XXXVI. Cherusci. It was their chief, Arminius (Germ. Hermann), who, making head against the Romans, was honored as the Deliverer of Germany, and celebrated in ballad songs, which are preserved to this day. See his achievements in Ann. B. 1, and 2. This tribe became afterwards the head of the Saxon confederacy.
Marcentem. Enervating. So marcentia pocula, Stat. Silv. 4, 6, 56. It is usually intransitive, and is taken here by some in the sense of languid, enervate (literally withered).—Illacessiti is a post-Augustan word. Cf. Freund.
Impotentes. Cf. impotentia, 35.
Falso quiescas. Falleris, dum quiescis. Dilthey. Cf. note, 14: possis.
Ubi manu agitur. Where matters are decided by might rather than right. Cf. manu agens, A. 9.
Nomina superioris. Virtues (only) of the stronger party, the conqueror. They are deemed vices in the weaker.
Chattis—cessit: while to the Chatti, who were victorious, success was imputed for wisdom. The antithetic particle at the beginning of the clause is omitted. Cf. note, 4: minime.
Fuissent. Subj. after cum signifying although. H. 516, II.
XXXVII. Sinum. Peninsula, sc. the Cimbric. Cf. note, 35: flexu; 81: sinus.
Cimbri. The same with the Cimmerii, a once powerful race, who, migrating from western Asia, that hive of nations, overran a large part of Europe, but their power being broken by the Romans, and themselves being overrun and conquered by the Gothic or German Tribes, they were pushed to the extreme western points of the continent and the British Isles, where, and where alone, distinct traces of their language and literature remain to this day. They have left their name indelibly impressed on different localities in their route, e.g. the Cimmerian Bosphorus, the Cimbric Chersonesus (now Jutland, occupied by the Cimbri in the days of T.), Cumberland (Cumbria, from Cimbri) &c. The ancient name of the Welsh was also Cymri, cf. Tur. His. Ang. Sax. 1. 2.