XXIX.
Per idem tempus Neronem e liberis Germanici (Neronem e liberis Germanici: Nero was the eldest of Germanicus’ and Agrippina’s children, born probably in 6 A.D. and now entering teenage. e liberis is abl. of origin.) iam ingressum iuventam commendavit patribus, utque munere capessendi vigintiviratus solveretur et quinquennio maturius quam per leges quaesturam peteret (utque munere capessendi vigintiviratus solveretur et quinquennio maturius quam per leges quaesturam peteret: ‘to the end that he might be dispensed from the duty of entering service in the Vigintivirate and might seek the quaestorship five years earlier than in accordance with the law’; vigintiviratus: a group of twenty minor magistrates doing duty in municipal administration, such as service in the courts, in the mint, in road maintenance, in the implementation of the laws, etc. Tenure of any of these posts for five year was required before being considered for the quaestorship. The lowest age for a would-be quaestor was the twenty-fifth year.) non sine inrisu audientium (non sine inrisu audientium: ‘not without derision from the audience’; the mockery was that Tiberius kept up the childish pretense of deferring all decisions to the senate, when in fact he knew his request could not be refused.) postulavit. praetendebat sibi atque fratri decreta eadem petente Augusto. sed neque tum fuisse dubitaverim qui eius modi preces occulti inluderent: ac tamen initia fastigii Caesaribus erant magisque in oculis vetus mos, et privignis cum vitrico levior necessitudo quam avo adversum nepotem. (sed neque tum fuisse dubitaverim qui eius modi preces occulti inluderent: ac tamen initia fastigii Caesaribus erant magisque in oculis vetus mos, et privignis cum vitrico levior necessitudo quam avo adversum nepotem: lit. ‘but I would not doubt that even then there were those who in secret would ridiculed petitions of that kind, and yet the Caesars were then having their debut of power, the old customs [were] much more visible, and the stepsons had a lighter connection with the stepfather than the grandfather with his grandson.’ Augustus had made similar request to the senate for his two stepsons, Drusus and Tiberius, sons of his wife Livia, but that was over forty years earlier (in 24 B.C.) for Tiberius and almost forty (19 B.C.) for Drusus, when the instauration of the principate was only a few years in the past (28 B.C.) and the memory and habits of the republic were still fresh in people’s minds. If the senate had not dared then to deny a petition on behalf of the prince’s stepsons, how likely was it that it would do it now when the petition was for the prince’s own grandson? Caesaribus …privignis …avo are datives of possessor with erant (A.G. 373); Latin prefers to say ‘something is to someone’, English prefers ‘someone has something’; neque …dubitaverim: use of potential subjunctive in the first person singular to make guarded, modest statements. Both present and perfect subjunctive are found so used, without detectable difference in meaning. fuisse …qui …inluderent: subjunctive in relative clause of characteristic or tendency; cf. G. 631.) additur pontificatus et quo primum die forum ingressus est congiarium plebi admodum laetae (congiarium plebi … admodum laetae: congiarium was in earlier times a gift in oil and wine, later a gift in money.) quod Germanici stirpem iam puberem aspiciebat. (quod Germanici stirpem iam puberem aspiciebat: ‘because it saw Germanicus’ issue already grown-up’: quod is followed by indicative in that Tacitus states an established fact; cf. note below for quod …destinaretur, for use of subjunctive after quod.) auctum dehinc gaudium nuptiis Neronis et Iuliae Drusi filiae. (auctum dehinc gaudium nuptiis Neronis et Iuliae Drusi filiae: ‘the rejoicing was then made greater by Nero’s marriage to Julia, the daughter of Drusus.’ Previously (cf. Book 2, ch. 43) the daughter of the governor of Syria, Creticus Silanus, had been promised to Nero.) utque haec secundo rumore ita adversis animis acceptum quod filio Claudii socer Seianus destinaretur. (utque haec secundo rumore ita adversis animis acceptum quod filio Claudii socer Seianus destinaretur: haec (fem. plur.) refers to nuptiae in previous line: ‘just as this [marriage] was accepted with general approbation, similarly the reaction was hostile inasmuch as Sejanus would be destined to become father-in-law to the son of Claudius.’ The name of Claudius’ son was Drusus; he died before the marriage, apparently choking on a pear. Both parts of the sentence with ut …ita are with indicative, which is normally the case with comparative sentences, except in indirect discourse. The causal clause with quod, on the other hand, is here with subjunctive in that the reason given represents the thoughts and feelings of the people, thus is in virtual oratio obliqua. Cf. also note above for quod Germanici stirpem iam puberem aspiciebat) polluisse nobilitatem familiae videbatur suspectumque iam nimiae spei Seianum ultra extulisse. (suspectum iam nimiae spei Seianum ultra extulisse: the governing verb is the preceding videbatur, the subject of which is Tiberius: ‘[he appeared] to have raised Sejanus, already suspected of excessive ambition, beyond all limits.’)