XXXVI. Indentibus gladiis, etc. So below: parva scuta, etc. The small shield and broad sword of the Highlanders.
Donec—cohortatus est. Cf. note, G. 37: affectavere.—Batavorum cohortes. Al. tres—cohortes. But the number is not specified in the best MSS. In the Histories, eight cohorts of Batavians are often mentioned as constituting the auxiliaries of the 14th legion, which was now in Britain. See Rit. in loc.
Ad mucrones. The Britons were accustomed to fight with the edge of the sword, and cut and hew the enemy. The Romans, on the contrary, made use of the point. Of course in a close engagement, they would have greatly the advantage. Br.—Ad manus. The opposite of eminus, i.e. a close engagement. The same thing is expressed below by complexum armorum.
In aperto pugnam. Literally a fight in the open field, i.e. a regular pitched battle, which with its compact masses would be less favorable to the large swords of the Britons, than a battle on ground uncleared of thickets and forests. Al. in arto.
Miscere, ferire, etc. A series of inf. denoting a rapid succession of events, cf. note, 5: noscere—nosci; G. 30: praeponere.
Equitum turmae, sc. Britannorum. The word turmae is applicable to such a cavalry as theirs, cf. Ann. 14, 34: Britannorum copiae passim per catervas et turmas exsultabant. Br. Ky. and others here understand it of the Roman cavalry. But R. Dr. and Wr. apply it to the Britons, and with reason, as we shall see below, and as we might infer indeed from its close connexion with covinarii, for the covinarii were certainly Britons.
Peditum proelio, hostium agminibus. These also both refer to the Britons. The covinarii were interspersed among their own infantry, and, as the Romans advanced, became entangled with them. This is disputed. But the small number of Romans slain in the whole battle is alone enough to show, that their cavalry was not routed, nor their infantry broken in upon by the chariots of the enemy. Moreover, how could T. properly use the word hostium of his own countrymen?
Minimeque, etc. This is one passage, among a few in T., which is so manifestly corrupt that no sense can be made of it, as it stands in the MSS. The reading given in the text is the simplest of all the conjectural readings that have been proposed. It is that of Br. and E., and is followed by the common editions. Cavalry took a large part in the battle. But the battle wore little the aspect of an equestrian fight; for the Britons, after maintaining their position with difficulty for some time, were at length swept away by the bodies (the mere uncontrolled bodies) of the horses—in short, the riders had no control over horses or chariots, which rushed on without drivers obliquely athwart, or directly through the lines, as their fears severally impelled them; all which was in marked contrast to a Roman's idea of a regular battle of cavalry.
XXXVII. Vacui. Free from apprehension.
Ni. Cf. note 4: ni.—Subita belli. Unexpected emergencies arising in the course of the battle. Cf. 6: inania honoris.