XXXII.
Bona inter accusatores dividuntur, et praeturae extra ordinem (praeturae extra ordinem: ‘in excess of the prescribed number of twelve’) datae iis qui senatorii ordinis erant. tunc Cotta Messalinus, (Cotta Messalinus: not on Tacitus’ list of favorites (see for example Book 4, ch. 20, and Book 6. ch. 5), though Ovid has only praise for him.) ne imago Libonis exequias posterorum comitaretur, (ne imago Libonis exequias posterorum comitaretur: ‘to prohibit that Libo’s image be carried at the funerals of his descendants.’ A form of damnstio memoriae or ‘memory erasure’, often extending to the very names, as in the case of Cassius and Brutus) censuit, Cn. Lentulus, (Cn. Lentulus: cf. Book 1, ch. 27 and Book 4, ch. 44.) ne quis Scribonius cognomentum Drusi adsumeret. (ne quis Scribonius cognomentum Drusi adsumeret: a second negative purpose clause following on the heel of the previous one to denote prohibition. Libo’ s full name was M. Libo Drusus; cf. ch. 27. quis is for aliquis after ne; Drusi is appositional genitive; cf. A.G. 343, d.) supplicationum dies (supplicationum dies: ‘days decreed as thanksgiving’; supplicationum is objective genitive.) Pomponii Flacci (Pomponii Flacci: he would become consul the following yeas, 17 A.D.) sententia constituti, dona Iovi, Marti, Concordiae, utque idumn Septembrium dies, quo se Libo interfecerat, dies festus haberetur, L. Piso et Gallus Asinius et Papius Mutilus et L. Apronius (L. Piso et Gallus Asinius et Papius Mutilus et L. Apronius: L. Piso is perhaps the man mentioned in ch. 34 as Lucius Calpurnius Piso; Gallus Asinius was previously mentioned in Book 1, ch. 8, 12, 76f; Papius Mutilus later (Book 3, ch. 25) gave his name to the Papia Poppea law; the name of Lucius Apronius, consul in 8 A.D., occurred in Book 1, ch. 56 and 72.) decrevere; ([decrevere] ut idumn Septembrium … dies festus haberetur: verbs of resolving, like decerno, are followed by a complementary clause with ut + subjunctive: ‘they resolved that the Ides of September be considered a holiday’; the Ides fall on the thirteenth day of the month, except March, May, July, and October, in which the Ides are two days later.) quorum auctoritates adulationesque (auctoritates adulationesque: perhaps hendiadys, ‘sycophantic initiatives’) rettuli ut sciretur vetus id in re publica malum. facta et de mathematicis magisque Italia pellendis senatus consulta; (facta [sunt] et de mathematicis magisque Italia pellendis senatus consulta: lit. ‘senate decrees were also passed about the astrologers and magicians to be expelled from Italy.’ Italia is abl. of separation, here without ex in that pellere belongs to a group of verbs which are found without the preposition. In saxo deiectus below the prep de is also omitted being already prefixed to the verb. See G. 390, Note 2 and 3.) quorum e numero L. Pituanius saxo deiectus est, (saxo deiectus est: the rock is the Tarpeian rock, generally believed to have been located at the north end of the Forum. From its top criminals and traitors, including the woman that gave it its name, were hurled to their death.) in P. Marcium consules extra portam Esquilinam, (portam Esquilinam: on the Esquiline Hill in the east side of the city and part of the ancient Servian wall; today the gate is within the much larger Porta Maggiore.) cum classicum canere iussissent, more prisco advertere. (cum classicum canere iussissent, more prisco advertere: narrative cum + subjunctive gives the circumstances accompanying the main action: ‘when they had ordered the trumpet to sound, the consuls carried out the punishment according to ancient custom.’ The criminal was flogged until dead then beheaded.)