XXXIX.
Nec dispares Trebelleni Rufi et Sextii Paconiani (Trebelleni Rufi et Sextii Paconiani: Trebellenus Rufus was mentioned in Book 2, ch. 67 and in Book 3, ch. 38, Sexstius Paconianus in ch. 3 of this book.) exitus: nam Trebellenus sua manu cecidit, Paconianus in carcere ob carmina illic in principem factitata (ob carmina illic in principem factitata: ‘because of verses against the prince he was wont to compose’; factito is the frequentative form of facio.) strangulatus est. haec Tiberius non mari, ut olim, divisus neque per longinquos nuntios accipiebat, sed urbem iuxta, (neque per longinquos nuntios … sed urbem iuxta: ‘not through messengers from afar, but just outside Rome’; Cassius Dio says Tiberius was at the time in Antium, 30 miles south of Rome, for the marriage of Caligula (cf. ch. 20), not exactly before the walls of the city, which makes the next statement below even more hyperbolical.) eodem ut die vel noctis interiectu litteris consulum rescriberet, quasi aspiciens undantem per domos sanguinem aut manus carnificum. (quasi aspiciens undantem per domos sanguinem aut manus carnificum: ‘virtually looking at the blood streaming through the houses [of the executed] and at the hands of the headsmen’) fine anni Poppaeus Sabinus concessit vita, (Poppaeus Sabinus concessit vita: lit. ‘Poppaeus Sabinus departed from life.’ vita is abl. of separation with simple abl. or with a, ab, or e, ex + abl. Poppaeus Sabinus was the grandfather of Poppaea Sabina, famous for her beauty and for being the wife of emperor Nero. For more on him see note in Book 1, ch, 8o. For his exploits in Thrace, see ch. 46-51 in Book 4.) modicus originis, principum amicitia consulatum ac triumphale decus adeptus maximisque provinciis per quattuor et viginti annos impositus, nullam ob eximiam artem sed quod par negotiis neque supra erat. (par negotiis neque supra erat: ‘he was equal to the demands of his office, not above.’ supra is here adverb, not prep.)