XXXIII.
Nam cunctas nationes et urbes populus aut primores aut singuli regunt: delecta ex iis et consociata rei publicae forma laudari facilius quam evenire, (delecta ex iis et consociata rei publicae forma laudari facilius [est] quam evenire: ‘the form of government chosen and combined from these [three] is easier to be praised than to create.’) vel si evenit, haud diuturna esse potest. igitur ut olim plebe valida, vel cum patres pollerent, noscenda vulgi natura et quibus modis temperanter haberetur, senatusque et optimatium ingenia qui maxime perdidicerant, callidi temporum et sapientes credebantur, (ut olim plebe valida, vel cum patres pollerent, noscenda [erat] vulgi natura et quibus modis temperanter haberetur, senatusque et optimatium ingenia qui maxime perdidicerant, callidi temporum et sapientes credebantur: ‘when in the past the plebs [were] powerful, or the aristocracy ruled, it was indispensable to understand the character of the populace and in what way it might be ruled with restraint; those who had come to know best the minds of the senate and of the nobles were held to be shrewd observers of the times and men of wisdom.’ ut olim plebe valida: if ut is temporal conjunction, then the lit. meaning is ‘when the plebs being once powerful’; if ut is relative adverb the meaning could be ‘to the extent of the plebs being once powerful’; in either case there is combination of ut with the perfect participle of an abl. abs.; this and similar associations of subordinating conjunctions with participles is a usage that spread in imperial times (Ernout). cum …pollerent: use of narrative cum + subjunctive; noscenda [erat]: use of passive periphrasis to express necessity; perdidicerant is from perdisco, ‘to know completely’) sic converso statu neque alia re Romana quam si unus imperitet, haec conquiri tradique in rem fuerit, (sic converso statu neque alia re Romana quam si unus imperitet, haec conquiri tradique in rem fuerit: lit. ‘in the same way, the political system having been changed and the Roman government being [now] no other than if one man only ruled, these facts to be collected and passed on may be useful.’ sic converso statu neque alia re Romana is abl. abs. followed by a conditional clause of comparison with quam si + subjunctive, in turn followed by the main clause with fuerit. For the present subjunctive imperitet in place of imperitaret, expected with contrary-to-fact condition, cf. A.G. 524, especially Note 2. Also useful is G. 602. in rem fuerit is idiom, ‘it would be useful to …’; fuerit is potential subjunctive, both present and perfect being used almost interchangeably, though Tacitus has a strong preference for the perfect.) quia pauci prudentia honesta ab deterioribus, utilia ab noxiis discernunt, plures aliorum eventis docentur. ceterum ut profutura, ita minimum oblectationis adferunt. (ceterum ut profutura [sunt], ita minimum oblectationis adferunt: comparative sentence with ut …ita and indicative in both main and dependent clause: ‘but just as [my annals] are likely to be useful, so they [also] offer very little entertainment.’ ceterum: here with the adversative force of sed, a meaning this adverb acquired with Sallust and afterward (Ernout); profutura [sunt]: active periphrastic locution with the future participle + forms of esse expressed or understood. Beside indicating future action or state, the locution may also imply, depending on the context, that the action or state is (a) impending or imminent, (b) resolved on, intended, (c) destined to be done. minimum oblectationis: partitive genitive after the neuter minimum) nam situs gentium, varietates proeliorum, clari ducum exitus retinent ac redintegrant legentium animum: nos saeva iussa, continuas accusationes, fallaces amicitias, perniciem innocentium et easdem exitii causas coniungimus, obvia rerum similitudine et satietate. (easdem exitii causas …, obvia rerum similitudine et satietate: ‘the same causes of death sentences, …with stale uniformity of proceedings and revolting satiety’) tum quod (tum quod: ‘then [there is] the fact that …’: another reason is added to explain the minimal power of Tacitus’ work to stimulate the interest of readers; Furneaux sees tum quod as equivalent to huc accedit quod.) antiquis scriptoribus rarus obtrectator, neque refert cuiusquam Punicas Romanasne acies laetius extuleris: (neque refert cuiusquam Punicas Romanasne acies laetius extuleris: ‘it matters not a whit whosesoever armies, whether Punic or Roman, you might extol more warmly.’ The impersonal refert has genitive of the person (cuiusquam) and as to the thing of interest it often has an indirect question with subjunctive (Punicas Romanasne acies …extuleris), here a double question with the enclitic -ne after the second part). See G. 381-382; for double questions A.G. 335, d. extuleris is use of the second person singular as an indefinite or generic subject. The usage is frequent in English as well. See also reperies below.) at multorum qui Tiberio regente (Tiberio regente: regente applied to Tiberius must be somewhat of a rarity. Romans were notorious for their repugnance to words like rex, regnum, regere in relation to their government and, though they lived under an absolute monarch, they took comfort in the pretence that the empire was just an extension of the old republic.) poenam vel infamias subiere posteri manent. utque familiae ipsae iam extinctae sint, reperies qui ob similitudinem morum aliena malefacta sibi obiectari putent. (utque familiae ipsae iam extinctae sint, reperies qui ob similitudinem morum aliena malefacta sibi obiectari putent: ‘and for all that the families themselves might have been extinguished, you will find those who, because of the similarity of their behaviour, think that the misdeeds of others are being attributed to themselves.’ ut …extinctae sint: concessive ut takes subjunctive. qui …putent: relative clause of characteristic with subjunctive, the sense being consecutive, ‘people of the kind that would think …’; cf. G. 631.) etiam gloria ac virtus infensos habet, ut nimis ex propinquo diversa arguens. (etiam gloria ac virtus infensos habet, ut nimis ex propinquo diversa arguens: ‘even honor and virtue has enemies, as condemning their opposites by being too close.’ nimis ex propinquo: ‘from being too close at hand’ nimis is adverb, ‘unduly’. habet: singular with gloria ac virtus, a unified concept.) sed ad inceptum redeo.