XL.
Eo in metu arguere Germanicum omnes (arguere … omnes: arguere can be historical infinitive or perfect indicative, probably the latter; by omnes are meant Germanicus’ staff and friends, and the legions’ legates and officers.) quod non ad superiorem exercitum pergeret, (quod non … pergeret: causal quod takes subjunctive in two cases: (a) the reason given is not the writer’s; (b) the clause is in oratio obliqua; here both cases apply after arguere.) ubi obsequia et contra rebellis auxilium: satis superque missione et pecunia et mollibus consultis peccatum (satis superque missione et pecunia et mollibus consultis peccatum [esse]: ‘and that enough mistakes had been made about (super) the [early] discharge, the legacy, and the mollifying approach’; the prep. super or supra is here with abl.) vel si vilis ipsi salus, cur filium parvulum, cur gravidam coniugem (filium parvulum, … gravidam coniugem: respectively Caligula, then two years old, and Agrippina, possibly pregnant with Agrippina junior, the future mother of emperor Nero. Many contend that baby was either dead when born or that it died prematurely). inter furentis et omnis humani iuris violatores haberet? (vel si vilis ipsi salus [esset], cur …haberet?: conditional sentence in indirect speech, where vel si means ‘even if’: ‘even if his life were of little importance to him, why was he keeping …’; subjunctive for potential condition in protasis, subjunctive in apodosis, here in the form of an indirect question) illos saltem avo et rei publicae redderet. (avo et rei publicae redderet: hortatory or jussive subjunctive in oratio obliqua: ‘that he ought to restore them to the grandfather and the state.’ redderet corresponds to reddat of direct speech, ‘let him restore …’ avo: Tiberius, being Germanicus’ adoptive father, was also little Caligula’s grandfather.) diu cunctatus aspernantem uxorem, cum se divo Augusto ortam neque degenerem ad pericula testaretur, (cum se divo Augusto ortam [esse] neque degenerem ad pericula testaretur: causal cum is always with subjunctive: ‘since [she said] she was Augustus’ granddaughter and would not prove degenerate in the presence of danger’; testaretur is potential subjunctive; the prep. ad can have the sense of ‘in front of’, ‘in dealing with’, ‘in the face of’. Agrippina was the daughter of Julia, Augustus’ daughter and of Marcus Agrippa.) postremo uterum eius et communem filium multo cum fletu complexus, ut abiret perpulit. (ut abiret perpulit: perpello is consistently found followed by a ut or ne clause.) incedebat (incedebat: the word conveys a sense of great dignity mixed with the great sadness associated with a funeral cortege.) muliebre et miserabile agmen, profuga ducis uxor, parvulum sinu filium gerens, lamentantes circum amicorum coniuges quae simul trahebantur nec minus tristes qui manebant.