makes no mention of this proclamation elsewhere, one can presume that Caecina, in his quality as consul, had issued a manifesto engaging the legions and the people to rally to Vespasian’s side, as he had done. Cf. also Book 3, ch. 31.) et praefectus cohortis e victis, Alpinius Montanus, (Alpinius Montanus: after the battle he had been sent to Germany to convey the news to the Vitellian army there. Cf. Book 3, ch. 35. Montanus, a Trever, later joined Civilis’ revolt.) fortunam partium praesens fatebatur. diversi hinc (hinc: ‘from that’) motus animorum: auxilia e Gallia, quis nec amor neque odium in partis, militia sine adfectu, hortantibus praefectis statim a Vitellio desciscunt: vetus miles cunctabatur. sed adigente Hordeonio Flacco, instantibus tribunis, dixit sacramentum, non vultu neque animo satis (satis: ‘really’) adfirmans: et cum cetera iuris iurandi verba conciperent, (cum cetera iuris iurandi verba conciperent: ‘when they pronounced all the other words of the oath, they…’; cum is followed by imperf. or plup. subjunctive to give the circumstances existing at the time or before the action of the main verb.) Vespasiani nomen haesitantes aut levi murmure et plerumque silentio transmittebant. (Vespasiani nomen haesitantes aut levi murmure et plerumque silentio transmittebant: example of zeugma: transmittere in this contest means ‘to pass over’, ‘to skip’, ‘to disregard’; of the three verb comlements, haesitantes, levi murmure, and silentio, only the last fits this meaning of transmittere.