XXIX.
Tum accusator Cn. Lentulum et Seium Tuberonem (Cn. Lentulum et Seium Tuberonem: for Gnaeus Lentulus see ch. 44 ahead and Book 1, ch. 27; for Seius Tubero see Book 2, ch. 20.) nominat, magno pudore Caesaris, (magno pudore Caesaris: abl. of attendant circumstance; see G. 392. It is reported that when Tiberius heard of the charge against Lentulus he exclaimed that he, Tiberius, did not deserve to live longer if Lentulus hated him.) cum primores civitatis, intimi ipsius (ipsius: to avoid ambiguity, the pronoun ipse is used to refer to the wider subject of discourse (here Tiberius), rather than the more restricted grammatical subject (here intimi).) amici, Lentulus senectutis extremae, Tubero defecto corpore, (senectutis extremae … defecto corpore: another example of Tacitus’ passion for stylistic variety: genitive of quality followed by abl. of quality, the latter reserved more for physical descriptions; cf. A.G. 415, Note.) tumultus hostilis et turbandae rei publicae accerserentur. (cum … tumultus hostilis et turbandae rei publicae accerserentur: causal clause with cum + subjunctive explaining the reason of Tiberius’ magno pudore: ‘as they were accused of plotting armed insurrection and harming the state’) sed hi quidem (quidem: ‘at any rate’) statim exempti: in patrem ex servis quaesitum et quaestio adversa accusatori fuit. qui scelere vaecors, (scelere vaecors: ‘maddened by guilt’) simul vulgi rumore territus robur et saxum aut parricidarum poenas minitantium, (robur et saxum aut parricidarum poenas minitantium: lit. ‘of those threatening the dungeon, the rock, the penalties of parricides’; robur: the name given to the carcer Tullianum near the Capitol, a prison infamous for its horrors; saxum: the Tarpeian rock just west of the Capitol from which criminals were thrown to their death; parricidarum poenas: consisted in being beaten to death with rods, then tied up in a bag with a viper, an ape, a dog, and a cock, the bag being then thrown into the deep waters of the sea, to avoid contact of the body with either earth or air.) cessit urbe. ac retractus Ravenna exequi accusationem adigitur, (ac retractus Ravenna exequi accusationem adigitur: ‘but he was brought back from Ravenna and was compelled to continue the prosecution.’ ac: just like et, ac has sometime the adversative sense of sed; retractus Ravenna: Ravenna is abl. of place from which without ab, ex, or de when the place is a city. For Ravenna see ch. 5.) non occultante Tiberio vetus odium adversum exulem Serenum. nam post damnatum Libonem (Libonem: for Libo Drusus’ long and dramatic trial, see Book 2, ch. 27ff.) missis ad Caesarem litteris exprobraverat suum tantum studium sine fructu fuisse, addideratque quaedam contumacius quam tutum apud auris superbas et offensioni proniores. (addideratque quaedam contumacius quam tutum apud auris superbas et offensioni proniores: ‘and had added certain hints (quaedam) more audaciously than [was] safe for Tiberius’ proud ears, too prone to [take] offense.’ proniores is an example of absolute comparative, i.e. without second term of comparison. English replaces it by modifying the positive form of the adjective with an adverb, such as ‘too’, ‘rather’, ‘decidedly’, etc.) ea Caesar octo post annos rettulit, medium tempus (medium tempus: acc. of time within which) varie arguens, etiam si tormenta pervicacia servorum contra evenissent. (etiam si … evenissent: concessive etiamsi or etiam si usually takes subjunctive.)