IV.
Vocantur post haec patres, pergitque Suillius addere reos equites Romanos inlustris, quibus Petra cognomentum. (vocantur post haec patres, pergitque Suillius addere reos equites Romanos inlustris, quibus Petra cognomentum: ‘the senate was then convened and Suillius proceeded to bring to trial [two] prominent Roman knights, whose name [was] Petra.’ Since Claudius had taken upon himself much of the judicial function of the senate, the role of this body was largely reduced to approving and endorsing the decisions of the prince. pergit is historical present.) at causa necis ex eo quod domum suam Mnesteris et Poppaeae congressibus praebuissent. (at causa necis ex eo quod domum suam Mnesteris et Poppaeae congressibus praebuissent: lit. ‘but the real cause of their demise [was] that they had offered their (suam) house for the rendezvous of Mnester and Poppaea.’ causa … ex eo quod: lit. ‘the cause [was] for the reason that … ‘: the redundancy here is very similar to the English ‘the reason why’, or ‘the reason is because … ‘, both so deeply lodged in the language that they are found at all levels of writing. The use of subjunctive praebuissent after quod is because the motive given is not factual, but presumed by someone, thus in virtual oratio obliqua (cf. A.G. 540, 2. and Note 1). Mnester was a famous pantomime or ballet dancer; Poppaea, as mentioned in ch.2, was driven to suicide by Messalina, who resented her as a competitor for Mnester’s attention.) verum nocturnae quietis species alteri obiecta, tamquam vidisset Claudium spicea corona evinctum spicis retro conversis, (verum nocturnae quietis species alteri obiecta, tamquam vidisset Claudium spicea corona evinctum spicis retro conversis: ‘but in fact, a dream (nocturnae quietis species) was laid as a charge to one of the two brothers (alteri) on the ground that he had seen Claudius crowned with a garland of wheat with the ears turned upside down.’ verum: originally a nominative (verum est, ‘it is a true thing’) became in time an adversative conjunction, very close in meaning to sed, ‘but, in reality’, ‘in truth’. tamquam … vidisset: in Tacitus and other later writers, tamquam has often causal force, like quod, to denote an assumed reason, thus with subjunctive. Cf. G. 602, N. 4. spicis retro conversis, lit. ‘the ears being turned the wrong way’, i.e., ‘upside down’, is more likely to be abl. abs. than abl. of manner.) eaque imagine gravitatem annonae praedixisset. (eaque imagine gravitatem annonae praedixisset: ’… and that the vision had predicted a serious grain shortage’; Claudius had assumed power during an impending famine and had done his utmost to avert it. Consequently, spreading rumors about problems with the grain provisions (the annona) was a major offense, the prince himself being personally responsible for, and his popularity depending on, securing sufficient supplies.) quidam pampineam coronam albentibus foliis visam atque ita interpretatum tradidere, vergente autumno mortem principis ostendi. (quidam pampineam coronam albentibus foliis visam atque ita interpretatum tradidere, vergente autumno mortem principis ostendi: ‘some people have reported that the garland seen [was] of whitish vine leaves, and so it was interpreted that the death of the prince later in the fall was being revealed.’ albentibus foliis is abl. of quality, designating or describing the manner of being of something; the whitish leaves, no longer green, signify senescence, death, and decay; vergente autumno is abl. abs., ‘autumn being in its declining phase’ replacing an abl. of time when.) illud haud ambigitur, qualicumque insomnio ipsi fratrique perniciem adlatam. (illud haud ambigitur, qualicumque insomnio ipsi fratrique perniciem adlatam: illud is here highly emphatic: ‘That at least was not in doubt, [namely] that ruin was brought to him and his brother because of a dream of some sort or other.’ The brother must have incurred the same penalty for spreading the rumor of a looming famine. Still, Tacitus shows his indignation at such monstrous misuse of justice.) sestertium quindecies et insignia praeturae Crispino decreta. adiecit Vitellius sestertium decies (sestertium quindecies, … sestertium decies: respectively 1.5 million and one million sesterces; the numerical adverbs quindecies and decies answer the question ‘how many times 100,000 sesterces?’ See note for milies centena milia sestertium in Book 6, ch. 45.) Sosibio, quod Britannicum praeceptis, Claudium consiliis iuvaret. rogatus sententiam et Scipio, ‘cum idem’ inquit ‘de admissis Poppaeae sentiam quod omnes, putate me idem dicere quod omnes,’ eleganti temperamento inter coniugalem amorem et senatoriam necessitatem. (eleganti temperamento inter coniugalem amorem et senatoriam necessitate: abl. abs.: ‘being a tasteful combination between conjugal affection and the obligations of a senator’ A senator was obliged to answer the questions that were put to him. Scipio’s response is as cryptic as any Delphic oracle: it cannot be faulted regardless of the interpretation assigned to it. By saying that he thinks what everybody else thinks, he may mean that he believes in his wife’s guilt, but finds it too painful to admit it directly. It can also mean that he, like everyone else, thinks her innocent, but is too afraid to go against the decision of the palace.)