X.
Postera die Fulcinius Trio Pisonem apud consules postulavit. (Fulcinius Trio Pisonem apud consules postulavit: Fulcinius Trio is the notorious informer active in prosecuting Libo Drusus; cf. notes in Book 2, ch. 28. As on that occasion, he is required to inform the consuls of his intention to bring Piso’s case before the senate.) contra Vitellius ac Veranius ceterique Germanicum comitati tendebant, (contra Vitellius ac Veranius … tendebant: ‘were opposed to Trio’s decision’; Vitellius and Veranius, both legion legates under Germanicus, had been among the amici who had witnessed the prince’s last moments and had sworn to die rather than fail to avenge their general. Cf. Book 2, ch. 71.) nullas esse partis Trioni; neque se accusatores sed rerum indices et testis mandata Germanici perlaturos. (se … rerum indices et testis mandata Germanici perlaturos: lit. ‘[they said] that they (se) were the possessors of evidence and witnesses [of the facts], going to make public Germanicus’ last instructions.’) ille dimissa eius causae delatione, ut priorem vitam accusaret obtinuit, petitumque est a principe cognitionem exciperet. quod ne reus quidem abnuebat, (petitumque est a principe cognitionem exciperet. quod ne reus quidem abnuebat: ‘the emperor was asked to take charge of the case, something that (quod) not even the accused refused.’ Piso’s trial illustrates the different ways trials were handled in imperial Rome: Piso himself hoped he would be tried by an ordinary court, presided over by a praetor (see the answer he gave Marsus Vibius in Book 2, ch. 79); another way was for the emperor to handle the case himself; the third way was to have the trial conducted in the senate under the leadership of a consul. Piso ended up with the least desired option, a trial in the senate, where, as he well knew, he had many enemies. petitum est …exciperet: the verb peto is here followed by subjunctive alone: normally by a final clause with ut.) studia populi et patrum metuens: contra Tiberium spernendis rumoribus validum et conscientiae matris innexum esse; ([ratus] contra Tiberium spernendis rumoribus validum et conscientiae matris innexum esse: this and the next excerpt are in oratio obliqua after metuens: both reflect Piso’s satisfaction at having his case tried (as he thought) by the emperor himself: lit. ‘thinking that Tiberius was strong-minded enough to despise public censure and that he was restrained [in severity] by the complicity of his mother’; spernendis rumoribus, ‘for rumors to be despised’, is use of dat. gerundive to express purpose; innexum is from innecto.) veraque aut in deterius credita iudice ab uno facilius discerni, odium et invidiam apud multos valere. (veraque aut in deterius credita iudice ab uno facilius discerni, odium et invidiam apud multos valere: ‘that facts and distorted perceptions of facts were more easily distinguished by a single judge, hatred and rancor were strong in a group of many’) haud fallebat Tiberium moles cognitionis quaque ipse fama distraheretur. (haud fallebat Tiberium moles cognitionis quaque ipse fama distraheretur: ‘the magnitude of the judicial examination did not escape Tiberius, and by what kind of gossip he himself was torn in pieces.’ qua fama …distraheretur: indirect question with subjunctive introduced by the interrogative qua fama, abl. of agent.; qua is the adjective form of the interrogative pronoun quis, quid, but the declension of quis, quid differs from that of the adjective qui, qua, quod, which is identical to that of the relative pronoun; cf. A.G. 147 – 148.) igitur paucis familiarium adhibitis minas accusantium et hinc preces (hinc preces: ‘pleading from the defense side’) audit integramque causam (integramque causam: i.e. without adding any comments of his own) ad senatum remittit.