XLVI.
Gnarum hoc principi, eoque dubitavit de tradenda re publica, (gnarum hoc principi, eoque dubitavit de tradenda re publica: ‘this was known to the prince, thus he was in doubt about handing down the government of the state.’ hoc refers to what was said about Caligula’s deceptive character at the end of the previous chapter. de tradenda re publica: use of abl. gerundive, lit. ‘about the government of the state to be transferred’; it is useful to remember that the gerundive is a passive verbal adjective expressive of necessity or obligation. ) primum inter nepotes, quorum Druso genitus sanguine et caritate propior, (Druso genitus sanguine et caritate propior: ‘[his nephew], born to Drusus, closer to him in blood and affection’; the nephew’s name was Tiberius Gemellus, now eighteen years old, so called because he was the survivor of the twins born to Tiberius’ son Drusus in 19 A.D. (cf. Book 2, ch. 84), the other twin having died in 24 A.D. (cf. Book 4, ch. 15). T. Gemellus was the only surviving nephew related to Tiberius by blood, Caligula being his nephew through the earlier adoption of his father Germanicus by Tiberius.) sed nondum pubertatem ingressus, Germanici filio robur iuventae, vulgi studia, eaque apud avum odii causa. (Germanici filio robur iuventae, vulgi studia [erant], eaque apud avum odii causa: ‘Germanicus’ son, [Caligula], had the vigor of youth, the love of the people, thus [was] a motive of hate with his grandfather.’ filio is dative of possessor with implied erant. See G. 349.) etiam de Claudio agitanti, quod is composita aetate bonarum artium cupiens erat, imminuta mens eius obstitit. (etiam de Claudio agitanti, quod is composita aetate bonarum artium cupiens erat, imminuta mens eius obstitit: lit. ‘to him, cogitating also about Claudius, since he was of mature age and aspiring to literary culture, the feebleness of his mind was an obstacle.’ Suetonius describes Claudius, the brother of Germanicus, as beset by tics and oddities in the way he talked and behaved, leading people to think he was abnormal. Aside from his intellectual pursuits, he had never amounted to anything. At this point in his life, he was forty-seven years old, while Caligula was twenty-five.) sin extra domum successor quaereretur, ne memoria Augusti, ne nomen Caesarum in ludibria et contumelias verterent metuebat: (sin extra domum successor quaereretur, ne memoria Augusti, ne nomen Caesarum in ludibria et contumelias verterent metuebat: ‘if, on the contrary, he looked for a successor outside his family, he feared lest the memory of Augustus and the name of the Caesars would be exposed to ridicule and contempt.’ sin brings in a conditional clause contrasting what immediately precedes, often another conditional clause. The condition is contrary to fact, as indicated by the presence of imperfect subjunctive. The imperfect indicative of the apodosis denotes the likely outcome if the condition should apply. Cf. A.G. 517, b. ne … verterent metuebat: verbs of fear, like timeo, metuo, and others, are followed by ne to signify that the fear is of something occurring which is unwanted, and by ut when the fear is that something desired will not occur. Cf. G. 550, 2.) quippe illi non perinde curae gratia praesentium quam in posteros ambitio. (quippe illi non perinde curae gratia praesentium quam in posteros ambitio: ‘for to him the favor (gratia) of his contemporaries [was] not of concern (curae) as much as (perinde quam) fame among future generation.’ quippe can have causal sense like quia and quando,; curae is dative of the end or purpose, ‘for concern’.) mox incertus animi, fesso corpore consilium cui impar erat fato permisit, (mox incertus animi, fesso corpore consilium cui impar erat fato permisit: ‘unresolved in his mind, and physically exhausted, he eventually left to fate a decision to which he was unequal.’ incertus animi, fesso corpore: respectively genitive and ablative of specification: cf. A.G. 349 and 418.) iactis tamen vocibus per quas intellegeretur providus futurorum; (iactis tamen vocibus per quas intellegeretur providus futurorum: ‘remarks being let fall by means of which he might be understood capable of divining the future’; intellegeretur is potential subjunctive; futurorum is again genitive of specification after providus, an adjective suggestive of knowledge and requiring an objective genitive to complete its meaning. See incertus animi in previous note.) namque Macroni non abdita ambage occidentem ab eo deseri, orientem spectari exprobravit, (Macroni non abdita ambage occidentem ab eo deseri, orientem spectari exprobravit: lit. ’in no unclear terms he made a matter of reproach to Macro that the setting sun was abandoned and the rising sun was sought by him.’ non abdita ambage: abl. of manner, lit. ‘with an insinuation hardly concealed’ or ‘with a hard to miss allusion’, i.e., ‘directly’, without circumlocution’) et G. Caesari, forte orto sermone L. Sullam inridenti, omnia Sullae vitia et nullam eiusdem virtutem habiturum praedixit. (G. Caesari, forte orto sermone L. Sullam inridenti, omnia Sullae vitia et nullam eiusdem virtutem habiturum praedixit: ‘to Caligula ridiculing Sulla in an offhand talk they happened to have, he predicted that he would have all of Sulla’s vices and not one of the virtues of that same man,’ Sulla: Lucius Cornelius Sulla, talented statesman and general, dictator 82 – 79 B.C., and first despotic ruler of republican Rome. forte orto sermone: abl. abs., ‘the subject having come up by chance’ habiturum [esse]: active periphrastic conjugation, expressive of intended, presumed, or imminent action. See L. 802.) simul crebris cum lacrimis minorem ex nepotibus complexus, truci alterius vultu, ‘occides hunc tu’ inquit (crebris cum lacrimis minorem ex nepotibus complexus, truci alterius vultu … inquit: ‘having embraced with abundant tears the youngest of his grandsons, while the other looked on darkly scowling, he said: …’; crebris cum lacrimis: abl. of manner; for the same ablative without interposed cum see note for non abdita ambage above. truci alterius vultu: abl. abs., ‘the expression on the other’s face being sinister’.) ‘et te alius.’ sed gravescente valetudine nihil e libidinibus omittebat, in patientia firmitudinem simulans (gravescente valetudine nihil e libidinibus omittebat, in patientia firmitudinem simulans: ‘his health failing, he gave up none of his self-gratifications, faking good health in suffering.’ gravescente valdetudine ia abl. abs. of concessive force, ‘though his health was failing, … ‘) solitusque eludere medicorum artes atque eos qui post tricesimum aetatis annum ad internoscenda corpori suo utilia vel noxia alieni consilii indigerent. (solitus eludere medicorum artes atque eos qui post tricesimum aetatis annum ad internoscenda corpori suo utilia vel noxia alieni consilii indigerent: ‘he [was] wont to deride the medical profession and those who after their thirtieth year of age still needed the advice of others to distinguish between the things beneficial or harmful to their own body.’ ad internoscenda … utilia vel noxia: rather occasional use of ad + acc. gerundive in Tacitus, who prefers dative gerundive to express intention or purpose. Lit. ‘for the things beneficial or harmful to the body to be distinguished’; cf. note for capiendo diademati in ch. 43. eos qui … indigerent: subjunctive for rel. clause in virtual oratio obliqua after eludere.)