LXXIX.
Nec in longum (in longum: ‘for long’) quies militi data. orabant auxilium Agrippinenses offerebantque uxorem ac sororem Civilis et filiam Classici, relicta sibi pignora societatis. atque interim dispersos in domibus Germanos trucidaverant; unde metus et iustae preces invocantium, (iustae preces invocantium: ‘the well-founded entreaties of those calling out for help’) antequam hostes reparatis viribus ad spem vel ad ultionem accingerentur. (antequam … accingerentur: antequam is with subjunctive to express eventual, prospective action.) namque et Civilis illuc intenderat, (namque et Civilis illuc intenderat: either ‘Civilis indeed had moved in their direction’ or ‘Civilis indeed had given thought to such purpose’; namque et: namque confirms what is said in the preceding clause and et supports it with the sense of enim.) non invalidus, flagrantissima cohortium suarum integra, quae e Chaucis Frisiisque composita Tolbiaci in finibus Agrippinensium agebat: (flagrantissima cohortium suarum integra, quae e Chaucis Frisiisque composita Tolbiaci in finibus Agrippinensium agebat: ‘the most bellicose of his cohorts, composed of Chauci and Frisii and in station at Tolbiacum in the territory of the Agrippinenses, was intact’. e Chaucis Frisiique: abl. of origin; the Chauci occupied mainly the territory between the Weser and the Elbe rivers; the Frisii were west of them in northern Holland. Tolbiacum, a community of the Ubii, is modern Zulpich, SW of Cologne.) sed tristis nuntius avertit, deletam cohortem dolo Agrippinensium, qui largis epulis vinoque sopitos Germanos, clausis foribus, igne iniecto cremavere; simul Cerialis propero agmine subvenit. circumsteterat Civilem et alius metus, ne quarta decima legio adiuncta Britannica classe adflictaret Batavos, qua Oceano ambiuntur. (circumsteterat Civilem et alius metus, ne quarta decima legio … adflictaret Batavos, qua Oceano ambiuntur: ‘another fear equally troubled Civilis, that the Fourteenth legion might fall on the Batavi where they are enclosed by the sea’. metus …ne …adflictaret: ne after a verb or other word expressing fear signifies that the fear is of something unwanted that may happen, whereas ut alone or ut non after the same word signifies that the fear is of something wanted that may not happen. Modern French has retained the same construction. et, when not the first word in a clause, is usually for etiam. ) sed legionem terrestri itinere Fabius Priscus legatus in Nervios Tungrosque (legionem terrestri itinere Fabius Priscus in Nervios Tungrosque duxit: the road Priscus may have probably taken is the Roman military way which from Boulogne (Gesoriacum) on the Channel went east all the way to Cologne, passing through the territory of the Nervii near Brussel and of the Tungri to Tongeren (Atuatuca Tungrorum) and from there to Cologne.) duxit, eaeque civitates in deditionem acceptae: classem ultro Canninefates adgressi sunt (classem ultro Canninefates adgressi sunt: ‘the Canninefates, though unprovoked (ultro: ‘of their own accord’), attacked the fleet’. First mentioned in ch. 15, the tribe inhabited the same island as the Batavi; they were of the same race, spoke the same language, and were equally brave.) maiorque pars navium depressa aut capta. et Nerviorum multitudinem, sponte commotam ut pro Romanis bellum capesseret, idem Canninefates fudere. (Nerviorum multitudinem sponte commotam ut pro Romanis bellum capesseret, idem Canninefates fudere: ‘the same tribe dispersed a Nervian multitude voluntarily risen up in arms to make war on behalf of Rome’; idem (for iidem or eidem) is plur. nom. masc.) Classicus quoque adversus equites Novaesium a Ceriale praemissos secundum proelium fecit: quae modica sed crebra damna famam victoriae nuper partae (victoriae nuper partae: ‘of the victory recently gained’) lacerabant.