XLVII.
Eodem anno (eodem anno: we are still in 17 A.D.) duodecim celebres Asiae urbes (Asiae urbes: by Asia is meant the Roman province occupying the western part of modern Turkey, comprising in the main the regions of Troad, Aeolia, Ionia, Mysia, Lydia, Caria.) conlapsae nocturno motu terrae, quo inprovisior graviorque pestis fuit. (quo inprovisior graviorque pestis fuit: ‘on account of which fact the calamity was all the more unexpected and disastrous’; quo is causal conjunction, here followed by indicative since the reason given — the occurrence of the earthquake at night — is not merely presumed, but has the author’s approval.) neque solitum in tali casu effugium subveniebat in aperta prorumpendi, (effugium in aperta prorumpendi: ‘the option of bolting out into the open air as a means of escape’; prorumpendi: objective genitive gerund after a noun) quia diductis terris hauriebantur. (quia diductis terris hauriebantur: the subject of hauriebantur are ‘people’: ‘because they were swallowed up, the ground being drawn apart [causing fissures]’; diductis terris: abl. abs., ‘the earth having been split’) sedisse inmensos montis, visa in arduo quae plana fuerint, effulsisse inter ruinam ignis memorant. (visa in arduo quae plana fuerint … memorant: ‘it was reported that places which were level were seen towering high’; in arduo: ‘rearing upwards’; fuerint: subjunctive for rel. clause in indir. speech; fuerint mirrors fuerunt of direct speech.) asperrima in Sardianos lues plurimum in eosdem misericordiae traxit: nam centies sestertium pollicitus Caesar, (centies sestertium pollicitus Caesar: ‘Caesar promised ten million sesterces’: centies or centiens, ‘a hundred times’ is numeral adverb, answering to the question How many times?, with ellipsis of centena milia sestertium, understood when speaking of very large sums (100 x 100,000 = 10,000,000).) et quantum aerario aut fisco pendebant in quinquennium remisit. (quantum aerario aut fisco pendebant in quinquennium remisit: ‘he prorogued for five years what they owed to the public treasury and to the fisc.’ in quinquennium: to extent in time, in + acc. adds also the notion of intention and purpose (in imitation of ad +acc.), especially from Livy on (Ernout). aerario aut fisco: the public treasury and the emperor’s private treasury.) Magnetes a Sipylo proximi damno ac remedio habiti. (Magnetes a Sipylo proximi damno ac remedio habiti: ‘the people of Magnesia, near Mount Sipylus, were considered next in damages suffered and in need of assistance.’ Magnetes are the inhabitants of Magnisia, a city of Lydia near Mount Sipylus, today towering over the city of Manisa, built next to the ancient city; Magnisia a Sipylo or ad Sipylum means ‘Magnisia by’ or ‘under Mount Sipylus’.) Temnios, Philadelphenos, Aegeatas, Apollonidenses, quique Mosteni aut Macedones Hyrcani vocantur, et Hierocaesariam, Myrinam, Cymen, Tmolum levari idem in tempus tributis mittique ex senatu placuit, (Temnios, Philadelphenos, Aegeatas, Apollonidenses, quique Mosteni aut Macedones Hyrcani vocantur, et Hierocaesariam, Myrinam, Cymen, Tmolum: for the sake of variety Tacitus gives for some the name of the people, for others the name of the place. Most of these cities are small and for some of them little or nothing of significance was recorded. Out of the twelve cities, Temnos, Aegeae, Myrina, and Cyme were in coastal Aeolia, the others in Lydia further inland. Philadelphia, modern Alasehir, was a wealthy trade center near mount Tmolus, SE of Sardis.. Apollonis, SE of Pergamon, also known as Apollonia, was completely destroyed, but was rebuilt by Tiberius. In qui Mosteni aut Macedones Hyrcani vocantur, the particle aut must be taken to mean ‘on one side …on the other’, as the Mosteni were quite distinct, even in terms of location, from the Hyrcanian Macedonians; their towns were called respectively Hyrcania Mostenorum and Hyrcania Macedonum. See also note for …a Cheruscis Langobardisque pro antiquo decore aut recenti libertate … in previous chapter.) qui praesentia spectaret refoveretque. (mitti ex senatu placuit … qui praesentia spectaret refoveretque: ‘it was decided that someone from the senate be sent to view the present situation and offer relief ‘; the relative clause is in place of a final clause with ut.) delectus est M. Ateius e praetoriis, (M. Ateius e praetoriis: e praetoriis is abl. of source, ‘from the senators of praetorian rank’, i.e. ‘from the ex-praetors’) ne consulari obtinente Asiam (consulari obtinente Asiam: abl. abs.: ‘a consular man (i.e. an ex-consul) holding the province of Asia’) aemulatio inter pares et ex eo impedimentum oreretur. (ne … aemulatio inter pares et ex eo impedimentum oreretur: ‘so that no competition should arise between men of equal rank and therefrom any problems’; ex eo: abl. of source or reason, ‘from that reason’ or ‘for that reason’)