LXXXVI.
Intellegebantur artes, sed pars obsequii in eo ne deprehenderentur: (intellegebantur artes, sed pars obsequii in eo ne deprehenderentur: lit. ‘[Mucianus’] tricks were understood [by Domitian], but the compliant role in him prevented that they should be exposed’. The subject of deprehenderentur is artes: Tacitus means that Domitian, eighteen at that time, was casting himself in the role of a very respectful boy deferring to Mucianus’ judgement.) ita Lugudunum ventum. (ita Lugudunum ventum: we know from another historian, Cassius Dio, that Mucianus and Domitian parted company soon after their arrival at Lyon, both to go and welcome Vespasian back to Italy, the first at Brundisium, the latter at Beneventum.) unde creditur Domitianus occultis ad Cerialem nuntiis fidem eius temptavisse an praesenti sibi exercitum imperiumque traditurus foret. (an praesenti sibi exercitum imperiumque traditurus foret: an (lit. ‘or’), the particle used to introduce the second part of a double question (see next note below), can be found as a simple interrogative, beginning with Livy (cf. G. 457, Note 3): lit. ‘whether Cerialis would be willing to hand over command of the army to himself being present in person’; praesenti sibi is dat. with trado. exercitum imperiumque is hendiadys.) qua cogitatione bellum adversus patrem agitaverit an opes virisque adversus fratrem, in incerto fuit: (qua cogitatione bellum adversus patrem agitaverit an opes virisque adversus fratrem, in incerto fuit: double indirect question: ‘whether with this scheme he was meditating war against his father or soliciting support in money and troops against his brother was uncertain’. agitaverit corresponds to agitavit of direct question. ) nam Cerialis salubri temperamento elusit ut vana pueriliter cupientem. (Cerialis salubri temperamento elusit ut vana pueriliter cupientem: ‘Cerialis with healthy restraint evaded [Domitian] as foolishly pursuing vain hopes’. elusit: from eludo, i.e. ex ludo, ‘from a joke’, ‘for merriment’) Domitianus sperni a senioribus iuventam suam cernens modica quoque et usurpata antea munia imperii (modica quoque et usurpata antea munia imperii: ‘even trifling duties of government performed earlier’) omittebat, simplicitatis ac modestiae imagine in altitudinem conditus (simplicitatis ac modestiae imagine in altitudinem conditus: lit. ‘inaccessible in his aloofness under a facade of modesty and simplicity’) studiumque litterarum et amorem carminum simulans, quo velaret animum et fratris <se> aemulationi subduceret, (quo velaret … subduceret: quo replaces ut in final clauses: ‘that thereby he might conceal … withdraw’.) cuius disparem mitioremque naturam contra interpretabatur. (contra interpretabatur: ‘utterly misjudged’, ‘took a false view of’, ‘misapprehended entirely’. Domitian occupies the last part of both Book 3 and 4 of the Historiae. Tacitus most probably dealt with him more amply later in the missing parts of his work, but even what has survived of the Historiae, added to what he says of him in Agricola already paints a sinister image of the future emperor, whom he never fogave for the mean-spirited treatment of his beloved father-in-law.)