LV.
At Cn. Piso quo properantius destinata inciperet (quo properantius destinata inciperet: quo is used in final clauses whenever a comparative is present: ‘that he might more rapidly execute his plan’) civitatem Atheniensium turbido incessu exterritam oratione saeva increpat, oblique Germanicum perstringens (oblique Germanicum perstringens: ‘indirectly maligning Germanicus’) quod contra decus Romani nominis non Atheniensis tot cladibus extinctos, sed conluviem illam nationum comitate nimia coluisset: (quod … conluviem illam nationum comitate nimia coluisset: ‘because the people of Athens had shown excessive honor to a ragbag of nations’; illam is used dispraisingly; quod and quia take subjunctive when the reason given is conceived in the mind of someone other than the writer, i.e., in this case, presumed by Piso. See also quia …non concederent below. It was possible to buy Athenian citizenship, therefore foreigners flocked to the city, until Augustus ordered the loophole closed to punish the Athenians for their support of Antony at the battle of Actium.) hos enim esse Mithridatis adversus Sullam, Antonii adversus divum Augustum socios. (hos enim esse Mithridatis adversus Sullam, Antonii adversus divum Augustum socios: in indir. speech after increpat: ‘that such people were the supporters of Mithridates against Sulla and of Antony against Augustus’; The Roman dictator Sulla waged the first of a long series of wars against Mithridates VI, king of Pontus in 87-86 B.C. Several Greek cities, including Athens, supported Mithridates in the war with Rome.) etiam vetera obiectabat, quae in Macedones inprospere, violenter in suos fecissent, (etiam vetera obiectabat, quae in Macedones inprospere, violenter in suos fecissent: ‘he even flung their past history in their faces, what they had done unsuccessfully against the Macedonians and cruelly against their compatriots.’ Piso alludes to the poor performance of the Athenians in their war against Philip V of Macedonia in 200 B.C. and their ungrateful treatment of famous men like Aristides and Socrates.) offensus urbi propria quoque ira quia Theophilum quendam Areo iudicio falsi damnatum (Areo iudicio falsi damnatum: Areo, short for Areopagus, or Hill of Ares, was the location of the court in Athens where severe crimes were tried: ‘found guilty of forgery by the verdict of the Aeropagus’) precibus suis non concederent. (offensus urbi propria quoque ira quia … non concederent: ‘also embittered with the city on account of personal resentment in that they did not comply with …’; urbi is dative of agent after the passive offensus.) exim navigatione celeri per Cycladas et compendia maris adsequitur Germanicum apud insulam Rhodum, (per Cycladas et compendia maris adsequitur Germanicum apud insulam Rhodum: ‘through the Cyclades and a shortened route by sea he caught up with Germanicus near the island of Rhodes.’ compendia maris: ‘the saving (in distance and time) of the sea’. Cyclades …insulam Rhodum: Cyclades is a cluster of islands in the center Aegean sea, between SE Greece and SW Turkey; Rhodes is an island off the SW corner of Turkey.) haud nescium quibus insectationibus petitus foret: (haud nescium quibus insectationibus petitus foret: ‘not unaware by what kinds of slander he had been pursued’; petitus foret is subjunctive in indirect question introduced by the interrogative quibus.) sed tanta mansuetudine agebat ut, cum orta tempestas raperet in abrupta possetque interitus inimici ad casum referri, (cum orta tempestas raperet in abrupta possetque interitus inimici ad casum referri: ‘when a storm was pushing [Piso] towards the rocks and the death of his enemy could be ascribed to chance, …’; narrative or historical cum + subjunctive gives the circumstance that brings about the action of the main verb, misit.) miserit triremis quarum subsidio discrimini eximeretur. (tanta mansuetudine agebat ut … miserit triremis quarum subsidio discrimini eximeretur: consecutive sentence with the correlatives tanta …ut introducing the main and dependent clause, the latter with subjunctive: ‘he acted with such generosity, that he sent some warships, with the help of which [Piso] would be subtracted from danger.’ quarum eximeretur: subjunctive in relative clause of final sense.) neque tamen mitigatus Piso, et vix diei moram perpessus linquit (vix diei moram perpessus linquit …: ‘having barely tolerated the delay of one day, he left …’; perpessus is from perpetior.) Germanicum praevenitque. et postquam Syriam ac legiones attigit, largitione, ambitu, infimos manipularium iuvando, cum veteres centuriones, severos tribunos demoveret locaque eorum clientibus suis vel deterrimo cuique attribueret, (cum … demoveret … attribueret … sineret: causal cum + subjunctive) desidiam in castris, licentiam in urbibus, vagum ac lascivientem per agros militem sineret, eo usque corruptionis provectus est ut sermone vulgi parens legionum haberetur. (eo usque corruptionis provectus est ut sermone vulgi parens legionum haberetur: another consecutive sentence on the model of tanta mansuetudine agebat ut … miserit above, the correlatives eo usque …ut replacing tanta …ut: ‘he carried corruption to such an extreme that in the talk of the soldiery he was held to be the father of the legions.’ corruptionis is partitive genitive after the neuter eo, the abl. of id.) nec Plancina se intra decora feminis tenebat, sed exercitio equitum, decursibus cohortium interesse, in Agrippinam, in Germanicum contumelias iacere, (interesse … iacere: historical infinitives) quibusdam etiam bonorum militum ad mala obsequia promptis, quod haud invito imperatore ea fieri occultus rumor incedebat. (quibusdam etiam bonorum militum ad mala obsequia promptis, quod haud invito imperatore ea fieri occultus rumor incedebat: abl. abs. with dependent causal clause: ‘even some of the good soldiers being willing to support her culpable schemes, since a covert rumor circulated that they were not done without the emperor’s acquiescence.’) nota haec Germanico, sed praeverti ad Armenios instantior cura fuit. (nota haec Germanico, sed praeverti ad Armenios instantior cura fuit: ‘such doings were known to Germanicus, but to turn his attention to Armenia was for him the more pressing concern.’ praeverti is deponent from praevertor.)