31. Clementiam et gloriam = clementiae gloriam by hendiadys. So Roth. But the pl., inania, shows that the ideas are distinct. Better thus with Dōd.: an opportunity to show mercy, and the honor of showing it, both alike empty of solid advantage.

133 CH. XX.-3. Duces.... prodesse, e. g. Q. Fabius Cunctator, M. Minucius Rufus, etc. Rup.

4. Pro... portione. Cf. note, A. 45.

5. Armis ac manu.... . ratione et consilio. Cf. notes, 1, 84; 2, 46. 76, etc., on pairs of kindred words.

6. Neque.. occurrant. For there can be no question as to the obstacles that await our progress. So Pliny uses occurrit of Mt. Taurus, as meeting and obstructing the course of the Euphrates.

8. Nisi explorato. Without reconnoitering. Explorato is an impers. part. So Livy: ante explorato, an exploration having been previously made. Cf. H. 431, 5; Z. 647.

10. Quis... foret. All this depends on adempto ... prospectu. 11. Tormentis et telis. By engines and missiles, i. e. from a distance.-Operibus et vineis. With breastworks (mounds, turrets, etc.) and mantelets (so called from resemblance to a vine arbor), i. e. by regular approaches and a nearer assault.

13. Secures dolabrasque. Hatchets and pickaxes. The dolabra was half axe or adze (Man. P. 3, 269, 2), for cutting, and half pick for digging. So it is pictured on the column of Trajan. Smith's Dict. (sub voce) makes it a kind of chisel, which was inserted between the stones to loosen the clay and thus destroy the wall.

16. Aggerem, pluteis, cratibus. relating to a siege in this section, cf. Dict. sub vocc.

For these and the other terms

Man. P. 3, 299; and Smith's

18. Quin.... ferimus. Why not rather, etc. Cf. note, 3, 2. quin.

CH. XXI-23. Prope seditionem. Prope used as a prep with acc. Cf. Z. 411, also 267 and 323.

jungeren

26. Qui....egerat. Ad rem, cf. 9 and 14: ut. tur, note. Ad verbum, cf. note, A. 18: in finibus agentem. 27. Millia. Our word mile.-Comperta .... clade gives the reason for accingi, not, as Murphy strangely makes it, for emensum. 28. Accingi....affore. Were arming themselves, and would soon be on the spot.

29. Tertiam decimam. Al. tertiam. So below for tertiam, some read tertiam decimam. The text accords with the order of Antony's address to the legions (24, infra supposing Antony to have begun at

the contre, as usual, and proceeded first through the left wing and then through the right. So Wr. and Rup.

30. Ipso.... aggere. Cf. note, 2, 24. 32. Agresti fossa. Cf. note, 2, 25.

33. Apertum limitem. Brotier, Or., and many others understand this of the cleared border of the via Postumia (cleared in opposition to the densis arbustis, a little further back); Rup. and Wr. of an open cross-road through the country.

34. Aquilarum signorumque = legionum auxiliariumque. Rup. Cf. 1, 44: signa cohortium, aquila legionis.

35. Praetorianum vexillum. The prætorians dismissed by Vitellius (2, 67. 93), but invited to resume the service under Vespasian (2, 84; 4, 46). This is the first mention we have of them as actually sub vexillis.-37. Sido... Italicus. Cf. 5, supra, note.

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133

CH. XXII.-3. Ratio fuit. It would have been reasonable and 134 expedient.

4. Tertia... hora. About nine o'clock at night. Cf. note, 16: quinta.

....

hora.

7. Dextro.... cornu. Were on the right of their troops; suorum, on their side, in antith. to the Flavian army just described. We cannot suppose that this one legion formed the right wing alone. Tac. stated all that he found on the subject. Wr.

11. Laevum cornu. Al. cornum, in some of the best MSS. and editions. And grammarians are now abandoning the doctrine, that neuters in u are indeclinable. Cf. Z. 80, and Freund's pref., App. III. 13. Varium refers to the form and aspect of the battle; anceps to its results from stage to stage.

16. Pugnae signum. The tessera. Cf. note, 1, 25. The watchword became known to both armies, and thus increased the confusion 21. Primipili centurio. Cf. note, 1, 31: primipilaribus.

CH. XXIII.-26. Vacuo atque aperto. From a place open and clear, sc. of arbusta.

