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Tacitus · Historiae II

Histories 2.15

Battle on the Narbonese coast

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Hist. 2.15.1Imminēre prōvinciae Narbōnēnsī, in verba Vitelliī adāctae, classem Othōnis trepidī nūntiī Fabiō Valentī attulēre;Alarmed messengers brought word to Fabius Valens that Otho's fleet was threatening the province of Narbonensis, which had sworn allegiance to Vitellius; Hist. 2.15.1aderant lēgātī colōniārum auxilium ōrantēs.envoys of the colonies were there, begging for help. Hist. 2.15.1Duās Tungrōrum cohortīs, quattuor equitum turmās, ūniversam Trēvirōrum alam cum Iūliō Classicō praefectō mīsit, ē quibus pars in colōniā Forōiūliēnsī retenta, nē omnibus cōpiīs in terrestre iter versīs vacuō marī classis adcelerāret.He sent two cohorts of Tungri, four troops of cavalry and the whole squadron of the Treviri with Julius Classicus as its prefect; part of these was kept back in the colony of Forum Julii, so that, if all the forces were turned onto the land route, the fleet should not hasten in over an undefended sea. Hist. 2.15.1Duodecim equitum turmae et lēctī ē cohortibus adversus hostem iēre, quibus adiūncta Ligurum cohors, vetus locī auxilium, et quīngentī Pannoniī, nōndum sub signīs.Twelve troops of cavalry and picked men from the cohorts went against the enemy, and to these were added a cohort of Ligurians, the long-standing garrison of the place, and five hundred Pannonians, not yet enrolled under the standards.

Hist. 2.15.1Nec mora proeliō: sed aciēs ita īnstrūcta ut pars classicōrum mīxtīs pāgānīs in collīs marī propinquōs exurgeret, quantum inter collīs ac lītus aequī locī praetōriānus mīles explēret, in ipsō marī ut adnexa classis et pugnae parāta conversa et minācī fronte praetenderētur: Vitelliānī, quibus minor peditum vīs, in equite rōbur, Alpīnōs proximīs iugīs, cohortīs dēnsīs ōrdinibus post equitem locant.There was no delay in joining battle; but the Othonian line was drawn up so that some of the marines, mixed with local civilians, rose up on the hills near the sea, the praetorian soldiers filled all the level ground between the hills and the shore, and on the sea itself the fleet, linked to them and ready for battle, was turned towards the land and stretched out with a threatening front: the Vitellians, who were weaker in infantry and whose strength lay in cavalry, place the Alpine troops on the nearest heights and the cohorts in close ranks behind the cavalry. Hist. 2.15.1Trēvirōrum turmae obtulēre sē hostī incautē, cum exciperet contrā veterānus mīles, simul ā latere saxīs urgēret apta ad iaciendum etiam pāgānōrum manus, quī sparsī inter mīlitēs, strēnuī ignāvīque, in victōriā idem audēbant.The troops of the Treviri exposed themselves incautiously to the enemy, since the veteran soldiers received them in front, while on the flank a band of civilians too, well suited to throwing, pressed them with stones; scattered among the soldiers, brave and cowardly alike, they showed the same daring in victory.

Hist. 2.15.1Additus perculsīs terror invectā in terga pugnantium classe: ita undique clausī, dēlētaeque omnēs cōpiae forent nī victōrem exercitum attinuisset obscūrum noctis, obtentuī fugientibus.Terror was added to the shaken men when the fleet bore down on the rear of the fighters: so they were shut in on all sides, and all the forces would have been destroyed had not the darkness of night held back the victorious army and given cover to the fugitives.

