XIV.
At (at: at signals a change of subject or the return to one as in this case, after the break in the narrative of Civilis’ revolt in Book 4, at the end of ch. 79.) Civilis post malam in Treviris pugnam (post malam in Treviris pugnam: a reference to the grave setback suffered by Civilis’ forces at Trier or Treves described in Book 4, ch. 77-78.) reparato per Germaniam exercitu (reparato per Germaniam exercitu: ‘losses to his army having been made good through German reinforcements’; lit. ‘by means of Germany’ or ‘with the help of Germany’. The singular Germania refers to the lands east of the Rhine; the plural Germaniae to the two Roman provinces west of the Rhine, Germania Superior and Germania Inferior.) apud Vetera castra consedit, tutus loco, (tutus loco: loco is abl. of respect or specification, ‘safe with respect to location’) et ut memoria prosperarum illic rerum (memoria prosperarum illic rerum: cf. Book 4, ch. 60. illic: i.e. Vetera, near modern Xanten) augescerent barbarorum animi. Secutus est eodem Cerialis, duplicatis copiis adventu secundae et tertiae decimae (tertiae decimae: the original text has tertiae decimae, but as no further mention is made of this legion later on and the Sixth legion appears in its place (e.g. in ch. 16), the consensus is that tertiae decimae must be a transcription error.) et quartae decimae legionum; cohortesque et alae iam pridem accitae (cohortesque et alae iam pridem accitae: by Hordeonius Flaccus earlier in the revolt: cf. Book 4, ch. 24.) post victoriam properaverant. Neuter ducum cunctator, sed arcebat latitudo camporum suopte ingenio umentium; (arcebat latitudo camporum suopte ingenio umentium: lit. ‘the vastness of the fields wet from their own natural tendency kept [them] separate’. ingenium applied to inanimate things is somewhat of a novelty. The enclitic –pte is emphatic: it is added to possessive adjectives and personal pronouns in the abl. case.) addiderat Civilis obliquam in Rhenum molem, cuius obiectu revolutus amnis adiacentibus superfunderetur. (addiderat Civilis obliquam in Rhenum molem, cuius obiectu revolutus amnis adiacentibus superfunderetur: ‘in addition Civilis had built at an angle into the Rhine an obstruction, by the interposition of which the rolled back current would spill over the adjacent fields’. The passive of superfundo has the meaning assigned here; the use of subjunctive is required in that the sense of the rel. clause is final or even consecutive.) Ea loci forma, incertis vadis subdola et nobis adversa: quippe miles Romanus armis gravis et nandi pavidus, (miles Romanus armis gravis et nandi pavidus: armis is abl. of cause; nandi is gen. gerund after certain adjectives, like pavidus, that require an object to complete their meaning.) Germanos fluminibus suetos levitas armorum et proceritas corporum attollit. (levitas armorum et proceritas corporum attollit: lit. ‘lightness of armor and high stature raise [them] to a higher position [in the water]’; attollit agrees with the nearest subject.)