(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.

    Chapter 21: Revolt of Carausius, 287293 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)

    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

     

    article nav
    Previous
    Next