XXV.
Orationem principis secuto patrum consulto (orationem principis secuto patrum consulto: abl. abs.: ‘a decree of the senate having followed the speech of the prince, …’) primi Aedui senatorum in urbe ius adepti sunt. (primi Aedui senatorum in urbe ius adepti sunt: lit. ‘the Aedui first obtained the right of the senators in Rome.’ The capital of the Aedui was Augustodunum, modern Autun, SW of Dijon in central east France, between the Loire and the Saone.) datum id foederi antiquo et quia soli Gallorum fraternitatis nomen cum populo Romano usurpant. (datum id foederi antiquo et quia soli Gallorum fraternitatis nomen cum populo Romano usurpant: ‘this [honor] was granted on the strength of the ancient alliance and because they alone of the Gauls enjoyed the title of ‘Brothers of the Roman people’; usurpant is historical present.) Isdem diebus in numerum patriciorum adscivit Caesar vetustissimum quemque e senatu aut quibus clari parentes fuerant, paucis iam reliquis familiarum, quas Romulus maiorum et L. Brutus minorum gentium appellaverant, exhaustis etiam quas dictator Caesar lege Cassia et princeps Augustus lege Saenia sublegere; (paucis iam reliquis familiarum, quas Romulus maiorum et L. Brutus minorum gentium appellaverant, exhaustis etiam quas dictator Caesar lege Cassia et princeps Augustus lege Saenia sublegere: two ablatives abs., paucis iam reliquis and exhaustis, each followed by a relative clause: ‘few being now left of the families (gentium ) that Romulus had called ‘majores’ and Lucius Brutus ‘minores’; being exhausted also those families that the dictator Caesar and the emperor Augustus chose under the Cassian and the Saenian law respectively.’ Romulus had formed the original senate with one hundred patres from the best families (majores); Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king of Rome had added one hundred more from less important families (minores), an action Tacitus attributes here to Lucius Brutus, the first consul after the ejection of the last king. Brutus, in fact, as the historian Livy reports, had supplemented the senate with yet another hundred members selected from the equestrian order (conscripti patres). Julius Caesar and Augustus may have been responsible for further additions under the Cassian and Saenian laws. about which next to nothing is known.) laetaque haec in rem publicam munia multo gaudio censoris inibantur. (laetaque haec in rem publicam munia multo gaudio censoris inibantur: lit. ‘these innovations, desirable for the state, were tasks (munia) undertaken with great pleasure of the censor’, i.e., of Claudius himself. in rem publicam: in + acc. does not always denote opposition or hostility, in fact, it may do just the opposite and express feelings, concern, interest towards someone or something, as in tantum in rem publicam stadium (Cicero); in such cases it may replace a dative of interest. laeta haec … munia multo gaudio … inibantur: ‘these new tasks, beneficial to the state, were entered upon with great pleasure’. One would expect that an ultraconservative patrician like Tacitus would deplore any meddling with the composition of the senate, the citadel of Roman aristocracy. Yet, not only, as the good historian he is, does he present the opposing view with absolute impartiality and honesty, but also approves of the changes, as advantageous to the Roman state and society. He does it both here and, previously, even more clearly in Book 3, ch. 55.) famosos probris quonam modo senatu depelleret anxius, mitem et recens repertam quam ex severitate prisca rationem adhibuit, (famosos probris quonam modo senatu depelleret anxius, mitem et recens repertam quam ex severitate prisca rationem adhibuit: lit. ‘concerned about the way in which he would expel from the senate members notorious for their immorality, [Claudius] adopted a mild and recently tried method (rationem), rather than (quam) one from among those of ancient severity.’ quonam modo … depelleret: subjunctive for indirect question introduced by the interrogative quonam modo; recens repertam … rationem: a reference to Augustus’ success in convincing fifty undesirable senators to leave the senate voluntarily.) monendo, secum quisque de se consultaret peteretque ius exuendi ordinis: (monendo, secum quisque de se consultaret peteretque ius exuendi ordinis: lit. ‘advising that each should privately (secum) assess his own situation (de se), and petition the right of leaving the senate’; moneo is often with subjunctive alone, without ut or ne; ius exuendi ordinis: objective genitive gerundive after a noun, lit. ‘the permission of one’s order to be renounced’) facilem eius rei veniam; et motos senatu excusatosque simul propositurum ut iudicium censorum ac pudor sponte cedentium permixta ignominiam mollirent. (facilem eius rei veniam; et motos senatu excusatosque simul propositurum ut iudicium censorum ac pudor sponte cedentium permixta ignominiam mollirent: in indirect discourse after monendo: ‘that permission of such a course of action was easy [to obtain], and that he would publish together (simul) the forcibly expelled from the senate and those granted leave to retire, in order that the rigor of the censors and the modesty of the voluntary retirees, blended together, might lessen the shame’) ob ea Vipstanus consul rettulit patrem senatus appellandum esse Claudium: quippe promiscum patris patriae cognomentum; nova in rem publicam merita non usitatis vocabulis honoranda: sed ipse cohibuit consulem ut nimium adsentantem. condiditque lustrum quo censa sunt civium quinquagies novies centena octoginta quattuor milia septuaginta duo. ([Claudius] … condiditque lustrum quo censa sunt civium quinquagies novies centena octoginta quattuor milia septuaginta duo: ‘Claudius closed the quinquennial according to which 5,984,072 citizens were assessed.’ quinquagies is interrogative adverb asking how many times 100,000, the answer being 50, and the total being 50 x 100,000 + 984,000 + 72.) isque illi finis inscitiae erga domum suam fuit: haud multo post flagitia uxoris noscere ac punire adactus est ut deinde ardesceret in nuptias incestas. (isque illi finis inscitiae erga domum suam fuit: … flagitia uxoris noscere ac punire adactus est ut deinde ardesceret in nuptias incestas: ’and this for Claudius (illi) was the end of his ignoring his own domestic affairs; he was forced to become aware of and to punish his wife’s offenses, [only] to burn later with passionate desire for an incestuous union.’ in nuptias incestas: in + acc. can indicate goal, aim, purpose. After forswearing marriage following Messalina’s death, Claudius married his niece Agrippina, the daughter of his brother Germanicus, less than a year later.)