XXXVIII.
Quae duabus aestatibus gesta coniunxi quo requie scerete animus a domesticis malis; ([ea] quae duabus aestatibus gesta coniunxi quo requiesceret animus a domesticis malis: lit. ‘I have placed together what was accomplished in two summers, that thereby (quo) the spirit might rest from the internal miseries of the state.’ quo replaces ut in final clauses.) non enim Tiberium, quamquam triennio post caedem Seiani, quae ceteros mollire solent, tempus preces satias mitigabant, quin incerta vel abolita pro gravissimis et recentibus puniret. (non enim Tiberium, quamquam triennio post caedem Seiani, quae ceteros mollire solent, tempus preces satias mitigabant, quin incerta vel abolita pro gravissimis et recentibus puniret: ‘in fact (enim), though three years [had elapsed] since the overthrow of Sejanus, the things that usually ease other men, time, entreaties, distaste, did not appease Tiberius, so that (quin = ‘so that … not’) he would not punish obscure or long forgotten transgressions in the same way (pro) he would punish the most heinous and recent crimes.’ non enim Tiberium … mitigabant, quin … puniret: preceded by a negative or interrogative main clause, quin replaces ut … non (‘in such a way … that … ‘) in introducing a dependent clause of consecutive sense. Cf. G. 554, Note 3, and B.284, 3. pro gravissimis et recentibus: the prep. pro commands the abl., here with the force of ‘as if’; gravissimis and recentibus are not adjectives, but ablatives of gravissima and recentia used as nouns. triennio: the simple abl. expresses extent of time before or after anything; tempus preces satias: another example of asyndeton, like clamore telis equis in ch. 35, to point out movement towards a resolution.) eo metu Fulcinius Trio ingruentis accusatores haud perpessus supremis tabulis multa et atrocia in Macronem ac praecipuos libertorum Caesaris composuit, ipsi fluxam senio mentem et continuo abscessu velut exilium obiectando. (eo metu Fulcinius Trio ingruentis accusatores haud perpessus supremis tabulis multa et atrocia in Macronem ac praecipuos libertorum Caesaris composuit, ipsi fluxam senio mentem et continuo abscessu velut exilium obiectando: ‘because of this fear, Fulcinius Trio, did not passively wait for the accusers to fall on him and in his last instructions he included a number of scathing accusations against Macro and Caesar’s most influential freedmen, harshly upbraiding the prince himself for his feeble mind decayed by old age and his continuous absence resembling an exile.’ For Fulcinius Trio see note in Book 5, ch. V. 11. Macro, as mentioned earlier, is Sejanus’ successor as commander of the Praetorian guard. ipsi fluxam senio mentem et continuo abscessu velut exilium obiectando: ipsi and fluxam mentem + exilium are respectively indirect a direct object of obiectando, abl. gerund expressing manner or instrument: lit. ‘casting [as a reproach] to Tiberius himself his feeble mind crumbling from age (senio: abl. of cause) and his exile of a sort from continuous absence’; ipsi refers to Tiberius, both because of its proximity to Caesaris (‘the latter’) and also for the intensive force of ipse (especially in phrases with the abl. gerund) referring to the overriding subject of discourse, and here also to the master of the world (Oxf. Latin Dict., page 965). multa et atrocia: more neuter plural adjectives as substantives; also hendiadys.) quae ab heredibus occultata recitari Tiberius iussit, patientiam libertatis alienae ostentans et contemptor suae infamiae, an scelerum Seiani diu nescius mox quoquo modo dicta vulgari malebat veritatisque, cui adulatio officit, per probra saltem gnarus fieri. (patientiam libertatis alienae ostentans et contemptor suae infamiae, an scelerum Seiani diu nescius mox quoquo modo dicta vulgari malebat veritatisque, cui adulatio officit, per probra saltem gnarus fieri: ‘either showing tolerance, he a despiser of his own ill repute, for the liberty of others, or, having remained for so long in the dark about Sejanus’ plots, perhaps now (mox) he preferred that things said about himself, however offensive, be publicised and that he at least be made aware, even through insults, of the truth, which servility obscures.’ quoquo modo dicta: ‘howsoever expressed’ an, usually interrogative, is found as disjunctive particle, especially in Tacitus. See L 1667, 1675. cui adulatio officit: cui is dat. with officit ) isdem diebus Granius Marcianus senator, a C. Graccho maiestatis postulatus, vim vitae suae attulit, (vim vitae suae attulit: ‘he laid violent hands on himself’) Tariusque Gratianus (Granius Marcianus … C. Graccho … Tarius Gratianus: ‘Granius Marcianus is identified simply as a senator to imply that he never held high office. Gaius Gracchus was mentioned in Book 4, ch. 13. Tarius Gratianus is also otherwise unknown.) praetura functus lege eadem extremum ad supplicium damnatus. (lege eadem … damnatus: ‘condemned under the same law’)