XXVIII.
Vt satis testium et qui servi eadem noscerent repperit, (ut satis testium et qui servi eadem noscerent repperit: temporal ut or ut primum is found with perfect indicative for action immediately preceding that of the main verb: ‘as soon as he found enough witnesses and slaves who might confirm the same [accusations], he …’; noscerent, for adgnoscerent, is potential subjunctive.) aditum ad principem postulat, demonstrato crimine et reo per Flaccum Vescularium equitem Romanum, cui propior cum Tiberio usus erat. (demonstrato crimine et reo per Flaccum Vescularium …, cui propior cum Tiberio usus erat: abl. abs.: ‘the crime and the culprit having been revealed [to Tiberius] through Flaccus Vescularius, who had more intimate dealings with Tiberius’; Tacitus has more to say about Vescularius in Book 6, ch. 10. cui is dat. of possessor with erat: cui erat = ‘he had’.) Caesar indicium haud aspernatus congressus abnuit: posse enim eodem Flacco internuntio sermones commeare. (posse enim eodem Flacco internuntio sermones commeare: in oratio obliqua after abnuit: ‘that communications could come and go by means of the same Flaccus as intermediary’) atque interim Libonem ornat praetura, convictibus adhibet, non vultu alienatus, non verbis commotior (Libonem ornat praetura, convictibus adhibet, non vultu alienatus, non verbis commotior: ‘he distinguishes Libo with the praetorship, admits him to his table, not rendered hostile in his mien, not more brusque in his speech.’ vultu and verbis are ablatives of respect or specification, ‘as to his countenance’, ‘as to his words’; ornat is historical present, like other verbs in the chapter.) (adeo iram condiderat); cunctaque eius dicta factaque, cum prohibere posset, (cum … posset: narrative cum with subjunctive; cf. A.G. 346.) scire malebat, donec Iunius quidam, temptatus ut infernas umbras carminibus eliceret, ad Fulcinium Trionem indicium detulit. (donec Iunius quidam …ad Fulcinium Trionem indicium detulit: one of the fairly rare instances of donec followed by indicative in Tacitus: ‘until a certain Junius took the information to Fulcinius Trio’; this was the first step in the juridical procedure: a private person brought his testimony to a professional accuser, who then presented the case before the magistrates (Allen). Trio will surface again in Book 3, ch. 10, 19, and elsewhere.) celebre inter accussatores Trionis ingenium erat avidumque famae malae. (celebre … Trionis ingenium erat avidumque famae malae: ‘Trio’s abilities were well-known: he was eager to be known for his evildoing.’ famae malae is genitive of quality after an adjective.) statim corripit reum, adit consules, cognitionem senatus poscit. (statim corripit reum, adit consules,cognitionem senatus poscit: ‘at once he seizes hold of the accused, runs to the consuls, demands a judicial inquiry of the senate.’ consules: they were the presidents of the senatorial court.) et vocantur patres, addito consultandum super re magna et atroci. (addito consultandum [esse] super re magna et atroci: abl. abs. consisting of a participle in -to (addito, petito, auspicato, augurato, pugnato, intestato, cognito, demonstrato, etc.) followed by a complementary clause is frequently found in later writers: lit. ‘[a warning] having been added that it was to be consulted on a matter of great and alarming import’; consultandum [esse] is impersonal use of the passive periphrastic conjugation to express necessity, obligation. Cf. G. 251.)