VIII.
Igitur Seianus maturandum ratus (maturandum ratus: ‘realizing he must act at once’; maturandum is short for sibi maturandum esse, the passive periphrastic construction used impersonally, lit. ‘that it was imperative for him to hurry’; reor is one of those verbs that need an infinitive to complement its meaning.) deligit venenum quo paulatim inrepente fortuitus morbus adsimularetur. (deligit venenum quo paulatim inrepente fortuitus morbus adsimularetur: ‘he chose a poison with which the illness would be made to appear fortuitous by advancing slowly.’ inrepente, referred to morbus, may be abl. of instrument, cause, or absolute.) id Druso datum per Lygdum spadonem, (per Lygdum spadonem: a eunuch, probably his most trustworthy servant) ut octo post annos cognitum est. ceterum (ceterum: with the force of sed as in ch. 3) Tiberius per omnis valetudinis eius dies, nullo metu an ut firmitudinem animi ostentaret, (nullo metu an ut firmitudinem animi ostentaret: ‘either without fear for Drusus’ life or to show his firmness of heart’; nullo metu is abl. abs., lit. ‘no fear being extant’) etiam defuncto necdum sepulto, curiam ingressus est. consulesque sede vulgari per speciem maestitiae sedentis (sede vulgari per speciem maestitiae sedentis: ‘sitting on ordinary seats as an expression of their grief’; sede vulgari: the benches on the senate floor in place of the curule chairs ornamented with ivory, reserved for high officials on a raised portion of the floor.) honoris locique admonuit, et effusum in lacrimas senatum victo gemitu simul oratione continua erexit: (senatum victo gemitu simul oratione continua erexit: lit. ‘repressing his sobs, he also lifted the spirits of the senate with an unbroken speech.’ victo gemitu is abl. abs., lit. ‘his emotion being kept in check’) non quidem sibi ignarum posse argui quod tam recenti dolore subierit oculos senatus: (non quidem sibi ignarum posse argui quod tam recenti dolore subierit oculos senatus: ‘it was not unbeknown to himself, [he said], that he could be criticized because he had exposed himself to the eyes of the senate in so recent a bereavement.’ subierit oculos: lit. ‘sustained’ or ‘endured the gaze of …’ the subjunctive is for quod clause in indirect speech.) vix propinquorum adloquia tolerari, vix diem aspici a plerisque lugentium. neque illos imbecillitatis damnandos: (neque illos imbecillitatis damnandos [esse]: ‘that such people should not be accused of weakness’) se tamen fortiora solacia e complexu rei publicae petivisse. miseratusque Augustae extremam senectam, rudem adhuc nepotum et vergentem aetatem suam, (miseratusque Augustae extremam senectam, rudem adhuc nepotum et vergentem aetatem suam: ‘he deplored the extreme old age of the Augusta, the as yet immature age of his grand-children, and his own declining years.’ Livia was then eighty years old, Tiberius was sixty-five; nepotum: only legally adult grandsons are considered here, i.e. Nero and Drusus, Germanicus’ sons, whom Tiberius had adopted. Nero was eighteen and Drusus fifteen, both too young and inexperienced. The children of Drusus, Tiberius’ own son, were still infants.) ut Germanici liberi, unica praesentium malorum levatnenta, inducerentur petivit. (ut Germanici liberi … inducerentur petivit: ‘he asked that Germanicus’ sons be brought to him.’ peto, here followed by complementary clause with ut, is also found with subjunctive alone or with acc. + infinitive.) egressi consules firmatos adloquio adulescentulos deductosque ante Caesarem statuunt. (deductosque ante Caesarem statuunt: ‘they placed the summoned youngsters before Tiberius’) quibus adprensis (quibus adprensis: abl. abs.: lit. ‘who having been embraced’, i.e, ‘after embracing them …’) ‘patres conscripti, hos’ inquit ‘orbatos parente (orbatos parente tradidi patruo: ‘I entrusted them, deprived of their father, to the uncle.’ parente is abl. of separation with simple abl. or with a, ab, e, ex + abl.. Germanicus was brother of Drusus by adoption.) tradidi patruo ipsorum precatusque sum, quamquam esset illi propria suboles, ne secus quam snum sanguinem foveret attolleret, sibique et posteris conformaret. (precatusque sum, quamquam esset illi propria suboles, ne secus quam snum sanguinem foveret attolleret, sibique et posteris conformaret: ‘I implored him, though he had offspring of his own, not to cherish and raise them otherwise than his blood, and to mould them for himself and for his posterity.’ ne secus quam: ‘not differently than …’; secus is adverb, ‘otherwise’, ‘differently’; here ne introduces at the same time a negative final clause, object of precatus sum; conformaret may be thought of as being preceded by ut.) erepto Druso preces ad vos converto disque et patria coram obtestor: Augusti pro nepotes, clarissimis maioribus genitos, suscipite regite, vestram meamque vicem explete. (preces ad vos converto disque et patria coram obtestor: Augusti pro nepotes, clarissimis maioribus genitos, suscipite regite, vestram meamque vicem explete: ‘I direct my prayers to you and beseech you before the gods and the fatherland: take under your protection and guide the great-grandsons of Augustus, born of illustrious ancestors, and discharge the duty that is both yours and mine.’ pro nepotes: by adoption of Tiberius by Augustus, then of Germanicus by Tiberius; suscipite regite … explete: present imperatives) hi vobis, Nero et Druse, parentum loco. ita nati estis ut bona malaque vestra ad rem publicam pertineant. (hi vobis, Nero et Druse, parentum loco [erunt]. ita nati estis ut bona malaque vestra ad rem publicam pertineant: ‘Nero and Drusus, these men will be as parents to you. You are so born that the ups and downs of your life have influence on the state.’ pertineant is subjunctive in consecutive sentence introduced by ita …ut.)