XIII.
At (at: marks a change of topic: ‘but’, ‘now’, ‘meanwhile’) Tiberius nihil intermissa rerum cura, negotia pro solaciis accipiens, ius civium, preces sociorum tractabat; factaque auctore eo senatus consulta ut civitati Cibyraticae apud Asiam, Aegiensi apud Achaiam, motu terrae labefactis, subveniretur (factaque auctore eo senatus consulta ut civitati Cibyraticae apud Asiam, Aegiensi apud Achaiam, motu terrae labefactis, subveniretur: auctore eo is abl. abs.: ‘he being the promoter, senate decrees were passed (facta [sunt]) in order to bring assistance to the community of Cibyra in Asia and of Aegium in Achaia, severely damaged by an earthquake.’ Cibyra or Kibyra was in the southwestern corner of Phrygia in central-west Turkey; Aegium, the main city of ancient Achaia, modern Vostizza on the Corinthian gulf in central Greece) remissione tributi in triennium. et Vibius Serenus pro consule ulterioris Hispaniae de vi publica damnatus ob atrocitatem morum in insulam Amorgum deportatur. (Vibius Serenus pro consule ulterioris Hispaniae de vi publica damnatus ob atrocitatem morum in insulam Amorgum deportatur: ‘the proconsul of ulterior Spain, Vibius Serenus, condemned for civic violence in view of his savage temperament, was deported to the island of Amorgum.’ Vibius Serenus was one of the accusers of Libo Scribonius Drusus (Book 2, ch. 30); he was later recalled from exile to face charges of treason brought by his own son. See ch. 28 – 30. de vi publica: the genitive of the penalty can be found replaced by de + abl. The charge was for using violence (torture, incarceration, execution, scourging) against Roman citizens who had appealed to the emperor. This was in contravention of the Lex Iulia passed in 8 B.C. in insulam Amorgum: one of the Cyclades SE of Naxos; ulterioris Hispaniae: before Augustus’ division of Spain into three provinces, Hispania ulterior comprised Lusitania and Hispania Baetica.) Carsidius Sacerdos, reus tamquam frumento hostem Tacfarinatem iuvisset, absolvitur, (Carsidius Sacerdos, reus tamquam frumento hostem Tacfarinatem iuvisset, absolvitur: ‘Carsidius Sacerdos, accused on the grounds that (tamquam) he had helped the enemy Tacfarinas with grain was absolved.’ Carsidius later became praetor ubanus in 27 A.D. He will be mentioned again in Book 6, ch. 48. absolvitur is historical present, like deportatur above.) eiusdemque criminis C. Gracchus. hunc comitem exilii admodum infantem (C. Gracchus … admodum infantem: ‘Gaius Gracchus …not more than (admodum = ‘only’) an infant’; his father Sempronius Gracchus was first mentioned in Book 1, ch. 53, where the reason for his exile is given.) pater Sempronius in insulam Cercinam (in insulam Cercinam: a group of islands off the coast of Tunisia in the gulf of Gabes) tulerat. illic adultus inter extorris et liberalium artium nescios, (inter extorris et liberalium artium nescios: ‘among exiles and men ignorant of culture’) mox per Africam ac Siciliam mutando sordidas merces sustentabatur; (mutando sordidas merces sustentabatur: ‘supported himself by trading vile merchandise.’ mutando is instrumental abl. gerund; sustentabatur is passive in form and reflexive in meaning.) neque tamen effugit magnae fortunae pericula. ac ni Aelius Lamia et L. Apronius qui Africam obtinuerant insontem protexissent, claritudine infausti generis et paternis s adversis foret abstractus. (ni Aelius Lamia et L. Apronius qui Africam obtinuerant insontem protexissent, claritudine infausti generis et paternis s adversis foret abstractus: ‘had not Aelius Lamia and Lucius Apronius, who had governed the province of Africa, protected the innocent man, he would have been swept away to destruction because of the nobility of his blighted family and the ill fortune of the father.’ Aelius Lamia was consul and holder of high offices under Augustus and Tiberius; Lucius Apronius was legate under Germanicus (see Book 1, ch. 56) and active in the senate under Tiberius. ni protexissent, …foret abstractus: negative conditional sentence with contrary-to-fact condition: plup. subjunctive in both protasis and apodosis; see A.G. 517 and footnote.)