II. Cf. xxviii. 1, 3, 7, Habak. ii. Eccles. x. 17. σίκερα] The Semitic word. μένοντες τὸ ὀψὲ] For the phrase cf. Thucyd. III. 22, τηρήσαντες νύκτα
χειμέριον ὕδατι καὶ ἀνέμῳ, ‘watching for a night that was stormy with
rain and wind.’ ὁ γὰρ οἶνος συγκαύσει] Heb. the same, except that there is no
conjunction: the best authorities interpret it as a circumstantial clause,
‘while wine inflames them’: in effect like those, generally ablative
absolute, with which Tacitus interprets and weights the ends of many
of his sentences: e.g. Ann. III. 16, “nec illum sponte extinctum,
verum immisso percussore”; XII. 57, “quin et convivium
lacus adpositum magna formidine cunctos adfecit, quia vis aquarum
prorumpens proxima trahebat, convulsis ulterioribus aut fragore et
sonitu exterritis.” 12. τὰ δὲ ἔργα κ.τ.λ.] Cf. i. 3, as well as for the next note.