LXXIV.
Clarum inde inter Germanos Frisium nomen, dissimulante Tiberio damna ne cui bellum permitteret. (dissimulante Tiberio damna ne cui bellum permitteret: abl. abs. with dependent negative final clause: ‘Tiberius keeping secret the losses to avoid having to entrust the war to someone’; Tiberius was singularly disinterested in expanding the empire beyond the natural boundaries of the Rhine and the Danube. A later emperor, Domitian, similarly refused to consolidate the territorial gains made by Agricola in Scotland. However, the real reason for Tiberius’ unwillingness to send a capable general to Holland was quite another. Naturally suspicious, after his experience with Germanicus, whom he had feared as a likely rival for the empire, he resisted allowing another man to become highly popular through superior generalship. In the twenty-three years of his reign, aside for Germanicus’ campaigns on the east side of the Rhine, he always tried to avoid foreign wars by astute diplomacy, cunning manipulations, or simply by ignoring the problem and doing nothing. If war could not be avoided, he made sure that the commander in charge would not reap the full honors of final success, as he did in Germanicus’ and Junius Blaesus’ case, whom he blocked from achieving victory over Arminius and Tacfarinas respectively. ne cui: the dat. cui (indirect object of permitteret) is in place of alicui after ne.) neque senatus in eo cura an imperii extrema dehonestarentur: (neque senatus in eo cura an imperii extrema dehonestarentur: senatus may well be genitive: lit. ‘neither [was] it a concern of the senate therein (in eo: ‘in that respect’), whether they were put to shame in the most distant [part} of the empire.’ an …dehonestarentur: the particle an can be found opening a single indirect question. Lane says that such was the normal use of an in old Latin and that only later an became reserved for alternative questions (cf. L. 1508). extrema [parte]: abl. of place where, without in when words like loco, parte, or equivalents are used, especially if qualified by an adjective (A.G. 429, 1. and 2.). The verb dehonesto, used once by Livy, gained currency later; it is found occasionally in Tacitus, e. g. in Book 3, ch. 66.) pavor internus occupaverat animos cui remedium adulatione quaerebatur. (pavor internus occupaverat animos cui remedium adulatione quaerebatur: ‘within Rome, dread had taken hold of the minds, remedy for which was sought in adulation.’ cui is dat. with remedium.) ita quamquam diversis super rebus consulerentur, (ita quamquam diversis super rebus consulerentur: so, even though they should be asked for counsel about altogether different matters, …they [instead] …’; To paraphrase: ‘although their consideration should be given to other more important matters, they …; Tacitus favors the subjunctive over the indicative after quamquam.) aram clementiae, aram amicitiae effigiesque circum Caesaris ac Seiani censuere crebrisque precibus efflagitabant visendi sui copiam facerent. (efflagitabant visendi sui copiam facerent: lit. ’they pleaded insistingly that [Tiberius and Sejanus] should offer [them] opportunities (copiam) of seeing them.’ visendi sui copiam: visendi is objective genitive gerund after copiam and is in turn followed by an objective genitive of its own, the reflexive sui (lit. ‘of themselves’), in place of a direct object; cf. A.G. 504, c. facerent is hortatory subjunctive.) non illi tamen in urbem aut propinqua urbi degressi sunt: satis visum omittere insulam et in proximo Campaniae aspici. eo venire patres, eques, magna pars plebis, anxii erga Seianum cuius durior congressus atque eo per ambitum et societate consiliorum parabatur. (eo venire patres, eques, magna pars plebis, anxii erga Seianum cuius durior congressus atque eo per ambitum et societate consiliorum parabatur: ‘thither came senators, knights, and a great part of the populace, all apprehensive in regard to Sejanus, admittance to whom [was] excessively difficult, thus (eo: ‘for that reason’) was procured through briberies and collusion with his schemes.’ venire is historical or narrative infinitive; durior: see note for diutius …difficilius in ch. 69) satis constabat auctam ei adrogantiam foedum illud in propatulo servitium spectanti; (satis constabat auctam [esse] ei adrogantiam foedum illud in propatulo servitium spectanti: ‘it was obvious enough that to a man exposed to such demeaning abjection in public view, effrontery had grown more vicious.’ ei is dat, of interest; illud is intensely derogatory.) quippe Romae sueti discursus et magnitudine urbis incertum quod quisque ad negotium pergat: (quippe Romae sueti discursus et magnitudine urbis incertum quod quisque ad negotium pergat: ‘at Rome, in fact, comings and goings [are] habitual and because of the vastness of the city one does not know what business each citizen is pursuing.’ sueti: the perfect participle of suesco is here used as adjective to qualify the plur. discursus; quod …ad negotium pergat: the interrogative quod (nom. quid) introduces an indirect question with subjunctive.) ibi campo aut litore iacentes nullo discrimine noctem ac diem iuxta gratiam aut fastus ianitorum perpetiebantur (noctem ac diem iuxta gratiam aut fastus ianitorum perpetiebantur: ‘Pell-mell (juxta), night and day they patiently put up with the favoritism or the condescension of his doorkeepers.’ noctem ac diem: acc. of time duration) donec id quoque vetitum: et revenere in urbem trepidi quos non sermone, non visu dignatus erat, quidam male alacres quibus infaustae amicitiae gravis exitus imminebat. (quidam male alacres quibus infaustae amicitiae gravis exitus immineba: ‘a few of them, over whom loomed the sinister outcome of an ill-fated friendship, rejoiced unwisely,.’ male is adverb, ‘wickedly’, ‘for the wrong reason’; quibus is dat. with immineo.)