XXXIX.
Eodem anno (eodem anno: the story told in this and next chapter did not occur in 16 A.D., the current year in the narrative, but began with the death of Augustus in 14 A.D. and reached its conclusion two years later.) mancipii unius audacia, ni mature subventum foret, discordiis armisque civilibus rem publicam perculisset. (ni mature subventum foret, discordiis armisque civilibus rem publicam perculisset: ‘had not timely measures been taken, it would have thrown the state into confusion by discords and civil war.’ Conditional sentence contrary to fact (type III) with plup. subjunctive in both protasis and apodosis for action in past time. Cf. A.G. 517.) Postumi Agrippae (Postumi Agrippae: the last of Augustus’ grandsons, he was the son of Marcus Agrippa and Augustus’ daughter Julia; see Book 1, ch. 3.) servus, nomine Clemens, comperto fine Augusti pergere in insulam Planasiam (in insulam Planasiam: Planasia, today Pianosa, is a small island in the Tyrrhenian sea, halfway between Corsica and the Italian mainland, south of Elba island.) et fraude aut vi raptum Agrippam ferre ad exercitus Germanicos non servili animo concepit. ausa eius inpedivit tarditas onerariae navis: (ausa eius inpedivit tarditas onerariae navis: ‘the slowness of movement of the merchant ship prevented his bold undertaking.’ ausa is the use of the neuter plural of ausus as a noun.) atque interim patrata caede (interim patrata caede: abl. abs., ‘the murder meanwhile having been accomplished’) ad maiora et magis praecipitia conversus furatur cineres vectusque Cosam Etruriae promunturium (Cosam Etruriae promunturium: Cosa is modern Ansedonia in the Orbetello peninsula south of Grosseto in Tuscsny. The promontory itself is called today Monte Argentario.) ignotis locis sese abdit, donec crinem barbamque promitteret: (donec … promitteret: in old Latin donec (‘while’) was consistently with indicative, but Livy and later writers most often prefer the subjunctive.) nam aetate et forma haud dissimili in dominum erat. (aetate et forma haud dissimili in dominum erat: aetate and forma are ablatives of respect; dissimili agrees in case and number with forma, the nearer of the two nouns: lit. ‘he was not of unlike age and appearance to his master.’ in dominum is equivalent to the dat. domino; cf. similitudo rei or ad rem.) tum per idoneos et secreti eius socios crebrescit vivere Agrippam, (crebrescit vivere Agrippam: crebrescit, a historical present, is followed by complementary infinitive + accusative: ‘the rumour spreads that Agrippa is alive.’) occultis primum sermonibus, ut vetita solent, mox vago rumore apud inperitissimi cuiusque promptas auris aut rursum apud turbidos eoque nova cupientis. atque ipse adire municipia obscuro diei, (obscuro diei: ‘at dusk’; the genitive diei, according to Ernout, is an abusive extension of the use of the partitive.) neque propalam aspici neque diutius isdem locis, sed quia veritas visu et mora, falsa festinatione et incertis valescunt, (quia … valescunt: unlike causal cum, quia is reliably with the indicative.) relinquebat famam aut praeveniebat.