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Tacitus · Historiae II

Histories 2.32

Rivalry of Caecina and Valens

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Hist. 2.32.1Mūnientibus castra apud Tīcīnum dē adversā Caecīnae pugnā adlātum, et prope renovāta sēditiō tamquam fraude et cūnctātiōnibus Valentis proeliō dēfuissent: nōlle requiem, nōn expectāre ducem, anteīre signa, urgēre signiferōs;As they were fortifying their camp near Ticinum, news came of Caecina's defeat, and the mutiny was almost renewed, as if through Valens' treachery and delays they had missed the battle: they refused rest, would not wait for the general, went ahead of the standards, hurried on the standard-bearers; Hist. 2.32.1rapidō agmine Caecīnae iunguntur.by a rapid march they join Caecina. Hist. 2.32.1Improspera Valentis fāma apud exercitum Caecīnae erat: expositōs sē tantō pauciōrēs integrīs hostium vīribus querēbantur, simul in suam excūsātiōnem et adventantium rōbur per adūlātiōnem attollentēs, nē ut victī et ignāvī dēspectārentur.Valens had a poor reputation with Caecina's army: they complained that they, so much fewer, had been exposed to the enemy's undiminished strength, at the same time extolling the strength of the newcomers, both in excuse of themselves and by way of flattery, so as not to be despised as beaten and cowardly. Hist. 2.32.1Et quamquam plūs vīrium, prope duplicātus legiōnum auxiliōrumque numerus erat Valentī, studia tamen mīlitum in Caecīnam inclīnābant, super benignitātem animī, quā promptior habēbātur, etiam vigōre aetātis, prōcēritāte corporis et quōdam inānī favōre.And although Valens had more strength, with nearly double the number of legions and auxiliaries, yet the soldiers' favour inclined towards Caecina, owing, besides the generosity of spirit in which he was thought readier, to the vigour of his youth, his tall stature and a certain empty charm.

Hist. 2.32.1Hinc aemulātiō ducibus: Caecīna ut foedum ac maculōsum, ille ut tumidum ac vānum inrīdēbant.Hence rivalry between the generals: Caecina's side mocked Valens as foul and disgraced, Valens' side mocked Caecina as puffed up and vain. Hist. 2.32.1Sed conditō odiō eandem ūtilitātem fōvēre, crēbrīs epistulīs sine respectū veniae probra Othōnī obiectantēs, cum ducēs partium Othōnis quamvīs ūberrimā convīciōrum in Vitellium māteriā abstinērent.But hiding their hatred they promoted the same interest, hurling abuse at Otho in frequent letters with no thought of future pardon, while the generals of Otho's party, though they had the richest material for insults against Vitellius, refrained from them.

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (108 words)
mūniō, -īre, -īvī, -ītusfortify
castra, -ōrum, n. plur.camp
apud, prep, with acc.among, with
dē, prep, with abl.down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
adversus, -a, -umfacing; unfavourable, unsuccessful
pugna, -ae, f.fighting, battle, combat
adferō, adferre, attulī, adlātusbear to, bring
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
prope (adv. and prep. + acc.)near, nearly
renovō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumrenew
sēditiō, -ōnis f.riot, mutiny, discord
tamquam (adv., conj.)as, just as; as if
fraus, fraudis, f.deception, fraud
cūnctātiō, -ōnis f.delay, hesitation
proelium, -ī, n.battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle
dēsum, deesse, dēfuībe lacking, fail
nōlō, nōlle, nōluīnot wish, be unwilling
requiēs, -ētis f.rest, repose
nōn, adv.not
exspectō, -spectāre, -spectāvī, -spectātuslook out for, wait for, await, expect; wait
dux, ducis, m. and f.leader, commander
anteeō, -īre, -iīgo before, go ahead; surpass
signum, -ī, n.sign, signal
urgeō, -ēre, ursīpress hard
signifer, -ferī m.standard-bearer
rapidus, -a, -umswift; consuming, fierce
agmen, -minis, n.band, column
iungō, iungere, iūnxī, iūnctusjoin; yoke, harness
improsperus, -a, -umunsuccessful, unfortunate
fāma, -ae, f.report, rumor
exercitus, -ūs, m.army
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
expōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positusput out, set forth; put on shore, land; explain
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
tantus, -a, -umso great or much
paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.few
integer, -gra, -grumuntouched, fresh, whole
hostis, -is, m. and f.enemy, foe
vīs, vīs, f.violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
queror, -ī, questus sumcomplain
simul, adv.at the same time; simul atque or ac, as soon as
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
excūsātiō, -ōnis f.excuse, plea
adventō, -āre, -āvīcome nearer and nearer, approach
rōbur, rōboris, n.oak
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
adūlātiō, -ōnis f.flattery, fawning
attollō, -erelift up, raise
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
vincō, -ere, vīcī, victumconquer, defeat
ignāvus, -a, -umlazy, cowardly
dēspectō, -ārelook down on
quamquam, conj.however much, although
multus, -a, -ummuch, great; plur., many
duplicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusdouble
legiō, -ōnis f.legion
auxilium, -ī, n.help, aid
que, enclitic conj.and
numerus, -ī, m.number
studium, -ī, n.eagerness, zeal; study, pursuit
tamen, adv.however, yet, nevertheless
mīles, mīlitis, m.soldier
inclīnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusbend, lean; incline, tend
super (prep. + acc. or abl.; also adv.)over, above, on top of; upon; about, concerning
benignitās, -tātis, f.kindness
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
promptus, -a, -umready, eager
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
vigor, -ōris m.vigour, energy, liveliness
aetās, -tātis, f.age
prōcēritās, -ātis f.height, tallness
corpus, corporis, n.body
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron.a certain, certain
inānis, -eempty
favor, -ōris m.goodwill, support, applause
hinc, adv.from this place, hence
aemulātiō, -ōnis f.rivalry, the effort to equal someone
foedus, -a, -umfoul, loathsome, hideous
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
maculōsus, -a, -umspotted, dappled
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
tumidus, -a, -umswollen, swelling
vānus, -a, -umempty, idle, vain; in vanum: in vain
irrīdeō (inrīdeō), -ēre, -rīsī, -rīsumlaugh at, mock
sed, conj.but
condō, -dere, -didī, -ditusput together, found; store away
odium, -ī, n.hatred
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
ūtilitās, -ātis f.usefulness, advantage
foveō, -ēre, fōvī, fōtuskeep warm; cherish, favour
crēber, -bra, -brumfrequent, numerous; close together
epistula, -ae f.letter
sine, prep. with abl.without
respectus, -ūs m.regard, consideration; looking back; refuge
venia, -ae f.pardon, forgiveness
probrum, -ī n.disgrace, shame; probrō habērī: be counted a disgrace
obiectō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusthrow in the way, expose
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
quamvīs (adv.)however much, as … as you like
ūber, -eris (adj.)fertile, rich, abundant; laden (with fruit: abl.)
convīcium, -ī n.loud noise, wrangling; abuse
māteria, -ae f.timber, material
abstineō, -ēre, abstinuī, abstentumkeep away, hold back (from)
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.