(1) Is successōrēs fīliōs trēs relīquit atque ūnum frātris fīlium. Vērum Dalmatius Caesar prōsperrimā indole neque patruō absimilis haud multō post oppressus est factiōne mīlitārī, Cōnstantiō patruēlī suō sinente potius quam iubente.
(2) Cōnstantīnum porrō bellum frātrī īnferentem et apud Aquilēiam incōnsultius proelium adgressum Cōnstantis ducēs interēmērunt.
(3) Ita rēs pūblica ad duōs Augustōs redācta. Cōnstantis imperium strēnuum aliquamdiū et iūstum fuit. Mox cum et valētūdine inprōsperā et amīcīs prāviōribus ūterētur, ad gravia vitia conversus, cum intolerābilis prōvinciālibus, mīlitī iniūcundus esset, factiōne Māgnentiī occīsus est.
(4) Obiit haud longē ab Hispāniīs in castrō, cuī Helenae nomen est, annō imperiī septimō decimō, aetātis trīcēsimō, rēbus tamen plūrimīs strēnuē in mīlitiā gestīs, exercituīque per omne vītae tempus sine gravī crūdēlitāte terribilis.
notes
The sons of Constantine rule, 337–360 CE
(1) Is: Cōnstantīnus
Dalmatius: Flavius Dalmatius (died 337), also known as Dalmatius Caesar
haud multō post: "not long after" (AG 423)
potius quam: "rather than/more than"
(2) bellum frātrī īnferentem: bellum inferre is a Latin idiom that takes a dative object (AG 370, LS infero 1.C.4); present active participle form, modifying Cōnstantīnum
apud Aquilēiam: Aquileia was a city in Northern Italy. According to the Epitome de Caesaribus,
However, on account of the legal right to Italy and Africa, Constantinus and Constans immediately disagreed. When Constantinus, reckless and horribly intoxicated, in a display of highway robbery, rushed into territories not his own, he was slain and thrown into a river, the name for which is Alsa, not far from Aquileia. (de Caes. 41.21, translated by Thomas M. Banchich)
(3) ad duōs Augustōs: 340 CE
redācta: "was left to," supply est (LS redigo II.B)
Cōnstantis imperium: see Constans
ūterētur: "had," "experienced," + abl., as normal with utor.
iniūcundus: "unpleasant/disagreeable," litotes construction (AG 326.c)
factiōne Māgnentiī: "by Magnentius's faction," Flavius Magnus Magnentius Augustus (ca. 303-353), usurper against Constantius II from 350 to 353.
(4) cuī Helenae nomen est: "named Helena," cuī is dative of possession (AG 373)
annō imperiī septimō decimō: 350 CE
exercituīque: “[feared] by the army,” exercituī is the dative object of terribilis
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
|
successor, ōris [succēdō], m. |
a follower, successor |
|
vērum [vērus, true], adv. |
truly, certainly; but |
|
Dalmatius, ī, m. |
Dalmatius Caesar, a nephew of Constantine the Great |
|
Caesar, aris, m. |
a family name in the Julian gens. (1) C. Iūlius Caesar, the famous dictator; (2) Sex. Iūlius Caesar, uncle of the dictator. Consul 91 B.C.; (3) C. Octāviānus, the emperor Augustus |
|
prōsperus, a, um [prō + spēs], adj. |
according to one's hopes, favorable, prosperous |
|
indolēs, is, f. |
nature, disposition |
|
patruus, ī [pater], m. |
of a father's brother, paternal uncle |
|
absimilis, e [ab + similis], adj. |
unlike |
|
opprimō, ere, pressī, pressus |
to crush utterly, overpower, overwhelm |
|
factiō, ōnis [faciō], f. |
a party, political party, faction |
|
mīlitāris, e [mīles], adj. |
military; as subst., a soldier; rēs mīlitāris, the art of war, military operations |
|
Cōnstantius, ī, m. |
(1) Cōnstantius Chlōrus, father of Constantine the Great. Roman emperor 305–306 A.D.; (2) Cōnstantius, third son of Constantine the Great. Roman emperor 337–361 A.D. |
|
patruēlis, e [patruus], adj. |
of a father's brother, child of a father's brother; as subst., a cousin |
|
potius [comp. of potis, able], adv., sup. potissimum; |
rather, more, sooner |
|
Cōnstantīnus, ī, m. |
(1) Cōnstantīnus, surnamed "the Great." Roman emperor 306–337 A.D.; (2) Cōnstantīnus, son of (1) 2 |
|
porrō [prō], adv. |
forward, henceforth, furthermore, again |
|
Aquilēia, ae, f. |
a city in northern Italy on the Adriatic Sea |
|
incōnsultē [incōnsultus, not asked], adv. |
unadvisedly, inconsiderately |
|
aggredior, gredī, gressus sum |
to approach, attack, undertake |
|
Cōnstāns, antis, m. |
the youngest of the three sons of Constantine the Great |
|
interimō, ere, ēmī, ēmptus |
to take from the midst of, kill |
|
Augustus, ī, m. |
a title of honor given to Octavianus in 27 BC and after him to all the Roman emperors 3 |
|
redigō, ere, ēgī, āctus |
to drive back; reduce; render, bring |
|
strēnuus, a, um, adj. |
brisk, active, vigorous |
|
aliquamdiū [aliquis + diū], adv. |
for a while, for some time |
|
valētūdō, inis [valeō, to be well], f. |
health (good or bad), sickness, weakness |
|
imprōsper, spera, sperum [in + prōsperus, fortunate], adj. |
unfortunate, unprosperous |
|
prāvus, a, um, adj. |
crooked, wrong; perverse, wicked |
|
intolerābilis, e [in + tolerābilis, supportable], adj. |
unendurable |
|
prōvinciālis, is, m. |
a provincial |
|
iniūcundus, a, um [in + iūcundus], adj. |
unpleasant, disagreeable |
|
factiō, ōnis [faciō], f. |
a party, political party, faction |
|
Māgnentius, ī, m. |
Roman emperor, 350–353 A.D. |
|
obeō, īre, īvī (iī), itus |
to go to meet; attend to, perform; die, perish 4 |
|
Hispānia, ae, f. |
Spain (including Portugal). It was divided into two provinces, Hispania Citerior and Ulterior; hence the pl. Hispaniae. |
|
Helena, ae, f. |
the name of a Roman camp in Spain where Constans died |
|
strēnuē [strēnuus], adv., sup. strēnuissimē |
vigorously |
|
mīlitia, ae [mīles], f. |
military service |
|
crūdēlitās, ātis [crūdēlis, cruel], f. |
cruelty |
|
terribilis, e [terreō], adj. |
frightful, dreadful |