XI.
Tali rerum statu, (tali rerum statu: abl. abs., ‘such being the state of things’) cum discordia inter patres, ira apud victos, nulla in victoribus auctoritas, non leges, non princeps in civitate essent, (cum …essent: for use of temporal cum with imperf. or pluperf. subjunctive see note in ch. 9.) Mucianus urbem ingressus cuncta simul in se traxit. fracta Primi Antonii Varique Arrii potentia, male dissimulata in eos (in eos: ‘against them’) Muciani iracundia, quamvis vultu tegeretur. (quamvis … tegeretur: concessive quamvis, unlike quamquam, takes subjunctive.) sed civitas rimandis offensis sagax verterat se transtuleratque: (sed civitas rimandis offensis sagax verterat se transtuleratque: ‘but Rome, keen at sniffing out bad blood, had turned about and transferred homage to Mucianus’; rimandis offensis sagax: abl. gerundive after an adj.: lit. ‘shrewd in animosities to be detected’) ille unus ambiri, coli. nec deerat ipse, stipatus armatis domos hortosque permutans, apparatu incessu excubiis vim principis amplecti, nomen remittere. (ille unus ambiri, coli. nec deerat ipse, stipatus armatis …, apparatu incessu excubiis vim principis amplecti, nomen remittere: ‘he alone was courted, feasted: surrounded by armed men, with his crowd of attendants, the train of followers, the guards at the door, he was not hesitant – not he! – to clutch at the imperial powers. As to the title, he took no notice of it.’ nomen remittere: ‘felt no need for the title’; ambiri, coli, remittere are historical infinitives; amplecti, infinitive of amplector, completes nec deerat ipse.) plurimum terroris intulit caedes Calpurnii Galeriani. is fuit filius Gai Pisonis, (Gai Pisonis: Gaius Piso took part in a plot against Nero in 65 A.D. and upon discovery of the plot killed himself.) nihil ausus: sed nomen insigne et decora ipsius iuventa rumore vulgi celebrabantur, erantque in civitate adhuc turbida et novis sermonibus laeta qui principatus inanem ei famam circumdarent. (erant … qui principatus inanem ei famam circumdarent: rel. clause of characteristic requiring subjunctive: lit. ‘there were those who would spread empty rumors about him of empire.’ ei is dat. with circumdo.) iussu Muciani custodia militari cinctus, ne in ipsa urbe conspectior mors foret, (ne in ipsa urbe conspectior mors foret: negative purpose clause: ‘lest his death should be too open to view in the city itself.’) ad quadragensimum ab urbe lapidem (ad quadragensimum ab urbe lapidem: ‘to the fortieth milestone from Rome’) Appia via fuso per venas sanguine extinguitur. (fuso per venas sanguine extinguitur: abl. abs.: lit. ‘his blood having been drained by way of the veins, his life is estinguished.’ extinguitur is historical present.) Iulius Priscus (Iulius Priscus: cf. Book 2, ch. 92). He and Alfenus Varus (mentioned next) had abandoned the Vitellian troops at Mevania and had returned to Rome. Cf. Book 3, ch. 61.) praetoriarum sub Vitellio cohortium praefectus se ipse interfecit, pudore magis quam necessitate. Alfenus Varus ignaviae infamiaeque suae superfuit. Asiaticus (is enim libertus) malam potentiam servili supplicio expiavit. (malam potentiam servili supplicio expiavit: ‘he paid for his evil power with the extreme penalty reserved for slaves’)