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×3, gerunds and gerundives ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (136 words)
immineō, -ērehang over; threaten, be close at hand
prōvincia, -ae f.province; here, the Roman Province in southern Gaul
Narbōnēnsis, -eof Narbo; Gallia Narbonensis, the province of southern Gaul
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
verbum, -ī, n.word
adigō, -ere, adēgī, adāctumdrive, hurl (a weapon) to
classis, -is f.fleet
trepidus, -a, -umanxious, alarmed; critical, dangerous
nūntius, -ī, m.messenger; message
adferō, adferre, attulī, adlātusbear to, bring
adsum, adesse, adfuībe present, be at hand
lēgātus, -ī, m.ambassador
colōnia, -ae f.settlement, colony
auxilium, -ī, n.help, aid
ōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusspeak; beg, pray
duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj.two
cohors, cohortis f.cohort (a tenth of a legion); company
quattuor, indecl. adj.four
eques, equitis m.horseman; (pl.) cavalry
turma, -ae f.troop, squadron of cavalry
ūniversus, -a, -umall together, whole, entire, all
ala, -ae, f.wing
cum, prep, with abl.with
classicus, -a, -umof the fleet, naval; legio classica: legion raised from marines
praefectus, -ī m.commander, officer
mittō, mittere, mīsī, missussend
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
Forōiūliēnsis, -eof Forum Julii (Fréjus)
retineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentushold or keep back, keep, restrain; hold fast
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
omnis, -eall, every
cōpia, -ae, f.supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops
terrestris, -eof the land, on land
iter, itineris, n.a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march
vertō, vertere, vertī, versusturn
vacuus, -a, -umempty
mare, maris, n.sea
accelerō, -āre, -āvī, -ātushurry, hasten
duodecim, indecl. adj.twelve
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
legō, legere, lēgī, lēctuschoose, pick out; read
adversus, -a, -umfacing; unfavourable, unsuccessful
hostis, -is, m. and f.enemy, foe
eō, īre, iī, itusgo
adiungo, -iungere, -iūnxī, -iūnctusjoin to, join
vetus, veterisold, former
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.place, situation
quīngentī, -ae, -afive hundred
nōndum, adv.not yet
sub, prep. with acc. and abl.under; sub vesperum, towards evening
signum, -ī, n.sign, signal
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
mora, -ae, f.delay
proelium, -ī, n.battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle
sed, conj.but
aciēs, -ēī, f.line of battle
ita, adv.in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
īnstruo, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctusbuild in or into; draw up; equip, furnish,
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
misceō, miscēre, miscuī, mīxtusmix, mingle
pāgānus, -ī m.country-dweller, villager
collis, -is m.hill
propinquus, -a, -um; as noun, -ī m./-a f.near; (noun) relative
exsurgō, -ere, -surrēxī, -surrēctumrise up, get up
quantus, -a, -umhow great or much?
inter, prep, with acc.among, between
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
lītus, lītoris, n.shore
aequus, -a, -umlevel; equal; fair
praetōriānus, -a, -umpraetorian, of the emperor's guard; as noun, a praetorian
mīles, mīlitis, m.soldier
expleō, -ēre, -plēvī, -plētusfill up, complete; make good
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
adnectō (annectō), -ere, -nexuī, -nexustie on, attach, connect
pugna, -ae, f.fighting, battle, combat
parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmake ready, prepare
convertō, -vertere, -vertī, -versusturn round, turn, change; in fugam convertere, to put to flight
mināx, -ācisthreatening
frōns, frontis, f.forehead
praetendō, -ere, -tendī, -tentushold out in front; put forward, make a pretext of
Vitelliānus, -a, -umof Vitellius; as noun, a Vitellian soldier
parvus, -a, -umlittle, small
pedes, peditis m.foot soldier
vīs, vīs, f.violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
rōbur, rōboris, n.oak
Alpīnus, -a, -umof the Alps, Alpine
proximus, -a, -umnearest, next
iugum, -ī, n.yoke
dēnsus, -a, -umthick
ōrdō, ōrdinis, m.arrangement, order, rank; ex ōrdine, in order
post, adv.after, later; prep. with acc., after, behind
locō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusplace; let out a contract for (a public work)
offerō, offerre, obtulī, oblātusbear to, proffer, offer
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
incautē (adv.)carelessly, without due caution
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
excipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake out or up, receive, welcome, entertain
contrā, prep, with acc.against, contrary to
veterānus, -a, -umveteran
simul, adv.at the same time; simul atque or ac, as soon as
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
latus, lateris n.side, flank
saxum, -ī, n.rock, stone
urgeō, -ēre, ursīpress hard
aptus, -a, -umfit, suited
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
iaciō, iacere, iēcī, iactusthrow, cast, hurl
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
manus, -ūs, f.hand
spargō, spargere, sparsī, sparsusscatter, sprinkle
strēnuus, -a, -umactive, vigorous, energetic
ignāvus, -a, -umlazy, cowardly
que, enclitic conj.and
victōria, -ae, f.victory
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
audeō, audēre, ausus sumdare
addō, -ere, -didī, -ditusadd, put to
percellō, -ere, -culī, -culsusstrike down; dismay, crush
terror, -ōris, m.terror, fright
invehō, -ere, -vēxī, -vectuscarry in; (pass.) attack (in words): invehī in + acc., to inveigh against
tergum, -ī, n.back
pugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusfight
undique, adv.from or on all sides
claudō, -ere, clausī, clausumclose, shut; (agmen) bring up the rear
dēleō, -ēre, dēlēvī, dēlētumdestroy, wipe out
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
nī (conj.)if not, unless (= nisi)
victor, -ōris m.conqueror, victor
exercitus, -ūs, m.army
attineō (adtineō), -ēre, -tinuī, -tentumhold fast; concern, matter (nihil attinet: it is no use, there is no point)
obscūrus, -a, -umdark
nox, noctis, f.night
obtentus, -ūs m.covering; pretext, show
fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrusflee, run away
Tacitus, Historiae II. 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.