Matheson Collection > Cornelli Taciti annalium

TACITUS ANNALS : NOTES
soldiers in face of the difficulties of the situation, he continually
went over to the opposite and inferior course.'
§ 3. quasi . . . certaturus : expressing purpose, like the Greek
u)s with fut. panic. (The intention need not be regarded as
fictitious, cf. Intr. II 50.)
§ 4. visendis : dative of purpose; cf. Intr. II 1 1.
§ 5. quo : the antecedent is 'iugo.'
§6. Arsamosata: an unimportant 'castellum 'within easy reach
of Paetus' camp, distinct from the important Armenian city of the
same name mentioned by Polybius and the elder Pliny.
§ 7. instantem : sc. ' hostem.'
nee a Corbulone, &c. : cf. chs. 3, I and 6, 3.
§ 8. itineri : cf. ' verberibus ' xiii 26, 2 and ' bello ' xiii 9, 6.
legionibus : ch. 6, 5.
parem numerum : the auxiliary infantry accompanying a
legion were usually equal to it in number, so that 'parem'
refers to the total of legionary infantry together with their ac-
companying 'alarii,' and denotes about 3800.
Ch. 11, § I. nihil mutate, &c. : by rapid condensation of expres-
sion, Tacitus, instead of continuing with rome such words as ' in-
ceptum iter perrexit,' turns off to a particular account of the events
of the march, ' sed ' contrasting ' vi ac minis ' with * nihil mutato
consilio.'
alares : cf. ch. 10, 5.
legionaries : probably the ' tria milia ' of ch. 10, 5.
agitabat: see note on xiii 14, i 'agebat.'
ignium iactu : cf. ' congestu harenae,' ch. 3, 4.
§ 2. longinqua et avia : sc. * petivere.'
saevitiam, ' fierceness.'
gentium : cf. ch. 1,2.
extellentea, ' exaggerating.*
facili credvilitate : repeated from xiv 4, 2.
pavebant : Intr. II 6 b.
Ch. 12, § I. qua, &c., 'where the most direct route (lay), and
(there was) no scarcity of provisions.' The neuter adjectives are
practically equivalent to substantives; cf. Intr. II 2 b.
Commagenam : here adjective. For the country and its govern-
ment, cf. xiii 7, I.
Armenios : Corbulo did not enter Armenia, being met by
Paetus on the Euphrates at the frontier of Cappadocia (ch. 16, 4).
§ 2. praeter, &c., 'besides the other (accessories) usual in war.'
vis : cf. ch. 5, 4,
frumenti : so in Plautus, 'aulam onustam auri.' The genitive is
like those with ' plenus,' &c.
§ 3. Paccium : cf. xiii 36, i.
plerosque, ' many.'
redire . . . experiri : cf. ch. 2, 5 and Intr. II 31.
experiri, ' make trial of,' i. e. throw themselves on Paetus'
mercy.
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