XL.
Quo die senatum ingressus est Domitianus, de absentia patris fratrisque ac iuventa sua pauca et modica disseruit, decorus habitu; (decorus habitu: ‘dignified in his bearing’) et ignotis adhuc moribus crebra oris confusio (crebra oris confusion: in Agricola, 45 Tacitus comments with disgust on Domitian’s ‘flushed red face’. ) pro modestia accipiebatur. referente Caesare (referente Caesare: Domitian had been hailed as Caesar by the soldiers on Vitellius’ death; cf. Book 3, ch. 86. ) de restituendis Galbae honoribus, (de restituendis Galbae honoribus: lit. ‘about honors to be restored to Galba’) censuit Curtius Montanus (Curtius Montanus: a friend of Pliny the Younger; accused of, and briefly exiled for, criticizing Nero; see also ch. 42.) ut Pisonis quoque memoria celebraretur. patres utrumque iussere: de Pisone inritum fuit. (patres utrumque iussere: de Pisone inritum fuit: ‘the Senate approved both [motions]: the one about Piso remained unfulfilled’) tum sorte ducti (sorte ducti [sunt]: ‘were drawn by lot’; sorte ducere is idiom.) per quos redderentur bello rapta, quique aera legum (aera legum: the bronze tablets of the laws; laws were inscribed on bronze tablets and posted permanently in full view of the public.) vetustate delapsa noscerent figerentque, et fastos adulatione temporum foedatos (fastos adulatione temporum foedatos: fasti is the Roman calendar: for each day it marked whether the day was propitious or not for public business; it contained the list of festive days, names of the consuls by means of which the years were identified, the records of victories and triumphs, religious observances, votive games, and other commemorative events. In imperial times the calendar was tarnished by changes and additions made to flatter the emperors. The more cruel the ruler the greater the adulation, such as having festivals celebrated in their honor, or months named after them.) exonerarent modumque publicis impensis facerent. (per quos redderentur …, quique … noscerent figerentque, … exonerarent … facerent: subjunctive in rel. clauses expressing purpose; see also per quos nosceret at the end of the chapter.) redditur Tettio Iuliano praetura, postquam cognitus est ad Vespasianum confugisse: Grypo honor mansit. repeti inde cognitionem inter Musonium Rufum et Publium Celerem placuit, (repeti … cognitionem …placuit: lit. ‘it was decided that the judicial inquiry be repeated’; for the first hearing cf. ch.10.) damnatusque Publius et Sorani manibus satis factum. (Sorani manibus satis factum: lit. ‘amends were made to the ghost of Soranus.’) insignis publica severitate dies ne privatim quidem laude caruit. iustum iudicium explesse Musonius videbatur, (iustum iudicium explesse Musonius videbatur: personal construction of an infinitive clause: see note for ferebatur Antonius Scribonianum Crassum …hortatus in previous chapter.) diversa fama Demetrio Cynicam sectam professo, quod manifestum reum ambitiosius quam honestius defendisset: (quod … defendisset: quod is with subjunctive if the reason given is an opinion rather than a fact.) ipsi Publio neque animus in periculis neque oratio suppeditavit. signo ultionis in accusatores dato, petit a Caesare Iunius Mauricus ut commentariorum principalium potestatem senatui faceret, (ut commentariorum principalium potestatem senatui faceret: ‘to give the Senate control of (or ‘access to’) the imperial records’. These were notebooks kept by the emperor for his own use.) per quos nosceret quem quisque accusandum poposcisset. (per quos nosceret quem quisque accusandum [esse] poposcisset: ‘through which [commentarii] to find out which persons (quem) each [informer] had demanded to be investigated’ (‘that they be investigated’.) consulendum tali super re principem respondit. (consulendum tali super re principem respondit: ‘he answered that in such matter the emperor should be consulted.’ tali super re: ‘about such matter’; super is here with abl.)