Germania and Agricola Part 26

_Quae--timebatur_. And no wonder, since _ubi solitudinem_ faciunt, _pacem_ appellant, 30.

_Multus_, al. militum. _Multus_ in the recent editions.

_Multus_==frequens, cf. Sal. Jug. 84: multus ac ferox instare.-- _Modestiam--disiectos_. These words are ant.i.thetic, though one is abstract and the other concrete. The whole clause may be literally rendered thus: _ever present in the line of march, he commended good order (discipline), the disorderly he restrained_.

_Popularetur_, sc. A. _Quominus_, that not==_but: but he ravaged their country by unexpected invasions_.

_Irritamenta_. _Inducements.--Pacis_. Ang. _to_ or _for peace_.

_Ex aequo egerant_, lit. had acted (lived) on an equality, i.e. _had maintained their independence_, cf. His. 4, 64: aut ex aequo agetis aut aliis imperitabitis.

_Iram posuere_. Cf. Hor. Ars Poet.: et _iram_ colligit ac _ponit_ temere.

See also G. 27: ponunt dolorem, etc.

_Ut--transierit_. The clause is obscure. The best that can be made of it is this: _they were encompa.s.sed by forts and garrisons with so much skill and care that no part of Britain hitherto now went over_ (to the enemy) _with impunity_ (literally unattacked). For the meaning of _nova_, cf.

22. For _transierit_, cf. _transitio_, H. 2, 99; 3, 61; and Freund, sub v. This is Walther's interpretation. If, with Ernesti, Dr. and some others, we might suppose a _sic_, _ita_ or _tam_ to be understood with _illacessita_, we might obtain perhaps a better sense, viz. _came over_ (to the Romans) _with so little annoyance_ (from the enemy). In the last edition a meaning was attached to _transierit_ (_remained_, sc.

unattacked), for which I now find no sufficient authority. Among the many amendments, which have been suggested, the easiest and best is that of Susius, followed by Wexius, Dubner, Or. and Rit, viz. placing _Illacessita transiit_ at the beginning of the next chapter. But this does violence not only to MS. authority, but to Latin usage in making the adverb _ut, so as, as_, follow _tanta_. In such a connection, _ut_ must be a conjunction==_so that, that_. See Freund sub v. For the _perf_.

subj. cf. note, 18: _crediderint_.

_Praesidiis castellisque_. Gordon, in his Itinerarium Septentrionale, found more remains of Roman works in that part of Britain here referred to, than in any other portion of the Island.

XXI. _Ut--a.s.suescerent_. _In order that they might become habituated_, etc.--_In bella faciles. Easily inclined to wars_. Cf. Ann. 14, 4: _facili ad gaudia_. Al. _in bello, bello_, and _in bellum_.--_Otio_. See note, 11: otio.--_Privatim. As a private individual; publice, by public authority, and of course from the public treasury_, cf. note G. 39: publice.--_Jam vero_. _Moreover_, cf. G. 14, note.

_Anteferre_. Wr. takes this word in its primary sense==bear before, i.e.

carry beyond: _he carried (advanced) the native talents of the Britons beyond the learning of the Gauls_. But there is no authority for such a use of the word, when followed by the acc. and dat. It is doubtless used in its more ordinary sense; and the _preference_ which A. expressed for the genius of the Britons over the learning of the Gauls, _stimulated_ them to greater exertions. It is somewhat curious to observe thus early that mutual emulation and jealousy, which has marked the whole history of Britain and France. The national vanity of La Bletterie is sorely wounded by this remark of T. See his note in loco, also Murphy's.--_Toga_. Cf.

note on _togatos_, 9.

_Ut--concupiscerent_. _Ut==so that_, denoting a consequence. The verb here denotes a continued or habitual state of mind. Hence the _imp_.

subj. Cf. note, 18: _crediderit_.

_Discessum_, sc. a patrum moribus ad vitia varia. Dr.

_Delenimenta_==illa, quibus animi _leniuntur_. Dr. _Charms, blandishments_. Cf. H. 1, 77. The word is not found in Cic. or Caes.

_Humanitas. Civilisation, refinement_. Compare the professorships of _humanity_ in European Universities.

_Pars servitutis_. For the sentiment, cf. His. 4, 64: voluptatibus, quibus Romani plus adversus subjectos, quam armis valent. _c.u.m==while, although_. Hence the subj.

XXII. _Tertius--annus_. _Third campaign_.

_Taum_. The Frith of Tay.--_Nationibus_. Here synonymous with _gentes_; sometimes less comprehensive, cf. note, G. 2.

_Pactione ac fuga_. Al. _aut_ fuga, but without authority. There are but two distinct clauses marked by _aut--aut: either taken by a.s.sault or abandoned by capitulation and flight_.

_Nam--firmabantur_. This clause a.s.signs a reason, why the Romans were _able_ to make frequent sorties (_crebrae eruptiones_), viz. supplies of provision so abundant, as to be proof against blockade.

_Moras obsidionis. A protracted siege_, or _blockade_.

_Annuis copiis. Supplies for a year_. This is the _primary_ signification of _annuus_; that of our word _annual_ is _secondary_.

