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Tacitus · Historiae II

Histories 2.47

Rout of the Othonians

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Hist. 2.47.1Et mediā aciē perruptā fūgēre passim Othōniānī, Bedriacum petentēs.And with their centre broken through, the Othonians fled in every direction, making for Bedriacum. Hist. 2.47.1Immēnsum id spatium, obstrūctae strāge corporum viae, quō plūs caedis fuit;That was an immense distance, and the roads were blocked with heaps of bodies, so that the slaughter was all the greater; Hist. 2.47.1neque enim cīvīlibus bellīs captī in praedam vertuntur.for in civil wars captives are not turned into booty. Hist. 2.47.1Suētōnius Paulīnus et Licinius Proculus dīversīs itineribus castra vītāvēre.Suetonius Paulinus and Licinius Proculus avoided the camp by different routes. Hist. 2.47.1Vedium Aquilam tertiae decimae legiōnis lēgātum īrae mīlitum incōnsultus pavor obtulit.Vedius Aquila, legate of the Thirteenth legion, was brought by thoughtless panic into the path of the soldiers' anger. Hist. 2.47.1Multō adhūc diē vallum ingressus clamōre sēditiōsōrum et fugācium circumstrepitur;Entering the rampart while it was still full day, he was surrounded by the uproar of mutinous men and runaways; Hist. 2.47.1nōn probrīs, nōn manibus abstinent;they did not hold back from abuse or from violence; Hist. 2.47.1dēsertōrem prōditōremque increpant, nūllō propriō crīmine eius sed mōre vulgī suum quisque flāgitium aliīs obiectantēs.they reviled him as a deserter and traitor, though he had committed no offence of his own, but, as is the way of the mob, each man was charging others with his own disgrace.

Hist. 2.47.1Titiānum et Celsum nox iūvit, dispositīs iam excubiīs conpressīsque mīlitibus, quōs Annius Gallus cōnsiliō precibus auctōritāte flexerat, nē super clādem adversae pugnae suīsmet ipsī caedibus saevīrent: sīve fīnis bellō vēnisset seu resūmere arma māllent, ūnicum victīs in cōnsēnsū levāmentum.Titianus and Celsus were helped by the night, by which time sentries had been posted and the soldiers restrained, whom Annius Gallus had persuaded by advice, entreaties and authority not to add to the disaster of a lost battle by raging with slaughter among themselves: whether the war had come to an end or they preferred to take up arms again, the one relief for the defeated lay in unity. Hist. 2.47.1Cēterīs frāctus animus: praetōriānus mīles nōn virtūte sē sed prōditiōne victum fremēbat: nē Vitelliānīs quidem incruentam fuisse victōriam, pulsō equite, raptā legiōnis aquilā;The rest were broken in spirit, but the praetorian soldiers growled that they had been beaten not by valour but by treachery: not even for the Vitellians had the victory been bloodless, since their cavalry had been routed and a legion's eagle seized; Hist. 2.47.1superesse cum ipsō Othōne mīlitum quod trāns Padum fuerit, venīre Moesicās legiōnēs, magnam exercitūs partem Bedriacī remānsisse: hōs certē nōndum victōs et, sī ita ferret, honestius in aciē peritūrōs.there still remained, with Otho himself, the troops that had been across the Po; the Moesian legions were coming; a great part of the army had stayed behind at Bedriacum: these at least had not yet been beaten and, if it came to that, would die more honourably in the battle line.

Hist. 2.47.1Hīs cōgitātiōnibus trucēs aut pavidī extrēmā dēspērātiōne ad īram saepius quam in formīdinem stimulābantur.With such thoughts, now savage, now fearful, in their utter desperation they were spurred more often to anger than to dread.

