(1) Per haec tempora etiam Carausius, quī vīlissimē nātus strēnuae mīlitiae ōrdine fāmam ēgregiam fuerat cōnsecūtus, cum apud Bonōniam per trāctum Belgicae et Armoricī pācandum mare accēpisset, quod Francī et Saxonēs īnfestābant, multīs barbarīs saepe captīs nec praedā integrā aut prōvinciālibus redditā aut imperātōribus missā, cum suspīciō esse coepisset cōnsultō ab eō admittī barbarōs, ut trānseuntēs cum praedā exciperet atque hāc sē occāsiōne dītāret, ā Maximiānō iussus occīdī, purpuram sūmpsit et Brittaniās occupāvit.
notes
Chapter 21: Revolt of Carausius, 287–293 CE
Carausius: see Carausius
vīlissimē nātus: "though very low-born," concessive participle > nascor.
strēnuae mīlitiae ōrdine: "through a series of vigorous military actions" (Bird)
fuerat cōnsecūtus: = cōnsecūtus erat > cōnsequor
mare pacandum: direct object of accēpisset. pācandum is a gerundive denoting purpose (AG 500.4)
accēpisset: "had received" as an assignment.
apud Bonōniam: Bononia/Gesoriacum on the NW coast of Gallia. See Smith, Gesoriacum.
per trāctum Belgicae et Armoricī: "along the coast of Belgica and Armorica."
īnfestābant: "were engaging in piracy in" + acc. quod is the direct object.
nec ... aut ... aut: "neither ... nor ... nor"
suspīciō esse coepisset: "there had begun to be suspicion that," followed by indirect statement, barbarōs admittī.
cōnsultō: "deliberately"
ut ... exciperet atque ... dītāret: "so he could intercept ... and enrich," purpose clauses (AG 531)
ā Māximiānō: see Maximian
purpuram sūmpsit: "assumed the purple" (i.e., became emperor). For the use of purpura signifying rule, see LS purpura II.B.2
Brittaniās occupāvit: in 287 CE (Hazzard)
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
|
Carausius, ī, m. |
a commander of the fleet under Maximian. He revolted, and after some time was slain, 293 A.D. |
|
vīliter [vīlis], adv. |
sup. vīlissimē; at a low price, cheaply |
|
strēnuus, a, um, adj. |
brisk, active, vigorous |
|
mīlitia, ae [mīles], f. |
military service |
|
Bononia, ae, f. |
a city in Belgic Gaul, now Boulogne |
|
trāctus, ūs [trahō], m. |
a stretch, tract |
|
Belgicus, a, um |
Belgic; Gallia Belgica, or absol. Belgica, the northern part of Gaul between the Rhine and the Seine |
|
Armoricum, ī, n. |
the northern part of Celtic Gaul |
|
pācō, āre, āvī, ātus [pāx] |
to pacify, make peaceful |
|
Francī, ōrum, pl. m. |
the Francī, i.e. "the Freemen," a confederacy of German tribes on the lower Rhine |
|
Saxonēs, um, pl. m. |
the Saxons, a people originating from northern Germany |
|
īnfēstō, āre, —, — [īnfēstus, hostile] |
to attack, molest, infest |
|
prōvinciālis, is, m. |
a provincial |
|
suspīciō, ōnis [suspiciō, to suspect], f. |
distrust, suspicion |
|
cōnsultō [cōnsulō], adv. |
purposely |
|
admittō, ere, mīsī, missus |
to permit, admit, give audience to |
|
occāsiō, ōnis [occidō, to happen], f. |
an occasion, opportunity |
|
dītō, āre, āvī, ātus [dīs] |
to make rich, enrich |
|
Māximiānus, ī, m. |
(1) Gālerius (Valerius) Māximiānus, Roman emperor, 305–311 A.D.; (2) (M. Aurēlius Valerius) Māximiānus, surnamed Herculius, Roman emperor 286–305 A.D. |
|
purpura, ae, f. |
purple—color, purple, purple garment |
|
Britannia, ae, f. |
Britain, England and Scotland; in the pl. includes Ireland |