XIX.
Postera die quartadecima legio in superiorem pro vinciam Gallo Annio missa: (Gallo Annio: one of the three men chsen by Otho to lead an expedition into Gallia Narbonensis in Book 1, ch. 87. At this point he is governor of Upper Germany.) Cerialis exercitum decima ex Hispania legio (decima ex Hispania legio: both the Sixth and the Tenth legion had earlier been summoned from Spain; cf. Book 4, ch. 68.) supplevit: Civili Chaucorum auxilia (Chaucorum auxilia: tribe from NW Grermany, between the rivers Ems and Elbe.) venere. Non tamen ausus oppidum Batavorum (oppidum Batavorum: the exact location of this town is unknown: Nijmegen, the ancient Noviomagus, has been suggested; others opt for Cleves.) armis tueri, raptis quae ferri poterant, ceteris iniecto igni, in insulam concessit, (in insulam concessit: the insula Batavorum, between the Waal, the southern branch of the Rhine before reaching the sea and the Nederrijn or Rhine proper, the northern branch) gnarus deesse navis efficiendo ponti, (efficiendo ponti: use of dative gerundive to express purpose: ‘for the bridge to be built’) neque exercitum Romanum aliter transmissurum: quin et (quin et: ‘he even …’) diruit molem a Druso Germanico factam (molem a Druso Germanico factam: a rampart (agger) or dyke begun by Drusus Germanicus in 9 B.C. and completed by Pompeius Paulinus in 55 A.D.: it was located where the Rhine divides into two arms, the Waal and the Nederrijn, a little west of Emmerich, and was meant to increase the water volume of the Nederrijn and be not only a more effective barrier against German invasions, but also a way to avoid the inondations of the Waal. Civilis’ intent is now the opposite: to reduce the Nederrijn to a fraction of its size and make the insula Batavorum continuous with Germany.) Rhenumque prono alveo in Galliam ruentem, disiectis quae morabantur, effudit. Sic velut abacto amne (velut abacto amne: abl. abs.: the river being, as it were, driven off’) tenuis alveus insulam inter Germanosque continentium terrarum speciem fecerat. (continentium terrarum speciem fecerat: lit. ‘he created the appearance of uninterrupted lands’.) Transiere Rhenum Tutor quoque et Classicus et centum tredecim Trevirorum senatores, in quis fuit Alpinius Montanus, (Tutor … Classicus … Alpinius Montanus: the first two, both from the Treveri, were, with Civilis, the promoters of the revolt; mentioned first in Book 4, ch. 55 and several times in subsequent chapters. Alpinius Montanus, also a Treverian, appears in Book 4, ch. 32 as the man sent by Hordeonius Flaccus to induce Civilis to halt all seditious activities. Instead he joined the revolt.) quem a Primo Antonio missum in Gallias superius memoravimus. Comitabatur eum frater D. Alpinius; simul ceteri miseratione ac donis auxilia concibant inter gentis periculorum avidas.