(1) Post hunc Ioviānus, quī tunc domesticus mīlitābat, ad obtinendum imperium cōnsēnsū exercitūs lēctus est, commendātiōne patris mīlitibus quam suā nōtior. Quī iam, turbātīs rēbus, exercitū quoque inopiā labōrante, ūnō ā Persīs atque alterō proeliō victus pācem cum Sapōre, necessārium quidem, sed ignōbilem, fēcit multātus fīnibus ac nōnnūllā imperiī Rōmānī parte trāditā.
(2) Quod ante eum annīs mīlle centum et duōbus dē vīgintī ferē, ex quō Rōmānum imperium conditum erat, numquam accidit. Quīn etiam legiōnēs nostrae ita et apud Caudium per Pontium Telesīnum et in Hispāniā apud Numantiam et in Numidiā sub iugum missae sunt ut nihil tamen fīnium trāderētur. Ea pācis condiciō nōn penitus reprehendenda foret, sī foederis necessitātem tum, cum integrum fuit, mūtāre voluisset, sīcut ā Rōmānīs omnibus hīs bellīs, quae commemorāvī, factum est. Nam et Samnītibus et Numantīnīs et Numidīs cōnfestim bella inlāta sunt neque pāx rata fuit.
(3) Sed dum aemulum imperiī verētur intrā Orientem residēns, glōriae parum cōnsuluit. Isque iter ingressus atque Īllyricum petēns in Galatiae fīnibus repentīnā morte obiit, vir alias neque iners neque imprūdēns.
notes
Jovian Emperor, 363–364 CE
(1) Ioviānus: his full name was Flavius Claudius Jovianus. His short reign is remarkable only for the disgraceful peace he made with the Persians (Hazzard).
domesticus: "bodyguard." Jovian was commanding the two-hundred strong core of domesticii et protectores, carefully chosen officer cadets, who served as the imperial bodyguards and were subsequently seconded to equestrian commands (Bird).
ad obtinendum imperium: gerundive denoting purpose (AG 503)
commendātiōne ... nōtior: order: notior militibus commendatione patris quam suā; militibus is dative after notior. Commendatione and suā are ablatives of cause.
ūnō ... atque alterō proeliō: "in one or two battles"
cum Sapōre: Shapur II
fīnibus: he agreed that the Romans would surrender their conquests beyond the Tigris and would give up several fortresses in Mesopotamia (Hazzard).
nōnnūllā ... parte trāditā: ablative absolute
(2) ita ... ut: "in such a way ... with the result that..." result clause (AG 537)
apud Caudium: see Caudium
per Pontium Telesīnum: it is generally stated that Gavius Pontius was the leader of the Samnites in the battle of Caudine Forks. Perhaps Eutropius confuses him with Pontius Telesinus, the leader of the Samnites in the Social war (Hazzard).
apud Numantiam: see Numantia
iugum: "the yoke," a symbol of humiliation and defeat, consisting of two upright spears, and a third laid transversely upon them, under which vanquished enemies were made to pass (LS iugum I.B.4).
sī foederis necessitātem tum cum integrum fuit mūtāre voluisset: "if he had been willing to change the obligations of the treaty as soon as it was in his power" (Bird)
(3) glōriae parum cōnsuluit: "he showed insufficient concern for his glory"
iter ingressus: "embarking on the journey." ingredior is a deponent verb (AG 190)
in Galatiae fīnibus: see Galatia
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
|
Ioviānus, ī, m. |
(Flavius Claudius) Ioviānus, Roman emperor 363–364 A.D. |
|
domesticus, a, um [domus], adj. |
private, domestic; domesticum bellum, civil war |
|
mīlitō, āre, āvī, ātus [mīles] |
to be a soldier, wage war |
|
obtineō, ēre, uī, tentus |
to hold, possess; rule, govern |
|
cōnsēnsus, ūs [cōnsentiō], m. |
consent, assent, united opinion; ex commūnī cōnsēnsū, by common consent |
|
commendātiō, ōnīs [commendō], f. |
recommendation |
|
turbō, āre, āvī, ātus [turba, a crowd] |
to disturb, confuse |
|
inopia, ae [inops, needy], f. |
want, scarcity, poverty |
|
Persae, ārum, pl. m. |
the Persians |
|
Sapōr, ōris, m. |
the name of several Persian kings; (1) Sapor I., 240–273 A.D.; (2) Sapor II., 310–381 A.D. |
|
necessārius, a, um [necesse, necessary], adj. |
necessary, indispensable; as subst., an intimate friend, relative |
|
ignōbilis, e [in + (g)nōbilis], adj. |
unknown, unrenowned, obscure; base, ignoble |
|
multō, āre, āvī, ātus [multa, a fine] |
to fine, deprive; punish, condemn |
|
nōnnūllus, a, um [nōn + nūllus], adj. |
some, several |
|
Caudium, ī, n. |
a town in Samnium 2 |
|
Pontius, ī, m. |
Pontius Telesīnus, commander of the Samnites in the war against Sulla |
|
Telesīnus, ī, m. |
Pontius Telesīnus, commander of the Samnites in the war against Sulla. |
|
Hispānia, ae, f. |
Spain (including Portugal). It was divided into two provinces, Hispania Citerior and Ulterior; hence the pl. Hispaniae. |
|
Numantia, ae, f. |
a city in Spain |
|
Numidae, ārum, pl. m. |
the Numidians |
|
penitus, adv. |
inwardly, within; deeply, completely |
|
reprehendō, ere, ī, hēnsus |
to hold back, check; blame, criticise, reprove |
|
foedus, eris, n. |
a treaty, alliance, league |
|
commemorō, āre, āvī, ātus [con + memor, mindful] |
to call to mind, mention, tell |
|
Samnītēs, um, Gr. acc. pl. Samnītas, pl. m. |
the Samnites, a branch of the Sabine race inhabiting the mountains southeast of Latium |
|
Numantīnī, ōrum, pl. m. |
the inhabitants of Numantia |
|
Numidia, ae, f. |
a country of northern Africa, west of Carthage |
|
cōnfestim, adv. |
immediately, at once |
|
aemulus, a, um, adj. |
striving earnestly after, emulating, rivaling; envious 3 |
|
Oriēns, entis [orior], m. (sc. sōl) |
the rising sun, the East, the Orient |
|
resideō, ēre, sēdī, — |
to sit back, remain sitting, be left behind, remain |
|
Īllyricum, ī, n. |
a country east of the Adriatic Sea |
|
Galatia, ae, f. |
a province of Asia Minor settled by Gallic tribes in the third century B.C. |
|
repentīnus, a, um [repēns, sudden], adj. |
sudden, unexpected |
|
obeō, īre, īvī (iī), itus |
to go to meet; attend to, perform; die, perish |
|
aliās [alius], adv. |
at another time, under other circumstances |
|
iners, ertis [in + ars], adj. |
unskillful, idle, effeminate |
|
imprūdēns, entis [in + prūdens, foreseeing], adj. |
not foreseeing, imprudent, off guard |