LXXV.
Obiere eo anno viri inlustres Asinius Saloninus, Marco Agrippa et Pollione Asinio avis, fratre Druso insignis Caesarique progener destinatus, (Asinius Saloninus, Marco Agrippa et Pollione Asinio avis, fratre Druso insignis Caesarique progener destinatus: Asinius Saloninus was the son of Asinius Gallus (cf. Book 1, ch. 12) and the grandson of Asinius Pollio, who had stormed Salona in Dalmatia (today Solin in Croatia) in 39 B.C. and had thus passed down the surname Saloninus to his descendants. The mother of Asinius Saloninus was Vipsania, the daughter of Marcus Agrippa, Augustus’ famous lieutenant, friend, and son-in-law. The fact that Vipsania had previously been married to Tiberius and was the mother of Tiberius’ son Drusus, made Drusus and Asinius half-brothers. Asinius was also the promised husband of one of Germanicus’ daughters, or Tiberius’ granddaughters, since Germanicus was Tiberius’ son by adoption. Marco Agrippa et Pollione Asinio avis is abl. abs., ‘Marcus Agrippa and Pollio Asinius being his grandparents’ (respectively on the mother’s and on the father’s side); fratre Druso insignis: ‘in the public eye on account of his half-brother Drusus’) et Capito Ateius, de quo memoravi, (Capito Ateius, de quo memoravi: see ch. 70.) principem in civitate locum studiis civilibus adsecutus, (principem in civitate locum studiis civilibus adsecutus [est]: ‘he achieved the first place in the city in the field of law.’) sed avo centurione Sullano, patre praetorio. consulatum ei adceleraverat Augustus ut Labeonem Antistium (Labeonem Antistium: often mentioned as an authority in jurisprudence) isdem artibus praecellentem dignatione eius magistratus antiret. namque illa aetas duo pacis decora simul tulit: sed Labeo incorrupta libertate et ob id fama celebratior, (ob id fama celebratior: lit. ‘because of this, more talked about as to fame’; fama is abl. of specification, ‘in respect to fame’; fama celebratior is probably redundancy.) Capitonis obsequium dominantibus magis probabatur. (Capitonis obsequium dominantibus magis probabatur: ‘Capito’s deference was more pleasing to those in power.’ The verb probo in its passive forms is always with dative, which may be regarded as a dative of agent.) illi quod praeturam intra stetit commendatio ex iniuria, huic quod consulatum adeptus est odium ex invidia oriebatur. (illi quod praeturam intra stetit commendatio ex iniuria, huic quod consulatum adeptus est odium ex invidia oriebatur: illi and huic are datives of possessor, the first with implied erat, the second with oriebatur: ‘to that one, because he did not go beyond the praetorship, public approval grew from the unfair treatment; to this one, because he obtained the consulate, odium grew from envy.’ ex iniuria, …ex invidia: abl. of the source; cf. A.G. 403.)