ἱστορίαι Historiai
Tac. Hist. 4.76 The Histories, Tacitus; served verbatim
Civilis said: "We must await the arrival of the Transrhenane tribes, the terror of whose name will break down the shattered strength of Rome. As for the Gauls, what are they but the prey of the conqueror? And yet the chief strength of the nation, the Belgæ, are with us, either openly, or in heart." Tutor maintained that the power of Rome would only increase with delay, as her armies were assembling from all quarters. "One legion," he said, "has already been brought over from Britain; others have been summoned from Spain, or are advancing from Italy. Nor are these troops newly raised levies, but they are veteran soldiers, experienced in war. But the Germans, whom we are expecting, do not obey orders, and cannot be controlled, but always act according to their own caprice. The money too and other presents by which alone they can be bribed are more plentiful among the Romans, and no one can be so bent on fighting as not to prefer repose to peril, when the profit is the same. But if we at once meet the foe, Cerialis has no legions but those that survive from the wreck of the German army, and these are bound by treaties to the States of Gaul. And the very fact of their having, contrary to their expectations, lately routed the undisciplined force of Valentinus will confirm in their rashness both them and their general. They will venture again, and will find themselves in the hands, not of an ignorant stripling, whose thoughts were of speeches and harangues rather than of battle and the sword, but in those of Civilis and Classicus, whom when they once behold they will be reminded of panic, of flight, of famine, and of the many times when as captives they had to beg for life. Nor are the Treveri and Lingones bound by any ties of affection; once let their fear cease, and they will resume their arms." Classicus put an end to these dif- ferences of opinion by giving his approval to the suggestions of Tutor, which were at once acted on.

The Greek stands ready in the workroom; the English is served. Both faces will read together.

← Tac. Hist. 4.75 contents Tac. Hist. 4.77 →

Filed here — the addresses this episode attests; counted by the house’s first pass
Cerialis — a candidate entry Classicus — a candidate entry Tutor — a candidate entry Valentinus — a candidate entry

The Histories, Tacitus — translated by Alfred John Church & William Jackson Brodribb, 1864
Perseus Digital Library — Tacitus, The Histories (Church & Brodribb translation) · Alfred John Church & William Jackson Brodribb (Macmillan, 1864, per the TEI header's own imprint); Perseus Project digital edition
license: public-domain (the Church & Brodribb translation, 1864); Perseus digital edition CC BY-SA, attribution recorded per ops/corpus-staging/SOURCES.md pattern