XLVII.
Interim Romae futuris etiam post Tiberium caedibus semina iaciebantur. Laelius Balbus Acutiam, P. Vitellii quondam uxorem, maiestatis postulaverat; (Laelius Balbus Acutiam, P. Vitellii quondam uxorem, maiestatis postulaverat: ‘Decimus Laelius Balbus had accused Acutia, the former wife of Publius Vitellius, of treason.’ Balbus was a dangerous orator. His own banishment and loss of senatorial rank are mentioned in the next chapter. Publius Vitellius had served as legate under Germanicus (cf. Book 1, ch. 70). Later, accused of seditious activities, he committed suicide (cf. Book 5, ch. V. 8).) qua damnata cum praemium accusatori decerneretur, Iunius Otho tribunus plebei intercessit, (qua damnata cum praemium accusatori decerneretur, Iunius Otho tribunus plebei intercessit: ‘after she was condemned, as the reward was being decreed to her prosecutor, the tribune of the plebs, Junius Otho, interposed his veto.’ Junius Otho was probably the son of the Junius Otho mentioned in Book 3, ch. 66. Tribunes of the plebs still exercised their traditional power of veto, although such power was subordinate to that of the emperor, who had tribunicial powers himself (see Book 1, ch. 10). Very likely, Otho was acting here on orders from above, in view of the imminent prosecution of Balbus himself. qua damnata is abl. abs. of temporal sense, ‘after she was condemned’; cum … decerneretur: causal cum always takes subjunctive.) unde illis odia, mox Othoni exitium. (unde illis odia, mox Othoni exitium: lit. ‘from this source (unde, adv., ‘hence’) the hatred in them (illis: ‘to them’, i.e., ‘between Otho and Balbus’) and, later, the ruin of Otho’; exitium: probably under Caligula, thus reported in the lost books of the Annals.) dein multorum amoribus famosa Albucilla, cui matrimonium cum Satrio Secundo coniurationis indice fuerat, defertur impietatis in principem; (dein multorum amoribus famosa Albucilla, cui matrimonium cum Satrio Secundo coniurationis indice fuerat, defertur impietatis in principem: ‘then, Albucilla, notorious for her many lovers (who had married Satrius Secundus, the exposer of [Sejanus’] conspiracy) was denounced for sedition against the prince.’ cui matrimonium … fuerat: cui is dat. of possessor with fuerat: it becomes subject of a clause with ‘to have’. Mention of Satrius Secundus occurs in Book 4, ch. 34 and in ch. 8 of the present book. Satrius had informed Antonia, the mother of Germanicus and Claudius, of Sejanus’ plot to assassinate Tiberius and Caligula; she in turn had sent the information to Tiberius in Capri. The fate of Albucilla is reported in the next chapter.) conectebantur ut conscii et adulteri eius Cn. Domitius, Vibius Marsus, L. Arruntius. (conectebantur ut conscii et adulteri eius Cn. Domitius, Vibius Marsus, L. Arruntius: ‘Cn. Domitius, Vibius Marsus, L. Arruntius [were] associated as accomplices and lovers of hers (eius).’ For Domitius, the first husband of Germanicus’ daughter Agrippina and the father of emperor Nero, see Book 4, ch. 75; for Marsus see Bool 2, ch. 74; for Arruntius see Book 1, ch. 13.) de claritudine Domitii supra memoravi; Marsus quoque vetustis honoribus et inlustris studiis erat. sed testium interrogationi, tormentis servorum Macronem praesedisse commentarii ad senatum missi ferebant, (testium interrogationi, tormentis servorum Macronem praesedisse commentarii ad senatum missi ferebant … : ‘the records [of the proceedings] sent to the senate bore out that Macro had presided to the questioning of the witnesses and to the torture of the slaves, …’ ) nullaeque in eos imperatoris litterae suspicionem dabant, invalido ac fortasse ignaro ficta pleraque ob inimicitias Macronis notas in Arruntium. (nullaeque in eos imperatoris litterae suspicionem dabant, invalido ac fortasse ignaro ficta pleraque ob inimicitias Macronis notas in Arruntium: ‘… and that the absence of any letter of the emperor among the records gave suspicion that most of the evidence (pleraque) had been concocted (ficta [esse]) by Macro, while the prince was ill or perhaps not even informrd of the matter, for Macro’s resentment against Arruntius was well-known.’ invalido ac … ignaro: abl. abs. of temporal sense.)