LI.
At (at: at., in the same way as sed, may merely indicate a change of direction in the narrative, without adversative sense.) Vespasiano post Cremonensem pugnam et prosperos undique nuntios cecidisse Vitellium multi cuiusque ordinis, (multi cuiusque ordinis: ‘many of each social order’) pari audacia fortunaque hibernum mare adgressi, (mare adgressi: ‘having confronted the sea’: it took courage to attempt a sea crossing in winter, so the use of adgredior is quite appropriate. The deponent perfect participle adgressi is passive in form, but with active and transitive sense.) nuntiavere. aderant legati regis Vologaesi (regis Vologaesi: Vologaesus, king of Parthia; cf. Book 1, ch. 40.) quadraginta milia Parthorum equitum offerentes. magnificum laetumque tantis sociorum auxiliis ambiri neque indigere: gratiae Vologaeso actae mandatumque ut legatos ad senatum mitteret et pacem esse sciret. (ut … pacem esse sciret: ‘to assure himself that peace was now reigning [in Rome]) Vespasianus in Italiam resque urbis intentus (in Italiam resque urbis intentus: ‘having his mind occupied in Italian affairs and [in the affairs] of Rome’) adversam de Domitiano famam accipit, tamquam terminos aetatis et concessa filio egrederetur: (tamquam terminos aetatis et concessa filio egrederetur: ‘inasmuch as he was exceeding the boundaries of his age and the prerogatives of a son’; as is often the case in Tacitus, tamquam has almost causal sense.) igitur validissimam exercitus partem Tito tradit ad reliqua Iudaici belli perpetranda. (ad reliqua Iudaici belli perpetranda: ‘for the remaining phase of the Judean war to be brought to a conclusion’: use of ad +gerundive to express purpose)