LII.
Titum, antequam digrederetur, (antequam digrederetur: antequam is with imperfect subjunctive when purpose or intention is implied. The subject of digrederetur is Titus. Vespasian at this time was in Egypt, where Titus went for the interview, then left to return to Judaea. ) multo apud patrem sermone orasse ferunt ne criminantium nuntiis temere accenderetur integrumque se ac placabilem filio praestaret. ([ut] integrumque se ac placabilem filio praestaret: ‘to prove himself to his son unprejudiced and forgiving’) non legiones, non classis proinde firma imperii munimenta quam (non …proinde …quam: ‘not in the same degree as …’) numerum liberorum; nam amicos tempore, fortuna, cupidinibus aliquando aut erroribus imminui, transferri, desinere: suum cuique sanguinem indiscretum, (suum cuique sanguinem indiscretum, sed maxime principibus: ‘that the bonds of one’s blood were not severable for any man, especially for princes’) sed maxime principibus, quorum prosperis et (et: = etiam) alii fruantur, adversa ad iunctissimos pertineant. (fruantur …pertineant: subjunctive for relative clauses in indir. speech) ne fratribus quidem mansuram concordiam, ni parens exemplum praebuisset. (ne fratribus quidem mansuram concordiam, ni parens exemplum praebuisset: conditional sentence in indir. speech: the verb of the apodosis (mansuram [esse]) is infinitive, that of the negative protasis plup. subjunctive for limitation to the leading statement in the past; cf. G. 591, b.) Vespasianus haud aeque Domitiano mitigatus quam Titi pietate gaudens, (haud aeque …mitigatus quam …gaudens: ‘not to the same degree reconciled with … as pleased with …’) bono esse animo iubet belloque et armis rem publicam attollere: sibi pacem domumque curae fore. (sibi pacem domumque curae fore: double dative: sibi, dat. of possessor with fore, and curae, dat. of purpose; lit. ‘that peace and his own family would be to himself for matters of concern’) tum celerrimas navium frumento onustas saevo adhuc mari committit: (saevo adhuc mari committit: ‘he entrusted [his ships] to the still dangerous sea’.Vespasian left from Alexandria, which he had previously occupied to win control of Egypt and through it of the grain supply of Rome.) quippe tanto discrimine urbs nutabat ut decem haud amplius dierum frumentum in horreis fuerit, (quippe tanto discrimine urbs nutabat ut decem haud amplius dierum frumentum in horreis fuerit: lit. ‘for indeed Rome was staggering under such menace, that the corn in the granaries was for not more than ten days’. The sentence is consecutive: the perfect subjunctive fuerit is required for single action or state in the past. decem is the seond term of comparison after haud amplius and would be abl. if it were not undeclinable; decem dierum is probably abl. of duration; see A.G. 424, b. dierum is partitive genitive after a numeral.) cum a Vespasiano commeatus subvenere. (cum …subvenere: cum with indicative defines the time at which the action of the main verb occurs.)