IV.
Miserat et Mucianus epistulas ad senatum, quae materiam sermonibus praebuere. si privatus esset, cur publice loqueretur? (si privatus esset, cur publice loqueretur?: conditional sentence of the logical type in indir. speech introduced by materiam sermonibus praebuere (hist. verb of saying) and going no further than dici. The apodosis is in the form of an indirect question, itself requiring subjunctive: ‘if he were a private man, why was he speaking in a public capacity?’ It was considered improper, except for the emperor, to address the Senate in writing. In direct discourse the sentence would be: si privatus est, cur publice loquatur?) potuisse eadem paucos post dies loco sententiae (loco sententiae: idiom, ‘when one’s turn comes to offer an opinion’) dici. ipsa quoque insectatio in Vitellium sera et sine libertate: (sine libertate: ‘dogmatic’, ‘narrow-minded’, ‘lacking frankness and objectivity’) id vero erga rem publicam superbum, erga principem contumeliosum, quod in manu sua fuisse imperium donatumque Vespasiano iactabat. (id vero erga rem publicam superbum, …quod in manu sua fuisse imperium donatumque Vespasiano iactabat: ‘it was indeed disrespectful to the state, the fact that (quod) he boasted of having had the empire in his hand and of having presented it to Vespasian.’) ceterum invidia in occulto, adulatio in aperto erant: (ceterum invidia in occulto, adulatio in aperto erant: ‘however that may be, the Senate’s displeasure was hidden, their adulation was there for all to see.’ erant: one trademark of Tacitus’ style is the use of a single plural verb with the subjects of two contrasting clauses, separated by asyndeton.) multo cum honore verborum Muciano triumphalia de bello civium data, sed in Sarmatas expeditio fingebatur. (Muciano …triumphalia de bello civium data, sed in Sarmatas expeditio fingebatur: ‘triumphal honors were given to Mucianus in connection with the civil war, but the campaign against the Sarmatae was used as a pretext.’ A triumph could not be legally granted for success in a war against the people, but Tacitus sees the excuse for the triumph for what it is, a servile attempt on the part of the Senate to circumvent the law and toady to the winners of the civil war, now the new masters. triumphalia: the status, badges, and privileges of a triumph, but without the triumphal procession; similarly, the consularia and praetoria insignia mentined next included all the honors of a consul or praetor, exclusive of the office itself.) adduntur Primo Antonio consularia, Cornelio Fusco et Arrio Varo praetoria insignia. mox deos respexere; restitui Capitolium placuit. eaque omnia Valerius Asiaticus consul designatus censuit: ceteri vultu manuque, pauci, quibus conspicua dignitas aut ingenium adulatione exercitum, compositis orationibus adsentiebantur. ubi ad Helvidium Priscum praetorem designatum ventum, (ubi … ventum [est]: temporal ubi is normally followed by perf indicative; ventum [est] is impersonal use of passive of an intransitive verb.) prompsit sententiam ut honorificam in bonum principem, * * * falsa aberant, (prompsit sententiam ut honorificam in bonum principem, * * * falsa aberrant: it is generaaly agreed that some words may be missing at this point in the original text, but enough is there to gather that Vespasian was offended by Priscus’ words spoken on this occasion. Eventually this resentment led to Priscus’ execution in 73 A.D., which brought him posthumous fame as a martyr in the cause of liberty and free speech.) et studiis senatus attollebatur. isque praecipuus illi dies magnae offensae initium et magnae gloriae fuit.