XLII
Aderat iam annus, quo proconsulatum Africae et Asiae sortiretur, (quo …sortirentur: subjunctive in rel. clause equivalent to a temporal cum clause) et occiso Civica (Civica: C. Vettulenus Civica, governor of Asia, executed while in office by Domitian’s orders) nuper nec Agricolae consilium deerat nec Domitiano exemplum. Accessere quidam cogitationum principis periti, (quidam cogitationum principis periti: ‘certain persons privy to the emperor’s thoughts’) qui iturusne esset in provinciam (iturusne esset in provinciam: subjunctive in indir. question, ‘whether he was about to go to a province’) ultro (ultro: ‘of their own accord’, ‘as if acting on their own’) Agricolam interrogarent. (qui …Agricolam interrogarent: relative clause expressing purpose) Ac primo occultius (occultius: ‘in a rather obscure manner’) quietem et otium laudare, mox (mox: ‘before long’) operam suam in adprobanda excusatione offerre, (operam suam in adprobanda excusatione offerre: lit. ‘they offered their help in the to be recommended excuse’; offerre, like the preceding laudare, is infinitive of narration.) postremo non iam obscuri (non iam obscuri: ‘now no longer mysterious’) suadentes simul terrentesque pertraxere ad Domitianum. Qui paratus simulatione, in adrogantiam compositus, et audiit preces excusantis, et, cum adnuisset, agi sibi gratias passus est, (agi sibi gratias passus est: ‘suffered that thanks be given to himself’) nec erubuit beneficii invidia. (nec erubuit beneficii invidia: erubesco takes abl. with or without a prep.) Salarium tamen proconsulare solitum offerri (salarium …proconsulare solitum offerri: lit. ‘the proconsular salary wonted to be offered’, i.e. ‘customarily offered’) et quibusdam a se ipso concessum Agricolae non dedit, sive offensus non petitum, (offensus non petitum [esse]: ‘offended that the salary had not been petitioned’) sive ex conscientia, ne quod vetuerat videretur emisse. (ne quod vetuerat videretur emisse: ‘lest it might be seen that he had bought what he had prohibited’) Proprium humani ingenii est odisse quem laeseris: (odisse quem laeseris: the subjunctive laeseris is an example of modal attraction, as the complementary clause quem laeseris is governed by the infinitive odisse, which requires that all its dependent clauses be in the subjunctive, just as is the case in indirect discourse; cf. G. 662.) Domitiani vero natura praeceps in iram, (vero natura praeceps in iram: ‘his nature [was] indeed dangerously inclined to anger’.) et quo obscurior, eo inrevocabilior, (natura … quo obscurior, eo inrevocabilior: the ablatives quo … eo are used with comparatives; lit. ‘his nature, by what [extent] more obscure, by that [extent] more unforgiving’) moderatione tamen prudentiaque Agricolae leniebatur, quia non contumacia neque inani iactatione libertatis famam fatumque provocabat. (quia non contumacia neque inani iactatione libertatis famam fatumque provocabat: ‘because he did not invite attention and ruin by obstinate arrogance and vain show of liberty’) Sciant, (sciant: hortatory subjunctive) quibus moris est (quibus moris est: ‘for whom it is usual’; moris or morum or in more esse, ‘to be customary’) inlicita (inlicita: ‘unlawful behaviour’, ‘subversive acts’) mirari, posse etiam sub malis principibus magnos viros esse, obsequiumque ac modestiam, si industria ac vigor adsint, eo laudis excedere, quo plerique per abrupta, (per abrupta: ‘by an arduous path’) sed in nullum rei publicae usum <nisi> ambitiosa morte inclaruerunt. (eo laudis [posse] excedere, quo plerique …sed in nullum rei publicae usum ambitiosa morte inclaruerunt: eo …quo: ‘ by that much …by which’; laudis is partitive genitive after the neuter eo; lit.‘may be greater in that degree of glory on account of which most men became famous by a death [that is] ostentatious, but useless to the state’.)