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Tacitus · Historiae II

Histories 2.21

Caecina marches on Placentia

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Hist. 2.21.1At Caecīna, velut relictā post Alpīs saevitiā ac licentiā, modestō agmine per Ītaliam incessit.But Caecina, as if he had left his savagery and licence behind beyond the Alps, advanced through Italy with an orderly column. Hist. 2.21.1Ōrnātum ipsīus mūnicipia et colōniae in superbiam trahēbant, quod versicolōrī sagulō, brācās indūtus togātōs adloquerētur.The towns and colonies took his dress as a sign of arrogance, because he addressed men in togas while wearing a many-coloured cloak and trousers. Hist. 2.21.1Uxōrem quoque eius Saloninam, quamquam in nūllīus iniūriam īnsignis equō ostrōque veherētur, tamquam laesī gravābantur, īnsitā mortālibus nātūrā recentem aliōrum fēlīcitātem ācribus oculīs intrōspicere modumque fortūnae ā nūllīs magis exigere quam quōs in aequō vīdērunt.His wife Salonina too, though she rode conspicuously on a horse decked with purple, to no one's injury, they resented as if they had been wronged, for it is the nature inborn in mortals to scrutinise the recent good fortune of others with sharp eyes, and to demand moderation in fortune from none more than from those they have seen on an equal footing with themselves.

Hist. 2.21.1Caecīna Padum trānsgressus, temptātā Othōniānōrum fidē per conloquium et prōmissa, īsdem petītus, postquam pāx et concordia speciōsīs et inritīs nōminibus iactāta sunt, cōnsilia cūrāsque in obpugnātiōnem Placentiae magnō terrōre vertit, gnārus ut initia bellī prōvēnissent fāmam in cētera fore.Caecina, having crossed the Po and tested the loyalty of the Othonians by a parley and promises, and having been approached by them in the same way, when peace and concord had been bandied about as fine-sounding and empty words, turned his plans and efforts, amid great terror, to the assault on Placentia, knowing that as the beginnings of the war turned out, so would his reputation be for the rest.

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×3

Latin vocabulary for this passage (87 words)
at, conj.but
veluteven or just as, as
relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictusleave behind, leave
post, adv.after, later; prep. with acc., after, behind
saevitia, -ae f.fierceness, cruelty
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
licentia, -ae f.freedom; lack of restraint, lawlessness
modestus, -a, -ummoderate, restrained, modest
agmen, -minis, n.band, column
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
incēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessumwalk, step, advance
ōrnātus, -a, -umequipped, fitted out
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
mūnicipium, -ī n.municipium, a self-governing Italian town with Roman citizenship
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
colōnia, -ae f.settlement, colony
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
superbia, -ae f.pride, arrogance
trahō, trahere, trāxī, trāctusdraw, drag
quod, conj.that, in that, because
versicolor, -ōrisof changing or varied colours, multicoloured
sagulum, -ī n.short military cloak
brācae, -ārum f. pl.trousers, breeches (Gallic dress)
induō, induere, induī, indūtusput on; clothe
togātus, -a, -umwearing the toga; Gallia togata: Gaul this side of the Alps, whose people had Roman citizenship
alloquor (adloquor), -loquī, -locūtus sumspeak to, address
uxor, -ōris, f.wife
quoque, adv.also
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
quamquam, conj.however much, although
nūllus, -a, -umnot any, none, no
iniūria, -ae, f.injury, wrong, hurt, harm
īnsignis, -enotable, remarkable
equus, -ī, m.horse
ostrum, -ī n.purple dye; purple cloth
que, enclitic conj.and
vehō, vehere, vexī, vectuscarry
tamquam (adv., conj.)as, just as; as if
laedō, -ere, laesī, laesushurt, injure; break (an oath)
gravō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusweigh down, make heavy
īnserō, -ere, -seruī, -sertumput in, insert
mortālis, -emortal
nātūra, -ae, f.nature, character
recēns, -entisrecent, fresh
alius, -a, -udanother, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
fēlīcitās, -ātis f.good fortune, luck
ācer, ācris, ācresharp, shrill
oculus, -ī, m.eye
intrōspiciō, -ere, -spexī, -spectuslook into, look in; examine closely
modus, -ī, m.way, manner
fortūna, -ae, f.fortune
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
magis, comp. adv.more, rather
exigō, -ere, -ēgī, -āctumdrive out; finish, spend (a season)
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
aequus, -a, -umlevel; equal; fair
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
trānsgredior, -ī, -gressus sumcross over
temptō, -āre, -āvī, -ātustry, attempt
Othōniānus, -a, -umof Otho, Othonian; (m. pl. as noun) Otho's supporters
fidēs, -eī f.faith, trust; pledge
colloquium (conloquium), -ī n.conference, talk
prōmissum, -ī n.promise
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītusseek, ask; attack
postquam, conj.later than, after, when
pāx, pācis f.peace
concordia, -ae f.agreement, harmony
speciōsus, -a, -umhandsome; plausible, specious
irritus, -a, -uminvalid, of no effect; irritum facere: make void, cancel
nōmen, -minis, n.name (that by which one is known)
iactō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumtoss about; discuss
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
cōnsilium, -ī, n.advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence
cūra, -ae f.care, concern (cūrae esse: to be a concern)
oppugnātiō, -ōnis f.siege, assault on a town
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
terror, -ōris, m.terror, fright
vertō, vertere, vertī, versusturn
gnārus, -a, -umknowing, acquainted with, expert (in)
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
initium, -ī, n.beginning
bellum, -ī, n.war
prōveniō, -īre, -vēnī, -ventuscome forth, grow; turn out
fāma, -ae, f.report, rumor
cēterī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.the other, the remaining, the rest of
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.