XLIX.
Galbae corpus diu neglectum et licentia tenebrarum plurimis ludibriis vexatum dispensator Argius e prioribus servis (e prioribus servis: may mean ‘one of Galba’s slaves before he became emperor’ or ‘one of his more regarded slaves’.) humili sepultura in privatis eius hortis contexit. caput per lixas calonesque suffixum (suffixum: lit. ‘attached to the top of [a pole]’) laceratumque ante Patrobii tumulum (libertus in Neronis punitus a Galba fuerat) postera demum die repertum et cremato iam corpori admixtum est. hunc exitum habuit Servius Galba, tribus et septuaginta annis quinque principes prospera fortuna emensus (quinque principes prospera fortuna emensus: ‘having lived through the reign of five emperors’: the five emperors were Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula Claudius, and Nero; emensus, which has active sense, is from emetior.) et alieno imperio felicior quam suo. vetus in familia nobilitas, magnae opes: ipsi medium ingenium, magis extra vitia quam cum virtutibus. (cum virtutibus: abl. of manner) famae nec incuriosus nec venditator; pecuniae alienae non adpetens, suae parcus, publicae avarus; amicorum libertorumque, ubi in bonos incidisset, (ubi in bonos incidisset: temporal ubi, with the iterative sense of ‘whenever’, is often found followed by the subjunctive, especially in Livy and in Tacitus.) sine reprehensione patiens, si mali forent, (si mali forent: imperfect subjunctive for ideal or potential condition when the point of view is past. In such cases mood and tense are the same as for unreal conditions. Cf. G. 596, 2.) usque ad culpam ignarus. sed claritas natalium et metus temporum obtentui, ut, (obtentui [fuit], ut, quod segnitia erat, sapientia vocaretur: ‘served for a cover, so that what was in fact incompetence was called wisdom’; the ut clause is consecutive; obtentui is dat of purpose.) quod segnitia erat, sapientia vocaretur. dum vigebat aetas (dum vigebat aetas: ‘as long as his age was vigorous’; dum can be found with most tenses of the indicative to denote duration, i.e. whenever dum has the sense of ‘as long as’; see also below dum privatus fuit.) militari laude apud Germanias floruit. (militari laude apud Germanias floruit: ‘he was at the height of his fame because of his achievements in Germany’.) pro consule Africam moderate, iam senior citeriorem Hispaniam pari iustitia continuit, (pro consule Africam moderate, … citeriorem Hispaniam pari iustitia continuit: ‘as proconsul, he governed Africa with moderation and controlled Nearer Spain with equal justice’. Hispania citerior occupied the entire eastern coast of Spain during the Roman republic; emperor Augustus incorporated it into Hispania terraconensis, occupying most of Spain, with the exception of Lusitania along the west coast and Hispania baetica in the south.) maior privato visus dum privatus fuit, et omnium consensu capax imperii nisi imperasset. (nisi imperasset: plup. subjunctive for unreal condition in time past.)