Germania and Agricola Part 29

_Ingens--decus_. In app. with _legiones--stetere_.

_Bellanti_, sc. Agricolae. Al. bellandi.

_In speciem_. Cf. in suam famam, 8, and in jactationem, 5.

_Aequo_. Supply consisteret to correspond with _insurgeret_. Zeugma. Cf.

note, 18: in aequum.

_Media campi_. _The intervening parts of the plain_, sc. between the two armies.--_Covinarius_ is found only in T. _Covinarii_==the essedarii of Caesar. Covinus erat currus Belgarum, a quibus c.u.m Britanni acceperant.

Dr.

_Pedes_. Nom. sing, in app. with subject of _const.i.tit_.

x.x.xVI. _Indentibus gladiis_, etc. So below: _parva scuta_, etc. The small shield and broad sword of the Highlanders.

_Donec--cohortatus est_. Cf. note, G. 37: _affectavere_.--_Batavorum cohortes_. Al. _tres--cohortes_. But the number is not specified in the best MSS. In the Histories, eight cohorts of Batavians are often mentioned as const.i.tuting the auxiliaries of the 14th legion, which was now in Britain. See Rit. in loc.

_Ad mucrones_. The Britons were accustomed to fight with the edge of the sword, and cut and hew the enemy. The Romans, on the contrary, made use of the _point_. Of course in a close engagement, they would have greatly the advantage. Br.--_Ad ma.n.u.s_. The opposite of _eminus_, i.e. _a close engagement_. The same thing is expressed below by _complexum armorum_.

_In aperto pugnam_. Literally a fight in the open field, i.e. a _regular_ pitched _battle_, which with its compact ma.s.ses would be less favorable to the large swords of the Britons, than a battle on ground uncleared of thickets and forests. Al. _in arto_.

_Miscere, ferire_, etc. A series of inf. denoting a rapid succession of events, cf. note, 5: noscere--nosci; G. 30: praeponere.

_Equitum turmae_, sc. Britannorum. The word _turmae_ is applicable to such a cavalry as theirs, cf. Ann. 14, 34: _Britannorum_ copiae pa.s.sim per catervas et _turmas_ exsultabant. Br. Ky. and others here understand it of the Roman cavalry. But R. Dr. and Wr. apply it to the Britons, and with reason, as we shall see below, and as we might infer indeed from its close connexion with _covinarii_, for the _covinarii_ were certainly Britons.

_Peditum proelio, hostium agminibus_. These also both refer to the _Britons_. The covinarii were interspersed among their own infantry, and, as the Romans advanced, became entangled with them. This is disputed. But the small number of Romans slain in the whole battle is alone enough to show, that _their_ cavalry was not routed, nor _their_ infantry broken in upon by the chariots of the enemy. Moreover, how could T. properly use the word _hostium_ of his own countrymen?

_Minimeque_, etc. This is one pa.s.sage, among a few in T., which is so manifestly corrupt that no sense can be made of it, as it stands in the MSS. The reading given in the text is the simplest of all the conjectural readings that have been proposed. It is that of Br. and E., and is followed by the common editions. Cavalry took a large part in the battle.

But the battle wore little the aspect of an equestrian fight; for the Britons, after maintaining their position with difficulty for some time, were at length swept away by the bodies (the _mere uncontrolled bodies_) of the horses--in short, the riders had no control over horses or chariots, which rushed on without drivers obliquely athwart, or directly through the lines, as their fears severally impelled them; all which was in marked contrast to a Roman's idea of a regular battle of cavalry.

x.x.xVII. _Vacui. Free from apprehension_.

_Ni_. Cf. note 4: ni.--_Subita belli. Unexpected emergencies_ arising in the course of the battle. Cf. 6: _inania honoris_.

_Grande et atrox spectaculum_, etc. See a similar description in Sal.

Jug. 101. The series of infinitives and the omission of the connectives (_asyndeton_) make the succession of events very rapid and animated.

Compare the famous _veni, vidi, vici_, of Caesar.

_Prout--erat_. According to their different natural disposition, i.e.

_the timid, though armed, turned their backs before inferior numbers; while the brave, though unarmed, met death in the face_.

_Praestare terga_ is an expression found only in T.

_Et aliquando_, etc. _Et==ac tamen. And_ yet (notwithstanding the flight of crowds and the pa.s.sive death of some as above) _sometimes to the conquered also_ there was _anger and bravery_. The language is Virgilian, cf. Aen. 2, 367.

_Quod_. Cf. note 12.--_Ni frequens--fiduciam foret_. "Had not A., who was everywhere present, caused some strong and lightly equipped cohorts to encompa.s.s the ground, while part of the cavalry having dismounted, made their way through the thickets, and part on horseback scoured the open woods, some disaster would have prcoeeded from this excess of confidence." Ky.

x.x.xVIII. _Gaudio praedaque laeta_. Cf. note, G. 7: _cibos et hortamina_.