27. Magnitudine eximia. Abl. of quality. H. 428, 4. The abl. (not the gen.) must be used to denote an accidental quality. Cf. Z. 471, N. The gen. expresses only the inherent.

28. Balista. See this warlike engine described by Vegetius, 4, 22; also Man. P. 3, 299; and Smith's Dict., under Tormentum. 30. Arreptis.... ignorati. Disguised by shields taken from the slain, sc. of the Vitellians.

33. Adulta nocte. At midnight. Adulta was used by the Romans to designate the second of the three parts, into which they di vided the night and also the several seasons. Cf. Servius at Virg. Georg. 1, 43.

34. Falleret refers to the optical illusion, which follows.

85. Aequior More favorable; a tergo, being behind their backs

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134-Hinc majores, etc. The sense of this concise passage is very well expressed by Murphy thus: hence the shadows of men and horses projected forward to such a length, that the Vitellians, deceived by appearances, aimed at a wrong mark. Their darts by consequence fell short of their aim. The moonbeams, in the mean time, played on the front of their lines and gave their bodies in full view to the adverse army, who fought behind their shadows as if concealed in obscurity.

=

135 CH. XXIV.-3. Cur. Interrogative particle cui rei? Z. 276, 2.-Rursus, sc. after having been already defeated in that very field of Bedriacum, as he goes on to say.

8. Tolerent. Al. tolerarent, a mere conjecture of Ernesti. If you cannot bear, as it now appears you cannot; it is not a mere supposition or conception as tolerarent would denote, but a fact. So Wr., Rup. and Bek.

Parthos.

A. U. C. 710. Cf. Dio. 49, 22-33. Armenios. Cf. Ann. 15, 26; also note, 6, supra.—

Nuper Sarmatas. 1, 79.

12. Infensus. So all the MSS. The common editions have infensius. But infensus of itself in the connection denotes peculiar violence in the manner of addressing these troops, bearing down upon them and striking against them, as it were (in-fendo). So Bach and Wr.

13. Pagani. Peasants, not soldiers, for if defeated here, who will employ such troops. Paganus, from pagus, a term of reproach, somewhat like villain from villa.

14. Illic. There, among the followers of Vitellius, to whom you resigned them, when you were dismissed. Cf. 2, 67: arma... . deferebant. There are your standards and arms, and you may regain them or die, as you please—there is no other alternative ; for you have already exhausted ignominy in all its forms, and if conquered now, it is certain death. Such is the meaning of this singularly sententious and energetic address. 16. In Syria, where the third legion had served under Corbulo, as intimated above, before they were transferred to Mœsia.

CH. XXV-18. Vagus. Flying, accidental, antith. to consilio subditus.

21. Ut.... contraheret, etc. The subj. here assigns a reason for rariore. H. 519; Z. 564.

22. Pulsos. So all the MSS. Al. impulsos and repulsos. But cf. note, 1, 2: missa; and Essay, p. 11.

25. Per limitem viae. Cf. note, chap. 21, supra.

26. Eo is correl. to quia. For this reason, viz. because.

27. Vipstano Messalla. A cotemporary historian and eye-witness, Cf. note, 9, supra.

33. Placatos .... manes. Al. piatos. But placatos, with the

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best MS. authority, gives also the most appropriate sense; for the 135 manes of the dead were appeased by prayers, but expiated by sacrifices. Ernesti. Placatos ut placati essent neve-aversarentur.

This little incident, like some of Homer's episodes, is exceedingly touching, and conveys a more affecting sense of the evils of civil war, than even the author's matchless description of the blood and carnage of the battle-field. The concluding clause (factum esse ⚫ faciuntque) is cited by Monboddo (On Lang. 2, 4, 12) as an example of affected smartness in the turn of expression; but it brings out in a very striking light a singular trait in depraved human nature: they talk of the wicked deed that has just been done, and still go on to do it.

CH. XXVI.-11. Munire castra. Followed by a mark of inter-136 rogation in the common editions, at the suggestion of Ernesti. But this is unnecessary. The sentence begins just like the one above: incipere, etc. The only difference between the two is, that here id quoque is thrown in by apposition with munire to indicate deliberation. Wr. makes munire depend on si juberent implied in quid juberent above. Quid juberent is the subj. of the indirect question.

