Tacitus Histories I: A Selection by Benedict Gravell;Ellen O'Gorman;

Author:Benedict Gravell;Ellen O'Gorman; [O'Gorman;, Benedict Gravell;Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781350010161
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: 2018-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

14.1

nihil … certum – supply erat.

Vitellio – the Upper German legions had refused to swear allegiance to Galba on 1 January, and sided with Vitellius on 3 January. Tacitus passes over the details here, but he picks up the narrative at Chapter 50, and Vitellius remains a focus until his death at the end of Book III.

anxius quonam … erumperet – the construction here is unusual. While quonam introduces an indirect question, erumperet is imperfect subjunctive as is normal when clauses dependent on words of fearing (anxius) refer to the future (Oxford Latin Grammar, pp. 102–103): ‘anxious as to how far exactly the violence of the armies would break out’. The suffix -nam emphasizes the interrogative, highlighting Galba’s anxiety.

confisus – confido is semi-deponent.

quod … rebatur – refers to the whole of the main clause that follows. It is best left until afterwards in translation: ‘which he thought was …’.

comitia imperii transigit – ‘he conducted an imperial election’. This is a striking phrase: comitia usually refers to an assembly of the Roman people for electing important magistrates such as consuls, a practice that had ceased in the Principate. The use of the word to describe a meeting of only five men, to announce the adoption that Galba has already decided upon, is heavily ironic. transigit (and iubet later) is historic present.

Mario Celso – consul-elect noted for his loyalty as he served under Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius and Vespasian in a number of military and political roles. For his survival of Otho’s rebellion see Chapter 45.

Ducenio Gemino praefecto urbis – the city prefect was appointed to maintain order in Rome and its surrounding area, and had charge of the urban cohorts (see n. 4.2 urbanum).

Pisonem Licinianum – Galba’s choice of successor was a young nobleman exiled by Nero. There is a short obituary at Chapter 48.

accersiri – both accersi and accersiri are found as the present passive infinitive.

propria electione – causal ablative. Translate as ‘because it was his own choice’.

cui … exercita … amicitia – ‘who had a friendship … which had been cultivated’, another example of the dative + ‘to be’ (supply erat). Some commentators take cui as dative of agent (‘by’) but the difference is subtle. exercita is perfect passive participle from exerceo.

Rubellium Plautum – a wealthy great-grandson of Tiberius, executed by a paranoid Nero in AD 62.

ut ignotum – ‘as if he were a stranger’.

de Pisone – translate as ‘Piso’s’. There is a sign here of how the genitive came to be replaced by words such as de and di in Romance languages.

fidem – ‘credibility’.

14.2

M. Crasso et Scribonia genitus – genitus (‘born from’ or ‘the son of’) takes the ablative. Piso’s father had been consul in AD 27, and was descended from the famous Republican figure M. Licinius Crassus, while Scribonia was a descendant of Pompey the Great.

vultu habituque – ablatives of respect (‘in …’).

moris antiqui … severus – variatio (genitive of description + adjective).

deterius interpretantibus – ‘by those who interpreted things less favourably’. interpretantibus is a dative of agent, and there is variatio with the earlier ablative aestimatione recta.

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