Obruisset—sustinuit. These words primarily refer to physical energies, and are exactly counterpart==crushed—sustained.
Quantum licebat limits vir magnus: as great a man, as it was permitted him to be, restricted as he was in his resources, perhaps by the parsimony of the Emperor. On Julius Frontinus, cf. H. 4, 39. He was the friend of Pliny the Younger (Plin. Ep. 9, 19) and therefore probably of Tacitus. His books on Stratagems, and on the Aqueducts of Rome are still extant.—Super, over and above, i.e. besides.
XVIII. Agentem, sc. excubias or stationem==stationed in, cf. His. 1, 47: copias, quae Lugduni agebant. Ala. Cf. note, H. 1, 54.
Ordovicum civitas. Situated over against the Island Mona, north of the Silures, i.e. in the northern part of what is now Wales.
Ad—verterentur. Were turning themselves (middle sense) towards, i.e. looking to or for. Occasionem. An opportunity, sc. to attack the Romans in their security. Al. uterentur.
Quibus—erat. They who wished for war. Greek idiom for qui bellum volebant. See Kühner's Greek Gram. 284, 10, c., cf. His. 3, 43: volentibus fuit, etc., and note, ibid. In Latin, the idiom occurs chiefly in Sallust and T. See Z. 420, and H. 387, 3.
Ac—opperiri. Al. aut by conjecture. But ac==ac tamen, and yet. Cf. Ann. 1, 36: exauctorari—ac retineri sub vexillo.
Transvecta. Al. transacta. Cf. His. 2, 76: abiit et transvectum est tempus. Only T. uses the word in reference to time.
Numeri==cohortes or manipuli, cf. His. 1, 6: multi numeri. This use of the word is post-Augustan. Cf. note, His. 1, 6.
Tarda et contraria. In appos. with the foregoing clauses== circumstances calculated to retard and oppose him in commencing war.