XXVI.
Haud multo post Cocceius Nerva, continuus principi, omnis divini humanique iuris sciens, integro statu, corpore inlaeso, moriendi consilium cepit. (Cocceius Nerva, continuus principi, … moriendi consilium cepit: ‘Cocceius Nerva, the steady [companion] to the prince, took the decision of dying,’ He was among the few who accompanied Tiberius first to Campania then to Capri; cf. Book 4, ch. 53. continuus is here with dat.; dative also found once in Seneca; moriendi consilium: objective gen. gerund after a noun, as also is moriendi rationibus below.) quod ut Tiberio cognitum, adsidere, causas requirere, addere preces, fateri postremo grave conscientiae, grave famae suae, si proximus amicorum nullis moriendi rationibus vitam fugeret. (quod ut Tiberio cognitum [est], … fateri … grave conscientiae, grave famae suae [esse], si proximus amicorum nullis moriendi rationibus vitam fugeret: lit. ‘as soon as this became known to Tiberius, … he represented [to Nerva] that it was a great weight for his own conscience and a heavy blow to his reputation, if his closest friend would shun life without reasons of dying.’ fateri, like the preceding adsidere, requirere, and addere, is historical infinitive. si … fugeret: protases are always with subjunctive in indirect speech, regardless of type of condition. ut … cognitum [est]: ut or ut primum takes perfect indicative to indicate immediate precedence in time with respect to the action of the main verb. nullis moriendi rationibus: abl. of cause rather than abl. abs.) aversatus sermonem Nerva abstinentiam cibi coniunxit. (aversatus sermonem Nerva abstinentiam cibi coniunxit: ‘having rejected all entreaties, Nerva continued without interruptions his abstinence of food’ aversor being deponent, aversatus has active sense, just like an English perfect participle.) ferebant gnari cogitationum eius, quanto propius mala rei publicae viseret, ira et metu, dum integer, dum intemptatus, honestum finem voluisse. (ferebant gnari cogitationum eius, quanto propius mala rei publicae viseret, ira et metu, dum integer, dum intemptatus, honestum finem voluisse: ‘those knowing his thoughts claimed that the closer he looked into the afflictions of the state [the more] he had wanted, out of frustration and fear, an honorable end, while still untainted and unimpeached.’ quanto proprius … viseret, [tanto] … voluisse … ‘: comparative sentence in indirect discourse after ferebant; Tacitus omits tanto, the second member of the correlative pair quanto … tanto, introducing the main clause. In oratio obliqua the dependent quanto clause must take subjunctive, the main clause infinitive.) Ceterum (ceterum: here almost a conjunction, like at, to introduce a different topic) Agrippinae pernicies, quod vix credibile, Plancinam (Plancinam: wife and accomplice of the man accused of poisoning Germanicus; cf. Book 2, ch. 43ff and ch. 75, Book 3. ch. 15.) traxit. nupta olim Cn. Pisoni et palam laeta morte Germanici, cum Piso caderet, precibus Augustae nec minus inimicitiis Agrippinae defensa erat. (cum Piso caderet, precibus Augustae nec minus inimicitiis Agrippinae defensa erat: ‘the moment Piso fell, she became protected by the appeals of Augusta and no less by the enmity of Agrippina.’ cum … caderet: temporal cum + subjunctive, also called historical or narrative cum; see B. 288, B.) ut odium et gratia desiere, ius valuit; (ut odium et gratia desiere, ius valuit: ‘as soon as enmity and favor ceased to support, justice held sway.’ For temporal ut followed by perfect indicative, see note above for ut … cognitum [est].) petitaque criminibus haud ignotis sua manu sera magis quam immerita supplicia persolvit.