VI.
Deinde obstrepentibus iis quibus ea contumelia parabatur, discors Suillio Silius acriter incubuit, (deinde obstrepentibus iis quibus ea contumelia parabatur, discors Suillio Silius acriter incubuit: ‘soon after, loudly protesting those for whom this rough treatment was intended, Silius, bitterly hostile to Suillius, went grimly on the attack.’ obstrepentibus iis is abl. abs., followed by relative clause) veterum oratorum exempla referens qui famam et posteros praemia eloquentiae cogitavissent. pulcherrimam alioquin et bonarum artium principem sordidis ministeriis foedari; (pulcherrimam alioquin et bonarum artium principem sordidis ministeriis foedari: in indirect speech after incubuit or verb of saying implicit in it: ‘[he charged] that the first and in other respects the noblest of the liberal arts was being polluted by mercenary use.’ sordidis ministeriis is either abl. of instrument (replacing the abl. of agent with a or ab when the efficient cause of the action is not a person) or dat. of purpose.) ne fidem quidem integram manere ubi magnitudo quaestuum spectetur. (ne fidem quidem integram manere ubi magnitudo quaestuum spectetur: ‘not even the loyalty of advocates remained whole if [only] the amount of the fee demanded was regarded’; ubi … spectetur: subjunctive in ubi clause in indirect speech; ubi here has conditional sense, especially since the next clause begins with quod si. Cf. G. 590, n. 3.) quod si in nullius mercedem negotia agantur pauciora fore: (quod si in nullius mercedem negotia agantur pauciora fore: conditional sentence in indirect speech: ‘but if judicial trials (negotia) were conducted for the profit (in … mercedem) of no one. there would be fewer of them’; in direct discourse the same sentence would be si … negotia aguntur pauciora erunt; in oratio obliqua, the protasis has present subjunctive, the apodosis future participle (+ esse implied). In quod si the relative quod has no specific function (Ernout), except perhaps to denote here contrast with the previous clause.) nunc inimicitias accusationes, odia et iniurias foveri, ut quo modo vis morborum pretia medentibus, sic fori tabes pecuniam advocatis ferat. (ut quo modo vis morborum pretia medentibus, sic fori tabes pecuniam advocatis ferat: comparative sentence in indirect discourse; ut quo modo … ferat is the subordinate clause with subjunctive, and sic … [ferre] the main clause with infinitive: ‘in the same way as the violence of diseases brings revenues to physicians, so the corruption of the justice system [brings] money to the lawyers.’ ut quomodo, as correlative of sic occurs at least once in Cicero.) meminissent Asinii, Messalae ac recentiorum Arruntii et Aesernini: (meminissent Asinii, Messalae ac recentiorum Arruntii et Aesernini: ‘they should keep in mind the Asinii, the Messalas, the Arruntii, and the Aesernini.’ The plural names are for rhetorical effect. The reference is to C. Asinius Pollio, a distinguished orator, politician, soldier of the first century B.C. He was the father of Asinius Gallus often mentioned in the Annals. See for instance Book 1, ch. 12 and 13, Book 6, ch. 23. M. Valerius Messala Corvinus also was a 1st-century B.C. general, politician, and gifted orator. Messalina was his grand-granddaughter. Cf. Book 3, ch. 34. For Lucius Arruntius see Book 1, ch. 13 and Book 6, ch. 48. Aserninus Marcllus was the grandson of Asinius Pollio. Cf. Book 3, ch. 11.) ad summa provectos incorrupta vita et facundia. talia dicente consule designato, consentientibus aliis, parabatur sententia qua lege repetundarum tenerentur, (talia dicente consule designato, consentientibus aliis, parabatur sententia qua lege repetundarum tenerentur: talia dicente consule designato, consentientibus aliis is abl. abs.: ‘the consul designate pronouncing these words and others agreeing, a proposal was prepared by which [violators] were held liable under the law of extorsion.’ lege repetundarum: the lex pecuniae repetundae, lit. ‘the law of [extorted] money to be recovered’, was the legal instrument for the restoration of possessions wrongfully acquired, be they money or other property.) cum Suillius et Cossutianus et ceteri qui non iudicium, quippe in manifestos, sed poenam statui videbant, circumsistunt Caesarem ante acta deprecantes. (cum Suillius et Cossutianus et ceteri qui non iudicium, quippe in manifestos, sed poenam statui videbant, circumsistunt Caesarem ante acta deprecantes: lit. ‘when Suillius and Cossutianus and the rest, who saw that not a trial, but punishment would be decreed [in their case] – since their guilt was manifest — they crowded around Caesar deprecating wrongdoing done (acta) in the past’; Cossutianus may have been mentioned before in the lost parts of the Annals; he will receive attention again in Book 16, ch. 28 and 33. cum … videbant: use of inverse cum + indicative, so-called because the temporal clause is placed after the main clause (here with parabatur) and appears dominant in carrying the narrative forward. Cf. B. 288, 2. quippe in manifestos: unusually elliptic even by Tacitus’ standards; it refers to the proposed measure being directed at men obviously guilty of extorsion (in manifestos), thus needing no trial before their punishment. ante acta deprecantes: the extended meaning is ‘begging mercy for crimes committed before the law was in force.’)