XIV.
Multa patrum et in Augustam adulatio. alii parentem, alii matrem patriae appellandam, plerique ut nomini Caesaris adscriberetur ‘Iuliae filius’ censebant. (alii parentem, alii matrem patriae appellandam, plerique ut nomini Caesaris adscriberetur censebant: censeo is found followed by either of two types of complement clauses: acc. + infinitive or ut + subjunctive; Tacitus here uses both constructions side by side for variety’s sake: ‘some thought she should be called ‘mother of the state’, most that to Caesar’s name should be added ‘Julia’s son’. Livia took the name Julia on being admitted to the Julian house.) ille moderandos feminarum honores dictitans (dictitans: dictito is the frequentative form of dico: ‘repeating over and over’.) eademque se temperantia usurum in iis quae sibi tribuerentur, ceterum (ceterum: with the sense of re vera or revera, ‘in reality’, ‘in actual fact’) anxius invidia et muliebre fastigium in deminutionem sui accipiens ne lictorem quidem ei decerni passus est aramque adoptionis (aramque adoptionis: i.e. an altar to celebrate her adoption into the Julian family) et alia huiusce modi prohibuit. at Germanico Caesari pro consulare imperium petivit, (Germanico Caesari pro consulare imperium petivit: not the proconsular rank extended to all ex-consuls, but a larger imperium, that would give the holder authority over all the provinces, second only to that of the emperor. It is to be assumed that similar powers were given to Drusus when he was sent to Illyricum to learn the art of war. Cf. Book 2, ch. 44.) missique legati qui deferrent, simul maestitiam eius ob excessum Augusti solarentur. (missique legati qui deferent, simul … solarentur: use of relative clause to express purpose; solarentur is another distinguishing mark of Tacitus’ prose, the use of poetic simple form verbs in place of commonplace compounds such as consolarentur.) quo minus idem pro Druso postularetur, ea causa quod (quo minus idem pro Druso postularetur, ea causa quod …: ‘the reason that (ea causa) prevented him from requesting (quo minus postularet) the same for Drusus [was] that …’: quo minus or quominus, lit. ‘by means of which …the less’, is always found governed by verbs of prevention, opposition, or refusal, whether explicit or implied: in the latter situation the idea of prevention must be extracted from the context itself; such is the case here. As to the request for the pro consulare imperium on behalf of Drusus, such authority applied only outside the city, i.e. in the provinces, thus not suitable for an urban magistrate.) designatus consul Drusus praesensque erat. candidatos praeturae duodecim nominavit, numerum ab Augusto traditum; et hortante senatu ut augeret, iure iurando obstrinxit se non excessurum. (hortante senatu ut augeret, iure iurando obstrinxit se non excessurum: hortante senatu is abl. abs. of concessive sense; ‘in spite of the senate urging him to increase [the number], by taking an oath, he pledged he (se) would not exceed it’. iure iurando is instrumental abl. gerund.)