XL
Igitur triumphalia ornamenta et inlustris statuae honorem et quidquid pro triumpho datur, (qidquid pro triumpho datur: the relative clause is parenthetical, a sort of interjected explanation, and as such not subject to the rules of indirect speech, even though placed inside it; double-formed iterative relatives, like qidquid, quisquis, quotquot require indicative; cf. G., 254, R. 4 and 625.) multo verborum honore cumulata, decerni in senatu iubet addique insuper opinionem, Syriam provinciam Agricolae destinari, vacuam tum morte Atili Rufi consularis et maioribus reservatam. Credidere plerique libertum ex secretioribus ministeriis missum ad Agricolam codicillos, quibus ei Syria dabatur, (quibus ei Syria dabatur: as in previous note, the rel. clause is purely explanatory, inserted for the reader’s benefit, thus outside the construction required in indir. speech which calls for use of subjunctive.) tulisse, cum eo praecepto ut, si in Britannia foret, traderentur; (ut … traderentur: purpose clause, the subject being codicilli, ‘to the end that they should be delivered’) eumque libertum in ipso freto Oceani obvium Agricolae, ne appellato quidem eo ad Domitianum remeasse, (libertum … ne appellato quidem eo ad Domitianum remeasse: ne appellato quidem eo is abl. abs. and eo stands for Agricola: ‘he [Agricola] not even being spoken to, the freedman returned to Domitian’; the point is the following: Domitian, fearing that Agricola might exploit his military prestige to wrest imperial power from him, sends a freedman to entice Agricola away from Britain and his army with the offer of the governorship of Syria; since Agricola is already out of Britain and on his way to Rome, the freedman sees no need to talk to him and returns to Domitian.) sive verum istud, sive ex ingenio principis fictum ac compositum est. Tradiderat interim Agricola successori suo provinciam quietam tutamque. Ac ne notabilis celebritate et frequentia occurrentium (celebritate et frequentia occurentium: ‘by the stir and commotion of those eager to see him’) introitus esset, vitato amicorum officio noctu in urbem, noctu in Palatium, ita ut praeceptum erat, venit; exceptusque brevi osculo et nullo sermone turbae servientium inmixtus est. Ceterum (ceterum: cf. note in ch. 11.) uti militare nomen, grave inter otiosos, aliis virtutibus temperaret, tranquillitatem atque otium penitus hausit, (otium penitus hausit: lit. ‘he drank deeply the idleness’) cultu modicus, sermone facilis, (cultu modicus, sermone facilis: culto and sermone are ablatives of respect, ‘modest in his garb, pleasant in his talk’) uno aut altero amicorum comitatus, adeo ut plerique, quibus magnos viros per ambitionem aestimare mos est, viso aspectoque Agricola (viso aspectoque Agricola: abl. abs., ‘Agricola having been seen and observed’, i. e. ‘after seeing and observing Agricola’) quaererent famam, pauci interpretarentur. (adeo ut plerique … quaererent famam, pauci interpretarentur: ‘to the extent that many would try to comprehend his fame, [but] few would understand’; the sense is consecutive, hence the subjunctive.)