IX.
Secutum aliud certamen. praetores aerarii (nam tum a praetoribus tractabatur aerarium) (nam tum a praetoribus tractabatur aerarium: management of the public treasury, once the prerogative of questors, was assigned by Augustus and then again by Nero to praetors. The matter is dealt with at length in the Annals.) publicam paupertatem questi modum impensis postulaverant. (praetores aerarii … publicam paupertatem questi modum impensis postulaverant: ‘the praetors of the treasury, having complained about the straitened public funds, had demanded limits for expenditures.’ The deponent questi has both active and transitive sense; impensis is dat. plur. of impensa) eam curam consul designatus ob magnitudinem oneris et remedii difficultatem principi reservabat: Helvidius arbitrio senatus agendum censuit. (Helvidius arbitrio senatus agendum censuit: ‘Helvidius expressed the view that action ought to be taken by authority of the Senate’; arbitrio is dative of agent with the impersonal passive periphrastic agendum [esse]. Cf. B. 189.) cum perrogarent sententias consules, (cum perrogarent sententias consules …: ‘as soon as the consuls began to ask the opinion of each member in turn, …’; cum followed by imperf. or pluperf. subjunctive (historical cum) sets the circumstances or situation in which the action of the main verb occurs. A.G. 546.) Vulcacius Tertullinus tribunus plebis intercessit ne quid super tanta re principe absente statueretur. (ne … statueretur: negative purpose clause; the tribunus plebis had the power to veto any decision by the Senate that was thought detrimental to the people.) censuerat Helvidius ut Capitolium publice restitueretur, adiuvaret Vespasianus. (censuerat Helvidius ut Capitolium publice restitueretur, adiuvaret Vespasianus: lit. ‘Helvidius had put forward a proposal in order that the Capitol be restored with public funds and with Vespasian’s support.’ adjuvaret Vespasianus: ‘[adding that] Wespasian might provide assistance’; adjuvaret may not be part of the ut clause after censuerat, but simply potential subjunctive. censeo is rarely found with ut + subjunctive in place of acc. + infinitive, but Tacitus is fond of the construction.) eam sententiam modestissimus quisque silentio, deinde oblivio (silentio … oblivio: datives of purpose or destination; oblivium is found in the singular only in poetry.) transmisit: fuere qui et meminissent. (fuere qui et meminissent: relative clause of characteristic: ‘there were also those who remembered.’ Helvidius was seen as placing the Senate above the emperor and slighting Vespasian by assigning him a secondary role. It became the basis for bringing him to trial and eventual execution.)