XIII.
Post quae L. Arruntius (L. Arruntius: famous orator and author, consul in 6 A.D., he committed suicide in 37 A.D.) haud multum discrepans a Galli oratione perinde offendit, quamquam Tiberio nulla vetus in Arruntium ira: (quamquam Tiberio nulla vetus in Arruntium ira: Tiberio is dat. of possessor, with an implied form of esse, probably esset given Tacitus’ preference for the subjunctive after quamquam: ‘though Tiberius had no old grudge against Arruntius’.) sed divitem, promptum, artibus egregiis (artibus egregiis: abl. of quality) et pari fama publice, suspectabat. quippe Augustus supremis sermonibus cum tractaret quinam adipisci principem locum suffecturi abnuerent aut inpares vellent vel idem possent cuperentque, (cum tractaret quinam adipisci principem locum suffecturi abnuerent aut inpares vellent vel idem possent cuperentque, …dixerat …: temporal cum is with the subjunctive tractaret to set the background accompanying the action of the main verb, dixerat: ‘when he was discussing what kind of men (quinam), though potentially capable, would refuse to occupy the top place in the state, or who would hanker after it though incapable, or who at the same time could do the job and would want it, …he had said …’; the interrogative pronoun quinam introduces indirect questions requiring subjunctive. The pronoun idem introduces a further attribute of the same subject with the sense of ‘at the same time’ (cf. Oxford Latin Dictionary).) M’. Lepidum dixerat capacem sed aspernantem, Gallum Asinium (M’. Lepidum … Gallum Asinium: Marcus Lepidus was a highly respected man of his time. He was consul in 6 A.D. for Gallus Asinius see ch. 12.) avidum et minorem, (avidum et minorem: ‘eager but incapable’: an example of et having adversative sense) L. Arruntium non indignum et si casus daretur ausurum. (et, si casus daretur ausurum: conditional clause of the potential type (II type) with imperfect subjunctive in the protasis and future infinitive in the apodosis: ‘if the opportunity presented itself, he would dare’. et here has the adversative of sed, used once before, thus, in Tacitus’ eyes, not to be repeated.) de prioribus consentitur, pro Arruntio quidam Cn. Pisonem (Cn. Pisonem: Gnaeus Pisus, later famous for his enmity to Germanicus) tradidere; omnesque praeter Lepidum variis mox criminibus struente Tiberio circumventi sunt. etiam Q. Haterius et Mamercus Scaurus (Q. Haterius et Mamercus Scaurus: Quintus Haterius, a facile speaker, but a man of a toadying disposition; Mamercus Scaurus was a poet and senator, yet another sycophant; accused of treason in 32 A.D., he took his own life, his example being followed by his wife Sexta.) suspicacem animum perstrinxere, Haterius cum dixis set (cum dixisset: narrative or historical cum is followed by subjunctive if the action of the dependent clause has some bearing on that of the main clause, in such a way that the one precedes the other. In this case dixisset leads to and conditions perstrinxere. Temporal cum + subjunctive is not far from causal cum. See also note on cum tractaret … above.) ‘quo usque patieris, (quo usque patieris: lit. ‘until what time will you suffer that …?’) Caesar, non adesse caput rei publicae?’ Scaurus quia dixerat spem esse ex eo non inritas fore senatus preces quod relationi consulum iure tribuniciae potestatis non intercessisset. (non inritas fore senatus preces quod relationi consulum iure tribuniciae potestatis non intercessisset: ‘that the prayers of the senate were not destined to be in vain, since he had not opposed the motion of the consuls with his powers of tribune’. relationi is dat. with intercedo; causal quod is with subjunctive in oratio obliqua after dixerat.) in Haterium statim invectus est; Scaurum, cui inplacabilius irascebatur, (cui inplacabilius irascebatur: cui is dat, of indirect object with the intransitive irascor.) silentio tramisit. fessusque clamore omnium, expostulatione singulorum flexit paulatim, non ut fateretur suscipi a se imperium, sed ut (non ut … sed ut: the adverb non before ut removes the first purpose clause from consideration, whereas ut non would make it a negative result clause.) negare et rogari desineret. constat Haterium, cum deprecandi causa Palatium introisset ambulantisque Tiberii genua advolveretur, (genua advolveretur: advolveretur is middle voice and the imperfect has conative sense: ‘he was trying to embrace …’. Cf. L. 2302.) prope a militibus interfectum quia Tiberius casu an (an: here in place of aut, but more expressive of doubt; similarly, Tacitus uses vel in vel idem possent cuperentque above, again instead of aut.) manibus eius inpeditus prociderat. (quia … prociderat: quia is regularly with indicative, except in oratio obliqua; another example is quia dixerat above) neque tamen periculo talis viri mitigatus est, donec Haterius Augustam oraret eiusque curatissimis precibus protegeretur. (donec … protegeretur: the subjunctive after donec implies suspense and anticipation, though Tacitus regularly uses subjunctive regardless of sense.)