VIII.
Magna pars Iudaeae vicis dispergitur, habent et (habent et: when not the first word in a clause et most often has the force of etiam.) oppida; Hierosolyma genti caput. Illic immensae opulentiae templum, et primis munimentis urbs, (primis munimentis urbs: ‘the city with its first fortifications’; primis munimentis is abl. of accompaniment, usually with cum excpt with terms of a military nature, especially if modified by an adjective; cf. A.G. 413, a.) dein regia, templum intimis clausum. (templum intimis clausum: intimis goes with an implied munimentis, an abl of instrument.) Ad fores tantum Iudaeo aditus, (ad fores tantum Iudaeo aditus: ‘for the ordinary Jew approach [to the temple] was only as far as the gates’.) limine (limine: abl. of separation with arcebantur) praeter sacerdotes arcebantur. Dum Assyrios penes Medosque et Persas (Assyrios … Medosque et Persas … Macedones: Assyria was an ancient empire located north of the Persian gulf in parts of modern Iran and Iraq. It lasted from the 25th century B.C. to 610 B.C., when it was incorporated into the Median empire extending over most of present-day Iran. The Medes were a people of Indo-Iranian origin and their empire lasted from about 675 B.C. to 550 B.C., when they were defeated by the Persian king Cyrus. The Persians were in origin a group of nomadic tribes living north of the Caucasus chain of mountains between the Black and the Caspian sea. About 1500 B.C. they moved south and spread out in different directions, merging with the local populations. By the middle of the 6th century B.C. they were strong enough to shake off the dominance of the Medes and eventually create one of the largest empires of the ancient world, which lasted until 330 B.C., when Alexander the Great won a decisive victory over them. He was the king of Macedonia, the NE portion of the Greek peninsula. Following on the footsteps of Alexander’s epic conquests, Greek language, ideas, and customs spread all over the eastern world and ushered in the Hellenistic period of history. ) Oriens fuit, despectissima pars servientium: postquam Macedones praepolluere, rex Antiochus demere superstitionem et mores Graecorum dare adnisus, quo minus taeterrimam gentem in melius mutaret, (rex Antiochus demere superstitionem et mores Graecorum dare adnisus, quo minus taeterrimam gentem in melius mutaret, …: ‘king Antiochus tried his best to suppress superstition and to give Greek customs, in order to change this most abominable race for the better’. adnisus or adnixus is from adnitor; quo minus is followed by purpose clause after main verbs of hindering and refusing, especially when the verb is not in the negative. Cf. A.G. 558, b.) Parthorum bello prohibitus est; nam ea tempestate Arsaces desciverat. (Parthorum bello prohibitus est; nam ea tempestate Arsaces desciverat: ‘he was prevented by war witth the Parthians, since at that juncture Arsaces had revolted’. Parthia was the territory extending southeast of the Caspian sea as far as the Persian Gulf. It was part of the Persian, then of the Macedonian empire until Arsace revolted in about 255 B.C. against Antiochus II, the ruler of one of the several parts into which the Macedonian empire had broken up after Alexander’s death in 323 B.C. The Hellenistic king trying to force Greek customs on the Jews was Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who ruled from 176 to 164 B.C., so Tacitus’ reference to Arsaces’ rebellion is off the mark by about a hundred years.) Tum Iudaei Macedonibus invalidis, Parthis nondum adultis (Macedonibus invalidis, Parthis nondum adultis: abl. abs.) –et Romani procul erant–, sibi ipsi reges imposuere; qui mobilitate vulgi expulsi, resumpta per arma dominatione (resumpta per arma dominatione: abl. abs.) fugas civium, urbium eversiones, fratrum coniugum parentum neces aliaque solita regibus ausi superstitionem fovebant, quia honor sacerdotii firmamentum potentiae adsumebatur.