LXVII.
At Caesar dedicatis per Campaniam templis, quamquam edicto monuisset ne quis quietem eius inrumperet, concursusque oppidanorum disposito milite prohiberentur, (quamquam edicto monuisset ne quis quietem eius inrumperet, concursusque oppidanorum disposito milite prohiberentur: ‘although by means of an edict he had warned that no one should disturb his privacy and that the concourse of the local people should be prevented by troops posted [to that purpose], … ’; moneo ne …inrumperet, …prohiberentur: a final clause with ut or ne completes moneo, sometimes with subjunctive alone; disposito milite is abl. abs., lit. ‘soldiers having been posted’.) perosus tamen municipia et colonias omniaque in continenti sita (perosus [est] tamen municipia et colonias omniaque in continenti sita: ‘yet he detested the towns and colonies and everything situated on the mainland.’ perosus is from perodi, a deponent verb.) Capreas se in insulam abdidit trium milium freto ab extremis Surrentini promunturii (Capreas … Surrentini promunturii: Capri is a small (5 sq. mil. or 14 sq. km.) rocky island in the gulf of Naples, nine miles (14 km.) from the town of Sorrento on the coast, but only three miles (5 km.) from the westernmost tip of the peninsula on which Sorrento lies.) diiunctam. solitudinem eius placuisse maxime crediderim, (solitudinem eius placuisse maxime crediderim: ‘I would be inclined to think that he especially liked the solitude of the place (eius).’ crediderim: use of potential subjunctive to make guarded, cautious assertions; cf. G. A.G. 447. Both present and perfect subjunctive are found used without significant difference of meaning. maxime or maxume is adverb emphasizing a point, ‘in particular’.) quoniam importuosum circa mare et vix modicis navigiis pauca subsidia; neque adpulerit quisquam nisi gnaro custode. (neque adpulerit quisquam nisi gnaro custode: ‘no one could have approached without being spotted by sentinels.’ neque adpulerit quisquam: quisquam replaces quis or aliquis in negative clauses; cf. G. 317; adpulerit is potential subjunctive; nisi gnaro custode: lit. ‘unless sentinels not being vigilant’ or, freely, ‘without being detected by sentinels’; the use of nisi and other particles, like etsi, quasi, quamquam, quamvis, postquam, in ablative absolutes, as if the construct was just another circumstantial clause, began with Livy and Tacitus (Ernout). See L 1374.) caeli temperies hieme mitis obiectu montis quo saeva ventorum arcentur; (caeli temperies hieme mitis obiectu montis quo saeva ventorum arcentur: ‘the climate (caeli temperies) [is] mild in winter, because of the interposition of the mountain by which the rigors of the winds are kept out.’) aestas in favonium obversa et aperto circum pelago peramoena; (aestas in favonium obversa et aperto circum pelago peramoena: ‘the summer climate exposed to the westerly wind is delightful, with open sea all around.’ favonium is the west wind, also called Zephyrus, blowing from early spring on and promoting new life and growth.) prospectabatque pulcherrimum sinum, antequam Vesuvius mons ardescens faciem loci verteret. (prospectabatque pulcherrimum sinum, antequam Vesuvius mons ardescens faciem loci verteret: ‘and it overlooked the most enchanting bay [of Naples] before mount Vesuvius, exploding into flames. transformed the appearance of the place.’ A reference to the destructive eruption of 79 A.D. that buried Pompei and other coastal towns. antequam verteret: in later writers antequam is found in preference to the more classic priusquam. The use of subjunctive in the case of a factual event not involving intent, as here, may be justified in that the mood better expresses the fortuitous, unexpected nature of the eruption.) Graecos ea tenuisse Capreasque Telebois habitatas fama tradit. (Graecos ea tenuisse Capreasque Telebois habitatas fama tradit: ‘tradition informs us that Greeks had occupied those districts (ea) and that Capri was colonized by the Teleboans.’ Telebois, from Teleboae, is dat. of agent with the passive habitatas, often found in Tacitus in place of the abl. with a or ab. These were people from the Echinades group of islands off the Ionian coast of Acarnania in central-west Greece, north of the Peloponnese.) sed tum Tiberius duodecim villarum nominibus et molibus insederat, quanto intentus olim publicas ad curas tanto occultiores in luxus et malum otium resolutus. (quanto intentus olim publicas ad curas tanto occultiores in luxus et malum otium resolutus: comparative sentence with the correlatives quanto …tanto and the verb understood in both main and dependent clause: ‘the more [he had once been] intent on the cares of state, the more [now was he] unrestrainedly given up to secret excesses and the rancorous brooding of idleness.’) manebat quippe suspicionum et credendi temeritas quam Seianus augere etiam in urbe suetus acrius turbabat (manebat quippe suspicionum et credendi temeritas quam Seianus augere etiam in urbe suetus acrius turbabat: ‘his readiness to suspect and to believe indeed remained, which Sejanus was wont to encourage even in Rome and [now] he stimulated more actively.’ suspicionum et credendi temeritas: two objective genitives after temeritas, one a noun the other a gerund for more variety. In English both are replaced by infinitives. Tacitus uses a vast number of genitives, often in the role of simple adjectives, as in poetry; he prefers plural to singular genitives, because they sound more poetical.) non iam occultis adversum Agrippinam et Neronem insidiis. (non iam occultis adversum Agrippinam et Neronem insidiis: abl. abs.: ‘his schemes against Agrippina and Nero being now no longer secret’; cf. ch. 59 for comparison of Tiberius’ former policy towards Agrippina and Nero.) quis additus miles nuntios, introitus, aperta secreta velut in annalis referebat, (quis additus miles … aperta secreta velut in annalis referebat: quis is the archaic form of quibus, dat. and abl. plural: ‘soldiers attached to them recorded [all] public and private doings as if in a register.’ aperta secreta: another distinguishing mark of Tacitus’ style is the coupling of antithetical neuter plur. adjectives (in place of abstract nouns) juxtaposed and without conjunction (asyndeton).) ultroque struebantur qui monerent perfugere ad Germaniae exercitus vel celeberrimo fori effigiem divi Augusti amplecti populumque ac senatum auxilio vocare. (ultroque struebantur qui monerent perfugere ad Germaniae exercitus vel celeberrimo fori effigiem divi Augusti amplecti populumque ac senatum auxilio vocare: ‘as if that was not enough (ultroque), operatives were instructed to advise them to flee to the German armies or to summon to their help the people and the senate, having embraced the statue of the divine Augustus during the most crowded hours of the Forum.’ struebantur qui monerent …perfugere …vocare: relative clause of characteristic or tendency + subjunctive after struebantur; cf. G. 631; moneo is here followed by infinitive rather than by the more usual ut or ne clause; vel is occasionally found replacing aut; celeberrimo fori: ‘at the most frequented [time] of the Forum; amplecti: amplector being deponent, its perfect participle has active sense as in English, ‘having embraced’. For this manner of claiming sanctuary, see Book 3, ch. 36.) eaque spreta ab illis, velut pararent, obiciebantur. (eaque … velut pararent, obiciebantur: ‘and these counsels (eaque) were laid to their charge as if they were making ready [to act on them].’)