Observe also the juxtaposition of _tempestate_ and _fama_ in this same chapter.

_Separare_, sc. consilia, i.e. _they sometimes act in concert, sometimes provide only for their individual safety_.

_Pignorum_. Cf. note G. 7: pignora--_Saevisse. Laid violent hands_. "This picture of rage and despair, of tenderness, fury, and the tumult of contending pa.s.sions, has all the fine touches of a master who has studied human nature." Mur.--_Secreti_==deserti.

_Ubi. When_, cf. 26. Its direct influence extends to _nequibat_, and with its clause, it expresses the _reason_ why A. drew off his forces into the country of the h.o.r.esti.--_Spargi bellum_==diversis locis, vel diviso exercitu, vel vagando bellum geri. E.

_Secunda--fama. Favored by the weather and the glory of their past achievements_ (lit. the weather and fame _following_ them, _secunda ==sequunda_.)

_Trutulensem portum_. Some port, now unknown, probably near the mouth of the Tay or the Forth. _Unde_ qualifies _lecto_. E. With _redierat_ a corresponding adv. denoting _whither_, is to be supplied: whence it had set sail, and whither, after having surveyed all the nearest coast of Britain, it had now returned. _Had_ returned, i.e. prior to _entering_ the port; the action of _redierat_, was prior to that of _tenuit_. Hence plup. _Proximo, nearest_, sc. to the scene of Agricola's operations, i.e. the whole northern coast from the Forth to the Clyde and back again.

This was all that was necessary to prove Britain to be an island (cf.

chap. 10), the southern coast having been previously explored.

x.x.xIX. _Actum_. Al. auctum, a conjecture of Lipsius. _Actum==treated of, reported.--Moris erat_. H. 402, I.; Z. 448, N. 1. N. 1.

_Falsum--triumphum_. He had returned without so much as seeing the enemy (Dio Ca.s.s. 67, 4); and yet he bought slaves, dressed them in German style, had their hair stained red (G. 4: _rutilae comae_) and left long, so as to resemble Germans, and then marched in triumph into Rome with his train of pretended captives! Caligula had done the same before him. Suet.

Calig. 47.

_Formarentur_. Subj. in a relative clause denoting a purpose (_quorum==ut eorum_). H. 500; Z. 567.

_Studia--acta_. Lawyers and politicians, all public men, had been gagged and silenced by Domitian.

_Alius_. Another than the Emperor.--_Occuparet==pre-occupy_, so as to rob him of it.

_Utc.u.mque_. Somehow, possibly, perhaps. _Other things perhaps were more easily concealed; but the merit of a good commander was an imperial prerogative_.

_Quodque--satiatus_. _And what was a proof of some cruel purpose, wholly absorbed in his retirement_ (where he never plotted any thing but mischief, and where in early life he is said to have amused himself with killing flies, Suet. Dom. 3). Cf. Plin. Panegyr. 48: nec unquam ex solitudine sua prodeuntem, nisi ut solitudinem faceret. The whole pa.s.sage in Pliny is a graphic picture of the same tyrant, the workings of whose heart are here so laid bare by the pen of Pliny's friend Tacitus.

_Secreto--satiatus_ may also be translated: _satisfied with his own secret_, i.e. keeping to himself his cherished hatred and jealousy.-- _Languesceret_. Subj. after _donec_. Cf. note, G. 37: _affectavere_.

_Reponere odium_. See lexicon under _repono_ for this phrase.

_Impetus--exercitus_. _Until the freshness of his glory, and his popularity with the army should gradually decline_.

_Etiam tum obtinebat_, i.e. he was still in _possession of the government_, and of course in command of the army, in Britain.

XL. _Triumphalia ornamenta_. Not a real triumph, which from the reign of Augustus was conceded only to the Emperor or the princes of the Imperial Family; but triumphal insignia, such as the _corona, laurea, toga praetexta, tunica palmata, sella curulis_, &c. Dr.

_Ill.u.s.tris statuae_. Called _laureata_, Ann. 4, 23; _triumphalis_, His.

1, 79.

_Quidquid datur_. Besides the _ornamenta_ above mentioned, sacrifices and thanksgivings were offered in the name of the victorious commander. Dr.

_Addique_. Al. additque. _Addique_ is the reading of the MSS. and old editions. And it suits better the genius of Dom.; he did not express the _opinionem_ himself, for it was not his real intention, but he _ordered_ some one to put it in circulation as if from him, that he might have the credit of it and yet not be bound by it.--_Destinari_, sc. by Domitian.