Postremo deserunt tribunal, ut quis praetorianorum militum amicorumve Caesaris occurreret, manus intentantes, causam discordiae et initium armorum, maxime infensi Cn. Lentulo, quod is ante alios aetate et gloria belli firmare Drusum credebatur et illa militiae flagitia primus aspernari.
I can't figure out 'causam' and 'initium' are accusative. The translations I'm using translate it with a purpose force - 'to cause disaffection and start hostilities', but I don't think this is the literal sense? Unless there is some grammatical usage of the accusative I'm unaware of.
It also doesn't seem that they are accusative as objects after intentantes, but I'm not sure.
It seems to me they're accusative because they're in apposition after manus - 'brandishing their hands, (as) a cause of quarrel and a beginning of arms' which is more idiomatically translated as 'to cause...to start...'. Is this correct?
I can't figure out 'causam' and 'initium' are accusative. The translations I'm using translate it with a purpose force - 'to cause disaffection and start hostilities', but I don't think this is the literal sense? Unless there is some grammatical usage of the accusative I'm unaware of.
It also doesn't seem that they are accusative as objects after intentantes, but I'm not sure.
It seems to me they're accusative because they're in apposition after manus - 'brandishing their hands, (as) a cause of quarrel and a beginning of arms' which is more idiomatically translated as 'to cause...to start...'. Is this correct?