XVIII.
Qua causa C. Silium et Titium Sabinum adgreditur. (qua causa C. Silium et Titium Sabinum adgreditur: ‘for that reason [Sejanus] attacks Gaius Silius and Titius Sabinus.’ For previous mentions of Gaius Silius see Book 1, ch. 31, Book 2, ch. 6 – 7, Book 3, ch. 42 – 46 ) amicitia Germanici perniciosa utrique, Silio et quod ingentis exercitus septem per annos moderator partisque apud Germaniam triumphalibus Sacroviriani belli victor, quanto maiore mole procideret, plus formidinis in alios dispergebatur. (Silio et [perniciosum erat] quod ingentis exercitus septem per annos moderator partisque apud Germaniam triumphalibus Sacroviriani belli victor, quanto maiore mole procideret, plus formidinis in alios dispergebatur: ‘for Silius [fatal was] also the fact (quod) that for seven years [he was] in command of a mighty army, had won triumphal ornaments in Germany, and was the victor in the war against Sacrovir; the more greatness (mole) he would fall from, the more terror would be spread among the others.’ moderator: one who controls, a governor, ruler, master, general; procideret is potential subjunctive. The imperfect dispergebatur denotes intention. partis triumphalibus: abl. abs.: ‘the triumphal insignia having been gained’; for this see Book 1 , ch. 72.) credebant plerique auctam offensionem ipsius intemperantia, immodice iactantis (auctam offensionem ipsius intemperantia, immodice iactantis …: in indirect discourse: ‘that his offence was made more serious by his own indiscretion, immodestly boasting …’; for ipsius see note for etenim pars magna e propinquis ipsius in previous chapter.) snum militem in obsequio duravisse cum alii ad seditiones prolaberentur; (cum … prolaberentur: the temporal cum here would probably be with indicative in direct discourse.) neque mansurum Tiberio imperium si iis quoque legionibus cupido novandi fuisset. (neque mansurum Tiberio imperium si iis quoque legionibus cupido novandi fuisset: ‘lit. ‘that the empire would no longer belong to Tiberius, if also these legion had had the desire of revolting’: conditional sentence in indirect speech; apodosis with mansurum [fuisse] for unreal condition (type III); fuisse is occasionally omitted in later Latin, especially in Tacitus; see G. 597, Remark 4; another example of such omission can be found in Book 1, ch. 33: libertatem redditurus si rerum potitus foret. iis …legionibus: dative of possessor with fuisse, which in English becomes subject in a clause with the appropriate form of ‘to have’; cupido navandi: objective gen. gerund after a noun) destrui per haec fortunam suam Caesar imparemque tanto merito rebatur. (destrui per haec fortunam suam Caesar imparemque tanto merito rebatur: ’Caesar thought that his own power was weakened with such claims and left unequal to obligations of such magnitude.’) nam beneficia eo usque laeta sunt dum videntur exolvi posse: ubi multum antevenere pro gratia odium redditur. (beneficia eo usque laeta sunt dum videntur exolvi posse: ubi multum antevenere pro gratia odium redditur: ‘services are pleasant as long as (eo usque dum) they appear that they can be repaid: when they have greatly advanced [beyond that point] hatred is returned instead of gratitude.’ The aphorism is somewhat reminiscent of odisse quem laeseris in ch. 42 of Agricola. antevenere is absolute use of the perfect in the manner of the Greek gnomic aorist to state a general truth valid for all times. This Hellenism, according to Ernout, gained currency in poetry towards the end of the republic.)