LXII.
M. Licinio L. Calpurnio consulibus (M. Licinio L. Calpurnio consulibus: the new year is 27 A.D. The full name of M. Licinius is Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi, later put to death, together with his wife Scribonia, by Caligula. He was the father of Pisus Licinianus who was adopted by emperor Galba and perished soon after (cf. Historiae, Book 1, ch. 14ff). The other consul, Lucius Calpurnius Piso, was one of the sons of Gnaeus Piso, the man accused of poisoning Germanicus. His name was also Gnaeus Piso, but had to change it in compliance with the senate decree mentioned back in Book 3, ch. 17.) ingentium bellorum cladem aequavit malum improvisum: eius initium simul et finis extitit. nam coepto apud Fidenam (apud Fidenam: Fidenae is located 8 km. or 5 miles NE of Rome on the Via Salaria. The plural Fidenae is usually preferred to Fidena.) amphitheatro Atilius quidam libertini generis, quo spectaculum gladiatorum celebraret, (quo … celebraret: quo replaces ut in purpose clauses, usually, but not necessarily, when a comparative is present.) neque fundamenta per solidum subdidit neque firmis nexibus ligneam compagem superstruxit, (neque fundamenta per solidum subdidit neque firmis nexibus ligneam compagem superstruxit: ‘he did not lay the foundation on solid ground and build on it the wooden structure with strong connections.’ per solidum or in solidum or pro solido: the neuter adjective solidum is used as noun.) ut qui non abundantia pecuniae nec municipali ambitione sed in sordidam mercedem id negotium quaesivisset. (ut qui … quaesivisset: ut qui introduces a relative clause of characteristic with subjunctive. The sense is more causal than consecutive, ‘as being one who …’ or ‘inasmuch as he was a man who had sought [ignoble profit] …’; cf. A.G. 535, c.) adfluxere avidi talium, imperitante Tiberio procul voluptatibus habiti, (adfluxere avidi talium, imperitante Tiberio procul voluptatibus habiti: ‘those avid of such [entertainments] came in waves, having been kept (Tiberius reigning) away from (procul) such amusements.’ procul is here quasi-prep. + abl., according to the Oxf. Lat. Dict.) virile ac muliebre secus, omnis aetas, ob propinquitatem loci effusius; (virile ac muliebre secus, omnis aetas, ob propinquitatem loci effusius: secus is an archaic form of sexus, an indeclinable neuter noun used here as accusative of respect, ‘male and female as to sex’; previously seen in Historiae, Book 5, ch. 13: ‘men and women, all ages, because of the proximity of the place [to Rome]) unde gravior pestis fuit, conferta mole, dein convulsa, dum ruit intus aut in exteriora effunditur (unde gravior pestis fuit, conferta mole, dein convulsa, dum ruit intus aut in exteriora effunditur: ‘from which cause (unde) the destruction was more severe, the structure, being densely packed and strained to the full, while it gave way, it collapsed inward or outward’; conferta mole, dein convulsa: abl. abs.; intus aut in exteriora effunditur: aut here signifies that he whole structure collapsed, whether inwards or outwards. effunditur is historical present, perhaps used as not to have a change of tense from the near ruit, present indicative after dum. Other historical presents are trahit and operit below.) immensamque vim mortalium, spectaculo intentos aut qui circum adstabant, praeceps trahit atque operit. (immensamque vim mortalium, spectaculo intentos aut qui circum adstabant, praeceps trahit atque operit: the subject is moles in previous line: ‘[the structure] abruptly threw down to the ground and buried the enormous body (vim) of spectators, attentive to the spectacle or standing around.’ spectaculo is dat. with intentos.) et illi quidem quos principium stragis in mortem adflixerat, (in mortem adflixerat: in + acc. expresses the result or terminal point of an action.) ut tali sorte, (ut tali sorte: a parenthetical remark without verb that explains or justifies cruciatum effugere: ‘considering the situation they were in’; cf. definition #20-22 of ut in Oxf. Lat. Dict.) cruciatum effugere: miserandi magis quos abrupta parte corporis nondum vita deseruerat; (miserandi magis quos abrupta parte corporis nondum vita deseruerat: lit. ‘more to be pitied [were] those whom life had not yet deserted, a part of the body having been torn away.’ abrupta parte corporis: abl. abs. of concessive sense, ‘though they were maimed’; miserandi: use of gerundive to denote obligation and necessity) qui per diem visu, (visu: instrumental abl. of visus, -us: lit. ‘by the power of seeing’) per noctem ululatibus et gemitu coniuges aut liberos noscebant. iam ceteri fama exciti, hic fratrem, propinquum ille, alius parentes lamentari. etiam quorum diversa de causa amici aut necessarii aberant, pavere tamen; (iam ceteri fama exciti, … lamentari, etiam quorum diversa de causa amici aut necessarii aberant, pavere tamen: ‘soon the other people [in the area], summoned by the news, would break down in lamentations, and even those whose friends and relations were absent for diverse reasons would yet fear the worst.’ lamentari …pavere: historical infinitives; diversa de causa: the particle de + abl. denotes here a cause or motive.) nequedum comperto quos illa vis perculisset, latior ex incerto metus. (nequedum comperto quos illa vis perculisset, latior ex incerto metus: abl. abs. with completive indirect question: lit. ‘while not yet (nequedum) being established whom the tragedy (illa vis) had struck, anxiety [was] more widespread because of the uncertainty’; comperto: impersonal use of the perfect participle in -to requiring a clause to complete its meaning, in this case an indirect question with interrogative quos + subjunctive. ex incerto is abl. of cause, where incerto is abl. of neuter incertum used as a noun, ‘from the uncertainty’.)