XXXVIII.
Interea Vespasianus iterum ac Titus consulatum absentes inierunt, (Vespasianus … ac Titus consulatum … inierunt: this marks the end of 69 A.D., the year of the four emperors, and the official beginning of 70 A.D.) maesta et multiplici metu suspensa civitate, quae super instantia mala falsos pavores induerat, descivisse Africam (maesta et multiplici metu suspensa civitate, quae super instantia mala falsos pavores induerat, descivisse Africam: relative clause dependent on an abl. abs. and in turn governing a clause in indir. discourse. The use of abl. abs. with multiple dependencies is rarely, if ever, found before Cicero; cf. G. 410, N. 4: ‘gloomy and oppressed by multiple fears being the city, which over and above the impending evils of the day had come to harbor the terrifying delusion that Africa had revolted’; by Africa is meant the province of Africa, comprising modern Tunisia, NE Algeria, and the districts along the coast of north Africa as far as Cirenaica. These fertile regions, together with Egypt, were known as ‘the bread basket of the empire.’) res novas moliente L. Pisone. is <pro consule> provinciae (<pro consule> provinciae: a proconsul was the governor of a senatorial province , whereas a legatus was the governor of an imperial province) nequaquam turbidus ingenio; (ingenio: abl. of quality) sed quia naves saevitia hiemis prohibebantur, vulgus alimenta in dies mercari solitum, cui una ex re publica annonae cura, (cui una ex re publica annonae cura: lit. ‘to whom the only concern from among the matters of state [was] the food supply’ or ‘who had only one public concern, the food supply’; cui is dat. of possessor.) clausum litus, retineri commeatus, dum timet, credebat, (dum timet, credebat: ‘while they feared, they believed’, that is, ‘what they feared they believed.’; dum, ‘while’, regularly takes present indicative.) augentibus famam Vitellianis, qui studium partium nondum posuerant, ne victoribus quidem ingrato rumore, quorum cupiditates externis quoque bellis inexplebilis nulla umquam civilis victoria satiavit. (quorum cupiditates … nulla umquam civilis victoria satiavit: unlike internal peace, civil disorders favor speculation, profiteering, looting, and other shortcuts to riches.)