LXXV.
Ceterum (ceterum: an adverb that crops up regularly in Tacitus’ narrative. Originally an accusative of relations (‘that which relates to the rest’), beginning with Sallust it acquired the adversative sense of ‘but’, ‘yet’, ‘notwithstanding’, but other shades of meaning added themselves in the course of time. It appears that Tacitus often uses it merely as a sort of bridge facilitating the passage from one subject to another, a role for which Latin relies on a large number of words, phrases, or expressions, more so than English, where the need for such facilitators is not as keenly felt. In fact, out of seventeen different translations consulted in this case, no less than seven ignored ceterum, while the others rendered it with ‘meanwhile’ (4), ‘however’ (1), ‘for the rest’ (3), ‘in any case’ (1), ‘on the other hand’ (1).) Tiberius neptem Agrippinam (neptem Agrippinam: ‘his grandchild Agrippina’, the daughter of Germanicus, who was Tiberius’ adopted son. She was born in 15 A.D. in Lower Germany at Oppidum Ubiorum, which was renamed Colonia Agrippinensis (modern Cologne) in her honor. She was thirteen when she married and two years later gave birth to the future emperor Nero.) Germanico ortam cum coram Cn. Domitio tradidisset, (cum coram Cn. Domitio tradidisset, …: temporal cum followed by subjunctive, also called narrative or historical cum‘, underlines the circumstances immediately preceding, accompanying, or even triggering the action of the main clause (G. 585): ‘at the time when he had personally (coram) pledged [Agrippina] in marriage to Gnaeus Domitius, he …’; Cn. Domitio: characterized by Suetonius as ‘detestable in every part of his life’, became consul in 32 A.D. (cf. Book 6, ch. 1.) and is mentioned once more in Book 6 ch. 45.) in urbe celebrari nuptias iussit. in Domitio super vetustatem generis propinquum Caesaribus sanguinem delegerat; nam is aviam Octaviam (aviam Octaviam: Augustus and Octavia were brother and sister, thus great-uncle and grandmother respectively of Domitius, whose mother was Antonia Major, Octavia’s daughter.) et per eam Augustum avunculum praeferebat.