_Intrepida--praesidio_==hiberna quieta ac tuta ab hostibus. Fac. and For.

--_Irritis, baffled_. Seldom applied to _persons_ by prose writers. Cf. H.

4, 32.

_Pensare_. R. remarks a peculiar fondness in T. for the use of the simple verb instead of the compound, e.g. missa for omissa, sistens for resistens, flammare for inflammare, etc. So here _pensare==compensare_.

Cf. 12: _trahuntur_, note.

_Avidus_, sc. laudis==per aviditatem laudis et gloriae. E.: A. never in his eagerness for glory arrogated to himself the honor of the achievements of others.--_Seu--seu. Every one, whether centurion or praefect_ (commander of a legion, cf. note, H. 1, 82.), _was sure to have in him an impartial witness to his deeds_.

_Acerbior_, cf. note on _durius_, 16.--_Apud quosdam_==a quibusdam.

_Secretum et silentium. Reserve and silence_. So W. and Ky. But R. and Dr.: _private interviews_ (to be summoned to which by some commanders was alarming), _and neglect of the usual salutations in public_ (which was also often a token of displeasure on the part of a superior officer). The former is the more simple and obvious, though it must be confessed that the latter is favored by the usus loquendi of T., in regard especially to _secretum_, cf. 39; Ann. 3, 8, where _secreto_ is opposed to _palam_; and His. 4, 49: incertum, quoniam _secreto eorum_ nemo _adfuit_.

XXIII. _Obtirendis. Securing possession of.--Pateretur_, sc. terminum inveniri.--_In ipsa Brit_. In the very _nature_ or structure of the island, as described in the sequel. See Or. in loc.

_Clota et Bodotria_. Frith of Clyde and Frith of Forth.

_Revectae_, i.e. the natural current being driven back by the tide from the sea on either side. _Angusto--spatio_. It is now cut across by a ship ca.n.a.l.

_Propior sinus_==peninsula on the south side of the Friths, cf, note on sinus G. 1, and 29. Sinus refers particularly to the _curved border_ on _this side_ the aestuaries. This border (wherever the friths were so narrow as to require it), as well as the narrow isthmus, was occupied and secured (_tenebatur_) by garrisons.

XXIV. _Nave prima_. The first Roman ship that ever visited those sh.o.r.es.

So Br., Dr., etc. _The foremost ship_, sc., A. himself, followed by others in a line. So Ritter. Wr., and some others understand it of a voyage from _Rome_, where they suppose him to have pa.s.sed the winter, and whence he crossed over to Britain by the _earliest_ vessel in the spring.

W. and R. make _prima_ equivalent to an adv. and render: crossing over _for the first time_ by ship. Or. also makes _prima==tum primum_.

_Copiis_. Here troops with their equipments==_forces_, cf. 8: majoribus copiis.--_Medio sita_ lying between, not midway between. E.--_In spem-- formidinem_. More with the hope of invading Ireland, than through fear of invasion by the Irish.--_Valentissimam partem_, viz. Gaul, Spain and Britain.

_Miscuerit_. The subj. here denotes the aim or purpose of the projector: it would have done so _in his view_.

_Invicem_==an adj. _mutual.--Nostri maris_. The Mediterranean.

_Differunt: in melius_. The authorities differ greatly as to the reading, the pointing and the interpretation of this pa.s.sage. Some copies omit _in_. Others insert _nec_ before it. Some place the pause before _in melius_, others after. Some read _differt_, others _differunt. Nec in melius_ would perhaps give the better sense. But the reading is purely conjectural. I have given that, which, on the whole, seems to rest on the best authority, and to make the best sense. The sense is: _the soil, climate, &c., do not differ much from those of Britain. But that the harbors and entrances to the country are better_ (lit. _differ for the better, differre in melius), is ascertained through the medium of the merchants, who resort thither for trade_ (for Ireland had not yet, like Britain, been explored by a Roman _army_). So Wr. and Dod. On _in melius_, see note H. 1, 18. Or. and Rit. make the comparison thus: the harbors and entrances are better known, than the soil, climate, &c. The common interpretation is: the harbors, &c., of Ireland are better known, than those of Britain. But neither of these interpretations accounts for the position of _melius_; and the last is in itself utterly incredible.

_Ex eo_, sc. A. Pa.s.s. and Dr. understand it of the Irish chief, and infer that T. had been in Brit. But A. is the subject of the next sentence without the repet.i.tion of his name, as it would have been repeated, if this sentence referred to another.

XXV. _Amplexus_. Some supply _bello_, as in 17: bello amplexus. But better: embracing _in his plan of operations_, i.e. _extending his operations to those tribes_.

_Hostilis exercitus_. Al. hostili exercitu. But _hostilis exercitus_ in the MSS. and earliest editions.--_Infesta_ is here active: _hostile inroads of the enemy's forces_.

_In partem virium_. _For_, i.e. _as a part of his force_.

_Impelleretur_, was borne on with rapid and resistless power.

_Profunda--adversa_. Cf. note, 6: _inania honoris_.