XXXV.
Mirum inter haec silentium Claudi, Vitellius ignaro propior: (Vitellius ignaro propior: lit. ‘Vitellius [was] nearer to being inert’; ignaro is dative with proprior.) omnia liberto oboediebant. (omnia liberto oboediebant: ‘all things were under the direction of the freedman.’ liberto is dat. with oboedio.) patefieri domum adulteri atque illuc deduci imperatorem iubet. (patefieri domum adulteri atque illuc deduci imperatorem iubet: with iubeo the tendency is to give, as much as possible, a subject to the infinitive that follows by using a passive construction: ‘he ordered that the house of the adulterer be thrown open and that the emperor be conducted there.’ See also T. Proculum tradi ad supplicium iubet below; iubet is historical present; demonstrat below is another.) ac primum in vestibulo effigiem patris Silii consulto senatus abolitam demonstrat, tum quidquid avitum Neronibus et Drusis in pretium probri cessisse. (primum in vestibulo effigiem patris Silii consulto senatus abolitam demonstrat, tum quidquid avitum Neronibus et Drusis in pretium probri cessisse: ‘first he showed him in the vestibule the statue of Silius’ father prohibited by a decree of the senate, then any ancestral item belonging to the Neros and the Drusi that had ended up as recompense of infamy.’ patris Silii: for the trial of the senior Gaius Silius, see Book 4, ch. 18 – 20. quidquid avitum: lit. ‘anything ancestral’; for the transfer by Messalina of imperial property to Silius’ house see ch. 12. Neronibus et Drusis: a reference to the fact that Livia, Augustus’ wife and mother of Tiberius, had united in herself the family of the Neros and that of the Drusi, being the daughter of Marcus Livius Drusus and having had, as her first husband, Claudius Nero, the father of Tiberius.) incensumque et ad minas erumpentem castris infert, parata contione militum; apud quos praemonente Narcisso (praemonente Narcisso: abl. abs.: ‘Narcissus prompting [him]’) pauca verba fecit: nam etsi iustum dolorem pudor impediebat. (pauca verba fecit: nam etsi iustum dolorem pudor impediebat: ‘he spoke a few words, for although his resentment was justifiable, shame prevented [its expression].’) continuus dehinc cohortium clamor nomina reorum et poenas flagitantium; (continuus dehinc cohortium clamor nomina reorum et poenas flagitantium: ‘from that moment on, the shouting of the cohorts calling for the names and the punishment of the criminals did not subside.’) admotusque Silius tribunali non defensionem, non moras temptavit, precatus ut mors acceleraretur. (precatus ut mors acceleraretur: ‘he requested that his death be speeded up.’ Verbs of urging and beseeching are followed by a complementary ut clause; cf. G. 546.) eadem constantia et inlustres equites Romani [cupido maturae necis fuit.] (eadem constantia et inlustres equites Romani [cupido maturae necis fuit.]: ‘also a number of distinguished Roman knights [met death] with the same firmness. Their desire was of a speedy death.’ The words in square brackets are generally considered a gloss left by a reader and incorporated in the text in a subsequent transcription.) et Titium Proculum, custodem a Silio Messalinae datum et indicium offerentem, Vettium Valentem confessum et Pompeium Vrbicum ac Saufeium Trogum ex consciis tradi ad supplicium iubet. (Titium Proculum, custodem a Silio Messalinae datum … ex consciis tradi ad supplicium iubet: ‘Narcissus ordered that Titius Proculum, given as guardian by Silius to Messalina, be taken to execution as one of Messalina’s accomplices.’ ex consciis: abl. of provenance, ‘from her accomplices’ custodes: it was not uncommon for married couples to have ‘guardians’ ensure reciprocal fidelity. The fact that guardians may themselves take advantage of their position is at the origin of Juvenal’s famous phrase ‘quis custodiet custodes?’) Decrius quoque Calpurnianus vigilum praefectus, Sulpicius Rufus ludi procurator, Iuncus Vergilianus senator eadem poena adfecti.