LIX.
Adversus quae cum augur Lentulus (augur Lentulus: Cn. Cornelius Lentulus had been consul in 14 B.C and was mentioned in the Annals in Book 1, ch. 26, when he barely escaped with his life from the angry soldiery.) aliique varie dissererent, eo decursum est ut pontificis maximi sententiam opperirentur. (eo decursum est ut … opperirentur: decursum est is impersonal use of the passive: ‘it was come to such a point that they should wait for …’; the pair eo….ut ushers in a consecutive sentence, the dependent clause having subjunctive.) Tiberius dilata notione de iure flaminis decretas ob tribuniciam Drusi potestatem caerimonias temperavit, (dilata notione de iure flaminis decretas ob tribuniciam Drusi potestatem caerimonias temperavit: ‘the judicial examination of the priest’s legal position having been laid aside for the moment, Tiberius limited the honors decreed for Drusus’ tribunician powers.’ dilata notione: action on this judicial enquiry is taken in ch. 71 ahead; ceremonias refers to the honors voted to Drusus by the senate in ch. 57.) nominatim arguens insolentiam sententiae aureasque litteras (nominatim arguens insolentiam sententiae aureasque litteras: lit. ‘censuring particularly the strangeness of the proposal and the gold inscription’; insolentiam sententiae aureasque litteras: hendiadys, ‘the strangeness of the proposal concerning the gold inscription’) contra patrium morem. recitatae et Drusi epistulae quamquam ad modestiam flexae pro superbissimis accipiuntur. (Drusi epistulae quamquam ad modestiam flexae pro superbissimis accipiuntur: ‘Drusus’ letter, though adapted to convey humbleness, was taken as being (pro) exceedingly arrogant’. The senate was insulted at being addressed by letter rather than in person. Only the emperor could correspond with the senate in writing. The prep pro is with abl. quamquam is again used adverbially in combination with a perfect participle, a usage seldom found in classical times, but frequent in Tacitus.) huc decidisse cuncta ut ne iuvenis quidem tanto honore accepto adiret urbis deos, ingrederetur senatum, auspicia saltem gentile apud solum inciperet. (huc decidisse cuncta ut ne iuvenis quidem tanto honore accepto adiret urbis deos, ingrederetur senatum, auspicia saltem gentile apud solum inciperet: the correlatives huc …ut, ‘to such a degree …that‘, introduce a negative consecutive sentence with ut ne + subjunctive: lit. ‘so low had things fallen, [they said], that a mere youth, being given so much honor, would not even go to [thank] the gods, enter the senate, or at least inaugurate his authority on the soil of his birthplace.’ auspicia is here used with the sense of ‘authority’, ‘leadership’, ’command’, a meaning derived from the fact that only men in the highest positions of power had the right to take the auspices before any public action was initiated. gentile: ‘from one’s race or gens’, ‘from one’s birthplace’, ‘native’) bellum scilicet aut diverso terrarum distineri, (bellum scilicet aut diverso terrarum distineri: scilicet functions as impersonal verb, sometime constructed with acc. and implied esse, in memory of its original verbal value (Ernout): lit. ‘it was clear there was war’. Sarcasm is frequently associated with scilicet, here much more than just a hint. diverso terrarum distineri: ‘that he was kept away by (or ‘in’) a remote part of the world’; diverso is abl. of diversum used as a noun, ‘a place on the other side [of the world]’) litora et lacus Campaniae cum maxime peragrantem. (cum maxime: adverbial phrase meaning ‘just now’, ‘at this very moment’) sic imbui rectorem generis humani, id primum e paternis consiliis discere. sane gravaretur aspectum civium senex imperator fessamque aetatem et actos labores praetenderet: (sane gravaretur aspectum civium senex imperator fessamque aetatem et actos labores praetenderet: ‘no doubt, an aged emperor might unwillingly bear the sight of people and hold out as an excuse his weary old age and his past labors.’ gravaretur and praetenderet are potential subjunctives; the dep. gravor is transitive and aspectum is direct object: ‘to resent the sight of …’) Druso quod nisi ex adrogantia impedimentum?