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Tacitus · Historiae I

Histories 1.70

The Helvetii crushed

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Hist. 1.70.1Illī ante discrīmen ferōcēs, in perīculō pavidī, quamquam prīmō tumultū Claudium Sevērum ducem lēgerant, nōn arma nōscere, nōn ōrdinēs sequī, nōn in ūnum cōnsulere.The Helvetii, fierce before the crisis and fearful in danger, although at the first alarm they had chosen Claudius Severus as their leader, did not know their weapons, did not keep their ranks, did not take counsel together. Hist. 1.70.1Exitiōsum adversus veterānōs proelium, intūta obsidiō dīlāpsīs vetustāte moenibus;A battle against veterans would be deadly, a siege unsafe, since their walls had crumbled with age; Hist. 1.70.1hinc Caecīna cum validō exercitū, inde Raeticae alae cohortēsque et ipsōrum Raetōrum iuventūs, suēta armīs et mōre mīlitiae exercita.on this side was Caecina with a strong army, on that the Raetian cavalry and cohorts and the young men of the Raetians themselves, used to arms and trained in the ways of soldiering. Hist. 1.70.1Undique populātiō et caedēs: ipsī mediō vagī, abiectīs armīs, magna pars sauciī aut pālantēs, in montem Vocetium perfūgēre.Everywhere there was ravaging and slaughter: they themselves, wandering in between, threw away their arms, and a great part of them, wounded or straggling, fled to Mount Vocetius.

Hist. 1.70.1Ac statim immissā cohorte Thraecum dēpulsī et cōnsectantibus Germānīs Raetīsque per silvās atque in ipsīs latebrīs trucīdātī.And at once, when a cohort of Thracians was sent in, they were dislodged, and with the Germans and Raetians in pursuit were butchered all through the woods and in their very hiding places. Hist. 1.70.1Multa hominum mīlia caesa, multa sub corōnā vēnundata.Many thousands of men were slain, many thousands sold into slavery under the garland. Hist. 1.70.1Cumque dīrutīs omnibus Aventicum gentis caput īnfestō agmine peterētur, missī quī dēderent cīvitātem, et dēditiō accepta.And when, after everything had been destroyed, the column was advancing in hostile array on Aventicum, the capital of the people, envoys were sent to surrender the community, and the surrender was accepted. Hist. 1.70.1In Iūlium Alpīnum ē prīncipibus ut concitōrem bellī Caecīna animadvertit: cēterōs veniae vel saevitiae Vitelliī relīquit.Caecina punished Julius Alpinus, one of the leading men, as the instigator of the war: the rest he left to the pardon or the cruelty of Vitellius.

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×5

Latin vocabulary for this passage (98 words)
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
ante, prep, with acc. and adv.before
discrīmen, -crīminis, n.crisis, peril, danger
ferōx, -ōcis, adj.fierce, savage
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
perīculum, -ī, n.danger, peril, risk
pavidus, -a, -umfrightened
quamquam, conj.however much, although
prīmus, -a, -umfirst, foremost
tumultus, -ūs m.uproar, uprising
dux, ducis, m. and f.leader, commander
legō, legere, lēgī, lēctuschoose, pick out; read
nōn, adv.not
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
nōscō, -ere, nōvī, nōtumget to know (perf. nōvī: know)
ōrdō, ōrdinis, m.arrangement, order, rank; ex ōrdine, in order
sequor, sequī, secūtusfollow
ūnus, -a, -umone; only, alone
cōnsulō, -ere, -uī, -tusconsult
exitiōsus, -a, -umdestructive, deadly
adversus, -a, -umfacing; unfavourable, unsuccessful
veterānus, -a, -umveteran
proelium, -ī, n.battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle
intūtus, -a, -umunsafe, unprotected
obsidiō, -ōnis f.siege, blockade; oppression
dīlābor, -lābī, -lāpsus sumslip away, melt away, scatter
vetustās, -ātis f.age, antiquity; the distant past
moenia, -ium, n. plur.walls
hinc, adv.from this place, hence
cum, prep, with abl.with
validus, -a, -umstrong
exercitus, -ūs, m.army
inde (adv.)from there; then
Raeticus (Rhaeticus), -a, -umRaetian, of Raetia; Alpēs Raeticae: the Raetian Alps
ala, -ae, f.wing
cohors, cohortis f.cohort (a tenth of a legion); company
que, enclitic conj.and
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
iuventūs, -ūtis f.youth; the young men
suētus, -a, -umaccustomed, used (to); usual, customary
mōs, mōris, m.way, manner, habit, custom
mīlitia, -ae f.military service
exerceō, -ercēre, -ercuī, -ercitusexercise
undique, adv.from or on all sides
populātiō, -ōnis f.plundering, ravaging
caedēs, -is, f.cutting down, killing, slaughter
medius, -a, -ummid, middle
vagus, -a, -umwandering, roaming
abiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectusthrow away
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
saucius, -a, -umwounded
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
pālor, -ārī, -ātus sumwander, straggle
mōns, montis, m.mountain
perfugiō, -ere, -fūgīflee for refuge, desert
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
statim, adv.on the spot, forthwith, at once, immediately
immittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missussend or let in
dēpellō, -pellere, -pulī, -pulsusdrive off or away, drive
cōnsector, -ārī, -ātus sumpursue, chase
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
silva, -ae, f.wood, forest
latebra, -ae f.hiding place, lair
trucīdō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusslaughter, butcher
multus, -a, -ummuch, great; plur., many
homō, hominis, m.man
mīlle, indecl. adj.a thousand; mīlia, -ium, n. plur., thousands;
caedō, -ere, cecīdī, caesumcut, cut down; kill
sub, prep. with acc. and abl.under; sub vesperum, towards evening
corōna, -ae f.crown, wreath (sub corōnā vēndere: sell as slaves)
vēnundō, -dare, -dedī, -datusput up for sale, sell
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
dīruō, -ruere, -ruī, -rutuspull down, demolish
omnis, -eall, every
gēns, gentis, f.race, nation
caput, capitis, n.head
īnfestus, -a, -umunsafe, dangerous
agmen, -minis, n.band, column
petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītusseek, ask; attack
mittō, mittere, mīsī, missussend
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
dēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditusgive away or up
cīvitās, -tātis, f.state
dēditiō, -ōnis f.surrender
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
prīnceps, -ipisfirst, chief; as noun: leader
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
concitor, -ōris m.instigator, agitator, stirrer-up
bellum, -ī, n.war
animadvertō, -vertere, -vertī, -versusturn the mind to, observe
cēterī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.the other, the remaining, the rest of
venia, -ae f.pardon, forgiveness
velor; vel … vel: either … or
saevitia, -ae f.fierceness, cruelty
relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictusleave behind, leave
Tacitus, Historiae I. Latin text: C. D. Fisher, Cornelii Taciti Historiarum Libri (Oxford, 1911), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.