Matheson Collection > Cornelli Taciti annalium

BOOK XIII. CH. 22, § 3 — CH. 2G, § i
deinde, &c., * (because) tlien on recognizing him (he) had asked
pardon, was compelled to kill himself as though he had expos-
tulated.' Dio gives Nero's remark on receiving his petition :
OuKonv ^Sr], Nepcoi/a TVTTTail', civtov KaTfXPWoTO ;
mori: for this infin. after ' adactus est' see Intr. II 31.
§ 3. rixaruni,&c.,' quarrels beginning moderately, and apparently
those of ordinary individuals ' ; privata, as though ' privatorum.'
sinerent, ' not interfere in.'
§ 4. ludicram licentiam, 'disorder at the play.'
fautores : equivalent to ' fautorum.'
inpunitate, ' by the impunity (he afforded them) and the
rewards (he gave).'
oceultus, &:c., 'looking on from a place of concealment, and
often in full view.'
motus, ' disturbance.'
histriones : the whole class apparently, not merely the offenders;
of. Ann. xiv 21, 7.
Ch. 26, § I. fraudibus, 'misconduct.'
censerent, ' expressed their opinion ' in favour of the suggestion.
For procedure in the senate, see ch. 49, 2.
relationem incipere, ' to put the question,' and accordingly
pass a formal resolution.
ille, &c. The exact words of Med., which as they stand give
no sense, are : 'ille an auctor constitutionis fieret ut inter paucos
et sententiae adversos quibusdam coalitam libertate inreverentiam
eo prorupisse frementibus vine an aequo cum patronis iure agerent
sententiam eorum consultarent ac verberibus manus ultro inten-
derent impulere vel poenam suam dissuadentes.' In the first
sentence a verb of deliberation is required by ' an,' and ' consul-
tavit' is proposed instead of the MS. ' ut,' which rnay possibly be the
mutilated survivor of some such verb. ' Ut ' before ' vine ' is re-
quired by ' eo ' ; ' sententiam consultarent ' will make sense though
it is not a satisfactory Latin phrase ; and the other alterations,
' diversos ' for ' adversos,' ' impudenter ' for ' impulere,' and ' sua-
dentes' for 'dissuadentes,' improve the general sense of the
passage, which gives the substance of a debate in the private
council of the emperor, the opinions of one side being introduced
in this chapter (after 'frementibus'), and those of the other side
in ch. 27. ' He debated whether he should make himself re-
sponsible for an ordinance on this subject with a few advisers who
differed in their views, some complaining that the disrespect of
the freedmen, fostered by indulgence, had gone to such lengths that
they asked their patrons' opinion whether they should deal with
them (their patrons) by force or on terms of legal equality, and
actually raised their hands to strike blows, in their impudence
even recommending their own punishment.'
sententiae : gen. of respect, with ' diversos.' So ' morum di-
versus,' An/i. xiv 19.
verberibus : dat. of purpose.
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