XXII.
At (at: a particle that signals a change from one topic to another. Often ignored in translation when no suitable English equivalent can be found. Cf. note for at in ch. 19.) Romae Lepida, cui super Aemiliorum decus L. Sulla et Cn. Pompeius proavi erant, (cui super Aemiliorum decus L. Sulla et Cn. Pompeius proavi erant: cui is dat. of possessor with erant. Cf. note for dum ea ratio barbaro fuit in previous chapter: ‘beside the distinction of the Aemilian house, [Aemilia] had Lucius Sulla and Gnaeus Pompeius as great-grandfathers.’ The Aemilian gens was second only to the Julian and Claudian family in Rome. It counted famous war leaders, censors, consuls and dictators among its members. Two major Roman highways were named after it and even today one the Italian regions, Emilia-Romagna, bears its name. L. Sulla et Cn. Pompeius proavi: Faustus, the son of the dictator Sulla, had married the daughter of Gnaeus Pompeius, Julius Caesar’s great rival. Their daughter Cornelia was the mother of Lepida from her marriage to Aemilius Lepidus.) defertur simulavisse partum ex P. Quirinio (P. Quirinio: mentioned once before in Book 2, ch. 30 and one last time in the Annals in ch. 48 ahead.) divite atque orbo. adiciebantur adulteria venena quaesitumque per Chaldaeos in domum Caesaris, (quaesitumque per Chaldaeos in domum Caesaris: lit. ‘inquiries having been made through the astrologers in respect of the imperial family’: a treasonable offense, punishable by death; Chaldei are the people of Chaldea, a region of ancient Assyria in the southern part of the valley between the Tigris and the Euphrates. They were notorious for their knowledge of astrology and ability to predict the future.) defendente ream Manio Lepido fratre. Quirinius post dictum repudium ad huc infensus quamvis infami ac nocenti miserationem addiderat. (Quirinius post dictum repudium ad huc infensus quamvis infami ac nocenti miserationem addiderat: lit. ‘Quirinus, to such a degree inimical [to Aemilia] even after the divorce being declared, had increased the compassion [for her], however dishonored and at fault.’ quamvis is here in an adverbial capacity with adjectives, a usage that is fairly common; cf. G. 609, Note 2.) haud facile quis dispexerit illa in cognitione mentem principis: (haud facile quis dispexerit illa in cognitione mentem principis: dispexerit is potential subjunctive: both present and perfect, without distinction, refer to the immediate future (A.G. 446): ‘not easily could anyone make out the true sentiments of Tiberius during that process.’) adeo vertit ac miscuit irae et clementiae signa. deprecatus primo senatum ne maiestatis crimina tractarentur, (deprecatus primo senatum ne maiestatis crimina tractarentur: ‘first he entreated the senate not to consider the charges of treason.’ deprecor is found followed by acc.+ infinit. or ut, ne, quin, quominus + subjunctive.) mox M. Servilium e consularibus aliosque testis inlexit ad proferenda quae velut reicere voluerat. (M. Servilium e consularibus aliosque testis inlexit ad proferenda quae velut reicere voluerat: ‘he inveigled Marcus Servilius, one of the ex-consuls, and the other witnesses to produce the evidence which he had seemingly wanted to reject.’ inlexit ad proferenda quae … : inlexit or illexit is from illicio; ad proferanda: use of acc. gerundive to express both purpose and obligation: ‘things that should be brought forward’; cf. the similar use of the dat. gerundive in exemit … dicendae sententiae below velut: here adverb, ‘just as if’; Marcus Servilius was mentioned a first time in Book 2, Ch. 48.) idemque (idemque: ‘he, likewise, …’ ) servos Lepidae, cum militari custodia haberentur, transtulit ad consules neque per tormenta interrogari passus est de iis quae ad domum suam pertinerent. exemit etiam Drusum consulem designatum dicendae primo loco sententiae; (exemit etiam Drusum consulem designatum dicendae primo loco sententiae: ‘he excused Drusus, the consul-elect, from having to cast his vote in the first place.’ eximo is here with dat. gerundive; dicendae …sententae: compare with ad proferenda above, also expressing purpose.) quod alii civile rebantur, ne ceteris adsentiendi necessitas fieret, (quod alii civile rebantur, ne ceteris adsentiendi necessitas fieret: lit. ‘which some saw as a civil act, to avoid that the necessity for the others of agreeing be created’; adsentiendi is objective genitive gerund after a noun.) quidam ad saevitiam trahebant: neque enim cessurum nisi damnandi officio. (quidam ad saevitiam trahebant: neque enim cessurum nisi damnandi officio: ‘others set the gesture down to cruelty; in fact, [Drusus] would never had renounced his privilege, except for the task of condemning.’ The thinking here is quite Machiavellian: they assumed that Drusus was his father’s pawn, and if the latter prevented him from speaking first, it could only mean that he expected a conviction, but did not want his son (and himself) to incur the odium (Jackson). neque cessurum [fuisse] nisi …: conditional sentence in indir. speech after trahebant; the condition is contrary to fact (type III), hence the participle in -urus + fuisse in the apodosis (A.G. 589, b.); the protasis is without verb.)