Here is my translation so far, but it is more based onPaulatim inde ad iurgia prolapsi, quominus pugnam
consererent ne flumine quidem interiecto cohibebantur
-- ni Stertinius accurrens plenum irae 'armaque et equum'
poscentem Flavum attinuisset! Cernebatur contra minita-
bundus Arminius 'proelium'que denuntians -- nam plera-
que Latino sermone interiaciebat, ut qui Romanis in
castris ductor popularium meruisset.
feeling than actually understanding what's going on
grammatically in some parts:
1. The sentence with "minitabundus", "denuntians" and "que" really confuses me. Ørberg says in the margin that minitabundus = minitans and that denuntiare = nuntiare, minari. To me "minitabundus Arminius 'proelium'que denuntians" then seems to mean "the threatening Arminius and threatening war", which makes absolutely no sense to me.Gradually thence lapsed into quarrels, they would not
have been contained from joining in a fight even by the
river in between -- unless Stertinius had come running
forward and held back Flavus, full of rage and calling for
arms and a horse! On the opposite side Arminius could be
discerned threatening 'battle' -- for most of the time he
threw in Latin talk, because he had served as commander
of his citizens in a Roman camp.
2. I also don't understand the last part, "ut qui Romanis in castris ductor popularium meruisset". The margin says "ut qui meruisset = quia meruerat" and "populares = cives (sui)" What is this ut qui-construction, and why does it mean "quia"? Is it the same type of ut...verb in perfect tense construction that can mean "when"? And should merere here be understood as "stipendium merere"? I'm also not sure if castris and Romanis actually belong together and mean "a Roman camp".
Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I feel quite lost.