XIX.
Paucis post diebus Caesar auctor senatui fuit Vitellio atque Veranio et Servaeo sacerdotia tribuendi: (Caesar auctor senatui fuit … sacerdotia tribuendi: lit. ‘Caesar was the originator of the proposal to the senate of bestowing priesthoods to …’; sacerdotia tribuendi: the only two cases of the gerund that admit a direct object are genitive and abl. without preposition. When the gerund is dat., or acc. with preposition, or ablative with preposition the gerundive must be used instead.) Fulcinio suffragium ad honores pollicitus monuit ne facundiam violentia praecipitaret. (Fulcinio suffragium ad honores pollicitus monuit ne facundiam violentia praecipitaret: the subject is Tiberius: ‘he promised support to Fulcinius in his quest for preferment and warned him not to spoil his eloquence by being too forceful.’ ne praecipitaret: moneo is most often followed by complementary ut or ne clause with subjunctive.) is finis fuit ulciscenda Germanici morte, (is finis fuit ulciscenda Germanici morte: lit. ‘this was the end in the death of Germanicus to be avenged.’ Freely: ‘such was the conclusion of the measures demanded in reprisal for Germanicus’ death.’ Cf. also repetundis auspiciis below. ulciscenda morte is probably abl. of place, and many editors add in to the simple abl.) non modo apud illos homines qui tum agebant etiam secutis temporibus vario rumore iactata. adeo maxima quaeque ambigua sunt, (adeo maxima quaeque ambigua sunt: ‘all the greatest events [in history] are without exception (adeo) wrapped in obscurity.’) dum alii quoquo modo audita pro compertis habent, (dum alii quoquo modo audita pro compertis habent: ’while some take for proven things heard in what way soever’) alii vera in contrarium vertunt, et gliscit utrumque posteritate. (gliscit utrumque posteritate: ‘both [distortions of the facts] magnify in subsequent generations’; posteritate is abl. of place) at Drusus urbe egressus repetendis auspiciis mox ovans introiit. (at Drusus urbe egressus repetendis auspiciis mox ovans introiit: at introduces a change of subject: ‘Drusus, meanwhile, left the city to renew the auspices, then re-entered it to receive the ovation.’ repetundis auspiciis: dat. gerundive to denote purpose, in place of ad + acc. Any use of gerundive implies some form of necessity or obligation: in the present case, Drusus exits Rome to regain the imperium, or military command (lost whenever a general came inside the city walls), and to do so he had first to repeat the taking of the auspices. The ovation had been postponed once before in ch. 11, out of regard for Germanicus’ funeral.) paucosque post dies Vipsania mater eius excessit, una omnium Agrippae liberorum miti obitu: (Vipsania …una omnium Agrippae liberorum miti obitu: ‘Vipsania, the only one of all the children of Agrippa with a peaceful death’; Vipsania was the daughter of Agrippa by his first wife Pomponia; Gaius and Lucius Caesar (cf. Book 1, ch. 3), Agrippa Postumus (cf. Book 1, ch. 6), Julia (Book 4, ch. 71), Agrippina (Book 6, ch. 25) were the children of Agrippa by his second wife Julia, the daughter of Augustus. Tacitus ignore Agrippa’s issue from his third marriage with Marcella. Gaius and Lucius Caesar were believed to have been poisoned, Postmus was murdered on Tiberius’ orders, Agrippina was starved to death, Julia died in exile, possibly of neglect.) nam ceteros manifestum ferro vel creditum est veneno aut fame extinctos.