XVII.
Nec Civilis silentem struxit aciem, locum pugnae testem virtutis ciens: stare Germanos Batavosque super vestigia gloriae, cineres ossaque legionum calcantis. Quocumque oculos Romanus intenderet, captivitatem clademque et dira omnia obversari. (dira omnia obversari: ‘that nothing but impending calamity would face them’; obversari is infinitive in indir. discourse after ciens.) Ne terrerentur (ne terrerentur: ‘that they must not be terrified’: hortatory, or rather iussive subjunctive (see A.G. 439, Note 2.); ne terreantur of present time becomes ne terrerentur in a narrative of past events.) vario Trevirici proelii eventu: (vario Trevirici proelii eventu: Civilis refers to the battle described in Book 4, ch. 77-78. He refrains from calling it a defeat, rather ‘an engagrement of uncertain outcome’.) suam illic victoriam Germanis obstitisse, dum omissis telis praeda manus impediunt: (suam illic victoriam Germanis obstitisse, dum omissis telis praeda manus impediunt: ‘that their very own victory in that battle had been an obstacle to the Germans, considering that they burdened their hands with plunder, their wespons having been dropped’; dum …impediunt: even in indir. speech dum may be found followed by pres. indicative, although the clause can be viewed as incidental, an explanation inserted by the writer. dum here has practically causal sense, the action of obsttisse in the governing clause being the result of that of the dum clause. Cf. G. 570, Note 2. suam: the possessive suus, in place of eius, eorum, can be used even when not referring to the actual subject in a clause, if it clearly refers to the logical subject of the sentence, here the Treveri and their German allies.) sed cuncta mox prospera et hosti contraria evenisse. Quae provideri astu ducis oportuerit, providisse, (quae provideri astu ducis oportuerit, providisse: ‘that what ought to be done through the ingenuity of a commander he had done’; oportuerit is potential subjunctive; astu is either abl. of agent after the passive provideri (without prep. a or ab if the the agent is a thing) or abl. of instrument.) campos madentis et ipsis gnaros, (campos … ipsis gnaros: gnarus can be used both in an active sense (‘knowing’) or passive (known’). paludes hostibus noxias. Rhenum et Germaniae deos in aspectu: quorum numine capesserent pugnam, (Rhenum et Germaniae deos … quorum numine capesserent pugnam: ‘…the Rhine and the gods of Germany under whose aegis he bid them give battle’; capesserent is imperative in indir. speech, equivalent to capite of direct speech.) coniugum parentum patriae memores: illum diem aut gloriosissimum inter maiores aut ignominiosum apud posteros fore. Ubi sono armorum tripudiisque (tripudiis: tripudium is rhythmic beating of the ground with the foot.) –ita illis mos–adprobata sunt dicta, (ubi … adprobata sunt: ubi is with perfct indicative to express immediate precedence in time with respect to the action of the main verb: ‘as soon as’, ‘the moment that …’) saxis glandibusque et ceteris missilibus proelium incipitur, (incipitur: hist. present) neque nostro milite paludem ingrediente et Germanis, ut elicerent, lacessentibus. (neque nostro milite paludem ingrediente et Germanis, ut elicerent, lacessentibus: abl. abs. with dependent purpose clause: ‘our soldiers declining to enter the bog and the Germans challenging them in order to lure them on’)