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×5

Latin vocabulary for this passage (140 words)
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
medius, -a, -ummid, middle
aciēs, -ēī, f.line of battle
perrumpō, -rumpere, -rūpī, -ruptusbreak or burst through, break
fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrusflee, run away
passim (adv.)here and there, in all directions
Othōniānus, -a, -umof Otho, Othonian; (m. pl. as noun) Otho's supporters
petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītusseek, ask; attack
immēnsus (inmēnsus), -a, -umimmeasurable, boundless, vast
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
spatium, -ī, n.space, interval; space of time, time
obstruō, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctusbuild against, block up
strāgēs, -is f.slaughter, carnage; heap of fallen bodies
corpus, corporis, n.body
via, -ae, f.road, way
quō, adv.to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long?
plūs (adv.)more
caedēs, -is, f.cutting down, killing, slaughter
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
enim, conj.for
cīvīlis, -eof citizens; bellum cīvīle: civil war
bellum, -ī, n.war
capiō, capere, cēpī, captustake, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
praeda, -ae, f.booty, spoil, plunder
vertō, vertere, vertī, versusturn
dīversus, -a, -umturned different ways, opposite, contrary, different
iter, itineris, n.a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march
castra, -ōrum, n. plur.camp
vītō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusavoid, escape
tertius, -a, -umthird
decimus, -a, -umtenth
legiō, -ōnis f.legion
lēgātus, -ī, m.ambassador
īra, -ae, f.anger, wrath
mīles, mīlitis, m.soldier
incōnsultus, -a, -umunadvised, without counsel; rash
pavor, -ōris, m.terror, panic
offerō, offerre, obtulī, oblātusbear to, proffer, offer
multus, -a, -ummuch, great; plur., many
adhūc, adv.to this point, up to this time, yet, still
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.day
vallum, -ī n.rampart, palisade
ingredior, -ī, ingressus sumgo into, enter
clāmor, -ōris, m.shout, cry
sēditiōsus, -a, -umrebellious, stirring up trouble
fugāx, -ācisfleeing, swift; shy
circumstrepō, -ere, -strepuī, -strepitusmake a noise around, surround with clamour
nōn, adv.not
probrum, -ī n.disgrace, shame; probrō habērī: be counted a disgrace
manus, -ūs, f.hand
abstineō, -ēre, abstinuī, abstentumkeep away, hold back (from)
dēsertor, -ōris m.deserter
prōditor, -ōris m.traitor
que, enclitic conj.and
increpō, -āre, -uī, -itusmake a noise, rattle; rebuke
nūllus, -a, -umnot any, none, no
proprius, -a, -umone's own, private; characteristic (of)
crīmen, -inis n.charge, accusation; crime
sed, conj.but
mōs, mōris, m.way, manner, habit, custom
vulgus, -ī n.the common people, the crowd
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
quisque, quaeque, quidque, indef. pron.each
flāgitium, -ī n.shameful act, disgrace, outrage
alius, -a, -udanother, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
obiectō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusthrow in the way, expose
nox, noctis, f.night
iuvō, -āre, iūvī, iūtumhelp
dispōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positumstation here and there, post
iam, adv.now, already
excubiae, -ārum f. pl.watch, guard (kept through the night)
comprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressuspress together, squeeze, compress
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
cōnsilium, -ī, n.advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence
prex, precis f. (usu. pl.)prayer, entreaty
auctōritās, -tātis f.influence, authority, prestige
flectō, -ere, flexī, flexusbend, turn
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
super (prep. + acc. or abl.; also adv.)over, above, on top of; upon; about, concerning
clādēs, -is f.disaster, defeat, destruction
adversus, -a, -umfacing; unfavourable, unsuccessful
pugna, -ae, f.fighting, battle, combat
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
saeviō, -īre, -iī, -ītumrage
sīve or seu, conj.or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or
fīnis, -is, m.end, boundary; plur., borders, territory, country
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventuscome
sīve or seu, conj.or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or
resūmō, -ere, -sūmpsī, -sūmptustake up again, resume; recover
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
mālō, mālle, māluīwish rather, prefer
ūnicus, -a, -umone and only; unique, unequalled
vincō, -ere, vīcī, victumconquer, defeat
cōnsēnsus, -ūs, m.agreement, consent
levāmentum, -ī n.relief, alleviation, consolation
cēterī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.the other, the remaining, the rest of
frangō, frangere, frēgī, frāctusbreak; dash to pieces, wreck
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
praetōriānus, -a, -umpraetorian, of the emperor's guard; as noun, a praetorian
virtūs, -tūtis, f.manliness, courage, bravery
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
prōditiō, -ōnis f.treachery, betrayal
fremō, -ere, -uī, -itumroar, growl; grumble (in + acc.: at)
Vitelliānus, -a, -umof Vitellius; as noun, a Vitellian soldier
quidem, adv.in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
incruentus, -a, -umbloodless, without bloodshed
victōria, -ae, f.victory
pellō, pellere, pepulī, pulsusdrive, drive away, beat, rout
eques, equitis m.horseman; (pl.) cavalry
rapiō, -ere, -uī, -tusseize, snatch
aquila, -ae f.eagle; the eagle standard of a legion
supersum, -esse, -fuībe over or left, remain
cum, prep, with abl.with
trāns, prep. with acc.across, over
Moesicus, -a, -umof Moesia, Moesian
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
exercitus, -ūs, m.army
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
remaneō, -ēre, -mānsīstay behind, remain
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
certē (adv.)certainly, surely; at any rate
nōndum, adv.not yet
sī, conj.if
ita, adv.in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
ferō, ferre, tulī, lātusbear, bring
honestē, adv.honorably, decently
pereō, -īre, -ii, -itūruspass away, perish
cōgitātiō, -ōnis f.thought, reflection; plan, intention
trux, trucissavage, fierce, grim
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
pavidus, -a, -umfrightened
extrēmus, -a, -umlast, extreme, furthest
dēspērātiō, -ōnis f.despair, hopelessness
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
saepe, adv.often, frequently
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
formīdō, -inis f.fear, dread; something to be dreaded
stimulō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusgoad, spur on, incite
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.