15. Ex temeritate. Al. et ex, etc. But cf. note, 1, 3: esse ultionem.-Caedes.... sanguis. Synonyma hoc loco poetarum more junguntur. Rup.

CH. XXVII.-19. Librabantur. Cf. note, 2, 22: librato.

22. Bedriacensi viae. The way from Cremona to Bedriacum. So Brixianam portam the gate of Cremona opening towards Brixia,

=

now Brescia, south of the Po.

24. Impetus. Their own ardor (cf. note, 1, 57); hence our word impetuosity.

25. Ligones. Grub-hoes. Cf. Smith's Dict. sub voce.

26. Dolabras. Cf. note, 20, supra. Observe the asyndeton.Falces scalasque. Hooks and ladders. The latter for scaling the walls, and the former for tearing down the upper breastwork. Cf. Man. P. 3, 289, and Smith's Dict. sub vocc. See also the same under testudo.

29. Disjectam fluitantemque. Both these words denote a separation of the shields that formed the testudo; but the former a lateral severance, the latter an opening produced by unequal elevation.

31. Multa cum strage. Cf. note, 2, 37: magna ex parte. This clause is placed in some MSS. at the beginning of the next section.

CH. XXVIII.-32. Incesserat... ni... monstrassent. There is an ellipsis before ni, which may be supplied thus: hesitation had begun to prevail (and would have prevailed still further), had not, etc. But ni is more readily translated in such passages but: The soldiers This usage began to hesitate, but, etc. Cf. note, A. 4: hausisse, ni. abounds in T., but is rarely found in Cic. Cf. Z. 519, b; Essay, p. 15.

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136 It will be seen that monstrassent here implies offering the town to the cupidity of the soldiers.

34. Hormine .... ingenium. Whether this expedient was the invention of Hormus (the offspring of his wit, spoken ironically), etc Al. ad ingenium. But what is gained by this departure from all the MSS. I cannot perceive.-Hormi. Cf. note, 12, supra.—Messalla. Cf. notes, 9 and 25, supra.

35. Plinius. Known as the elder Pliny, who, besides his Natural History, wrote a history of the German wars (cf. G. and A. p. 79), and also of his own times (cf. Plin. Ep. 3, 5), both of which are lost.— Haud facile. This is one of the combinations in which haud appears with special frequency.

36. Nisi quod. Cf. note, A. 6; also Z. 627. Except that (but) neither Antonius nor Hormus degenerated from his former life and character in this act, criminal and flagitious as it was, i. e. it was no worse than they had always been in the habit of doing.

37. Degenerare non solum a bono, sed et a vitiis Latini dicunt, ut Cic. Verr. 3, 68. Bipontine. Cf. note, G. 42: degenerant. 137 1. Iteratam testudinem. Upon the renewed testudo. testudo had been completely broken up. Cf. 27: soluta compage

scutorum.

The

3. Integri..... mortium. This sentence gives the finishing stroke to a frightful picture of blood and carnage, and is marked by a truly Homeric brevity and energy. In the next section, after the manner of Homer, the author enters more into detail. Omni imagine mortium resembles very nearly Thucyd. 3, 81, and Virg. Aen. 2, 369. Orelli.

CH. XXIX.—9. Testudine for a testudine. Cf. Essay, p. 11.— Laberentur. Glanced from it, without effect.

11. Quos inciderat, i. e. in quos ceciderat. Wr. But Zumpt (386) says quos is not governed by in, but is a real acc. of the object, incidere by composition having acquired a trans. meaning. No other classic writer uses it with the acc. Cf. Boetticher, p. 15.

12. Simul juncta turris. At the same time, an adjoining tower.-13. Tertianus, sc. miles tertiani.

17. Conclamavit. Properly, cried out together, said of a number. Here of one: shouted aloud, as with the voice of a multitude. Cf. Virg. Aen. 9, 375: conclamat.... Volscens.

19. Completur caede. Josephus says (B. J. 4, 11), that above 30,000 of the Vitellians were put to the sword in this series of engagements, while there fell of Vespasian's army about 4,500. Cf. also Xiph. (65, 15), who makes the number of the slain in all 50,000.

CH. XXX.-20. Ac. Al. at. But ac is in all the best MSS. and need not be changed.—Nova laborum facies. The language of Virg. Aen. 6, 103-4.