Matheson Collection > Cornelli Taciti annalium

BOOK XV. CH. 6, § I — CH. 10, §§ 1-2
adsistens : i. e. put there to be sacrificed when the work was
completed.
Ch. 8, § I. nuUo . . . provisu : a Tacitean variation for ' re
frumentaria non provisa' (to ' provisi . . . commeatus,' ch. 4, 4I.
For the form of the expression here, cf. ' congestu harenae,' ch. 3, 4.
rapit = ' raptini ducit ' ; taken apparently from Verg. Ae^i. vii 725.
reciperandis : dative of purpose; cf. Intr. II 11. For the
evrvcuation of Tigranocerta by the Romans cf ch. 6, 2.
§ 2. partum, si . . . habuisset : cf Intr. II ;8.
§ 3. percursando : equivalent to ' dum percursat,' cf. xiv 31, 5,
XV 4, 4 ; Intr. II 22 b : ' inasmuch as the corn which he had taken
was spoilt, while he overran in long marches districts which he
could not hold, and as winter was at hand,' &c.
hieme = 62-63 A.D.
rerum vacuas : so Sail. _/;(^. 90, i ' (ager) frugum vacuus.'
Ch. 9, § I, ponti : the position was probably at Zeugma, where
it appears that no permanent bridge was kept up, but that the
means of constructing one were kept ready.
subiectis : sc. ' fluvio,' 'lying near the river ' ; ablative of place.
magna specie, ' with imposing c'isplay.'
naves . . . auctas : floating batteries to protect those working
at the bridge.
agit per amnem, 'moves across the river.'
saxa : these were thrown from ' ballistae ' and spears from
' catapultae.'
contrario sagittarum iactu : Intr. II 57.
§ 2. quintain: from Moesia, ch. 6, 5 ; reliquaB = fourth and
twelfth, /dir/.
commeatibus, ' furloughs.'
donee : this invasion, and the operations down to ch. 17, 4, may
be ascribed to the beginning of the winter. 1 he seat of war was
in southern Armenia, where winter sets in much later and with less
severity than in the northern region, where Corbulo's soldiers had
previously suftered so severely (xiii 35).
Ch. 10, § I. accitur, 'is summoned,' i. e. from separate winter
quarters, to join Paetus, who was encamped with the Fourth Legion
at a place called by Dio Rhandeia, on the Arsanias, near the
passes of the Taurus chain and at no great distance from the
frontier of Cappadocia.
et unde, &c., ' and the very step by which he had hoped to
have it reported that his army was increased only betrayed his
weakness.'
qua : the antecedent is 'infrequentia,' = ' few troops,' abstract for
concrete. 'Yet even with this meagre force,' &c.
eliidi, ' to be baffled.'
tractii belli = 'trahendo bellum,' cf. ch. 3, 4.
poterat, si . . . fuisset : cf. ch. 6, 6.
§ 2. ubi . . . firmatus erat : the frequentative pluperfect ; cf.
chs. 30, I ; 38, 6. ' After receiving sound advice from experienced
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