XXXII.
Cupitum id Tiberio: (cupitum [est] id Tiberio: ‘this was desired by Tiberius.’ for Tiberio, dat. of agent, see note for seque invasurum possessa Cyro et post Alexandro in previous chapter.) ornat Phraaten accingitque paternum ad fastigium, (ornat Phraaten accingitque paternum ad fastigium: ‘he provided Phraates [with all he needed] and prepared [him] for the exalted dignity of his father.’ ornat is historical present.) destinata retinens, consiliis et astu res externas moliri, arma procul habere. (destinata retinens, consiliis et astu res externas moliri, arma procul habere: ‘ … continuing his policy to shape foreign relations by means of judicious diplomacy and keep the use of force a good way off’; destinata: ‘his designs’, ‘his aims’; the use of neuter plur. adjectives as nouns, in place of abstract nouns is more frequent in Tacitus than in other authors. consiliis et astu: hendiadys) interea cognitis insidiis Artabanus tardari metu, modo cupidine vindictae inardescere. (interea cognitis insidiis Artabanus [modo] tardari metu, modo cupidine vindictae inardescere: ‘meanwhile, Artabanus, the plot having been revealed, was at one moment restrained by fear, at another he burned with thirst of vengeance.’ cognitis insidiis: abl. abs. of concessive sense, ‘though he was made aware of the conspiracy, …’; [modo] … modo: Tacitus, the lover of brevity, cuts out any word that can be easily guessed. tardari and inardescere are historical infinitives.) et barbaris cunctatio servilis, statim exequi regium videtur: (barbaris cunctatio servilis, statim exequi regium videtur: ‘hesitancy is for barbarians servile, to react immediately is seen as a royal trait.’ exsequi: example of an infinitive as subject in a clause) valuit tamen utilitas, ut Abdum specie amicitiae vocatum ad epulas lento veneno inligaret, (valuit tamen utilitas, ut Abdum specie amicitiae vocatum ad epulas lento veneno inligaret: ‘yet, expediency won over, in such a manner that he neutralized Abdus, invited to a banquet under pretence of friendship, with a slow-acting poison.’ ut … inligaret: consecutive ut + subjunctive) Sinnacen dissimulatione ac donis, simul per negotia moraretur. et Phraates apud Syriam dum omisso cultu Romano, cui per tot annos insueverat, (omisso cultu Romano, cui per tot annos insueverat: abl. abs. with dependent relative clause: ‘the Roman way of life, to which for so many years he had grown accustomed, having been thrown off, …’; cui id dat. with insuesco.) instituta Parthorum sumit, patriis moribus impar morbo absumptus est. (dum … instituta Parthorum sumit, patriis moribus impar morbo absumptus est: ‘while he took up the usages of Parthia, being unequal to the customs of his forebears, he fell ill and was carried off.’ dum … sumit: temporal dum, ‘while’, indicating action concomitant with a past event, became fixed in the language with the present indicative; moribus impar: both par and impar take dative.) sed non Tiberius omisit incepta: Tiridaten sanguinis eiusdem aemulum Artabano reciperandaeque Armeniae Hiberum Mithridaten deligit conciliatque fratri Pharasmani, qui gentile imperium obtinebat; (Tiridaten sanguinis eiusdem aemulum Artabano reciperandaeque Armeniae Hiberum Mithridaten deligit conciliatque fratri Pharasmani, qui gentile imperium obtinebat: ‘[Tiberius] chose Tiridates, of the same blood [as Phraates], for a rival to Artabanus and the Iberian Mithridates as the man to recover Armenia; he also reconciled [Mitridates] to his brother Pharasmanes, who held the reins of the country.’ Whereas Phraates was the son of Phraates IV (see note for Phraaten regis Phraatis filium Roma poscebant in previous chapter), Tiridates was the grandson; Hiberum Mithridaten: Iberia, an ancient region south of the Caucasus and north of Armenia, is modern Georgia. This Mithridates was a member of the Artaxiad dynasty and the son of an earlier Mithridates, king of Iberia during Augustus’ reign. He became king of Armenia in the following year, 36 A.D. reciperandae Armeniae: use of dative gerundive to indicate fitness or function, ‘for Armenia to be reconquered’; this usage spread later, classical writers preferring by far the acc. gerundive with ad. See G. 429, 2. gentile imperium: ‘rule over one’s race or nation’, gentile being derived from gens) et cunctis quae apud Orientem parabantur L. Vitellium praefecit. (cunctis quae apud Orientem parabantur L. Vitellium praefecit: ‘he put Lucius Vitellius in charge of everything that was brewing in the Orient.’ L. Vitellium: one of the consuls for the previous year (34 A.D.) and father of Aulus Vitellius one of the four emperors in the year 69 A.D.) eo de homine haud sum ignarus sinistram in urbe famam, pleraque foeda memorari; ceterum regendis provinciis prisca virtute egit. (ceterum regendis provinciis prisca virtute egit: ‘however, for the management of the provinces he conducted himself with ancient probity.’ ceterum is here with the adversative sense of sed or tamen; regendis provinciis: either dat. gerundive as in reciperandae Armeniae above or ablative; to decide the issue in favor of the latter, some editions even insert in before regendis provinciis.) unde regressus et formidine G. Caesaris, familiaritate Claudii turpe in servitium mutatus exemplar apud posteros adulatorii dedecoris habetur, (unde regressus et formidine G. Caesaris, familiaritate Claudii turpe in servitium mutatus exemplar apud posteros adulatorii dedecoris habetur: ’having returned from the Orient (unde regressus), also because of fear of Caius Caesar and the close friendship of Claudius, he lapsed (mutatus [est]) into despicable sycophancy, and is considered among posterity as the very pattern of shameless servility.’ G. Caesaris, … Claudii: respectively Caligula and his successor on the throne) cesseruntque prima postremis, et bona iuventae senectus flagitiosa oblitteravit. (cesseruntque prima postremis, et bona iuventae senectus flagitiosa oblitteravit: ‘… and his beginnings gave ground to his later years and the scandalous behaviour of old age erased the bright prospects of youth.’ senectus is genitive and flagitiosa is neuter plural subject to balance bona iuventae prima, postremis, flagitiosa, bona, all adjectives used as nouns: cf. note for destinata above)