Matheson Collection > Cornelli Taciti annalium

BOOK XVI. CH. 27, § I — CH. 30, § i
nisi, &c., 'unless Thrasea had openly assumed the character of
a traitor.' Some such expression as ' proditoris partes induisset '
might be expected as more usual ; cf. ' femina . . . munia ducis . . .
induit,' Anti. i 69, 2 ; but the construction is assimilated to that
of ' agere senatorem ' immediately following.
contra, ' in defiance of,' cf. xiv 43, i.
§ 4. agere senatorem : cf. xiii 14, i ; 46, 5-
obtrectatores : such as Antistius (xiv 48).
§ 5. pacem, &c. : at the end of hostilities in Armenia, peace
throughout the empire had ensued, cf. xv 46, 2 ; and Nero
closed the temple of Janus, a fact commemorated by inscriptions
on coins of the time.
victorias: referring to Tiridates' submission, xv 27-31.
pro solitudjne haberet, 'regarded as a desert '; the multitudes
that flocked to such places were nothing to him ; he avoided
scenes of public interest as if they contained nothing he cared
to see.
qui minitaretur, ' one who threatened his own exile ' ; i.e. so
haughty that he acted as if he thought that his exile would be
Rome's loss, not his own.
§ 6. illi: dative of Agent, 'were not seen by him,' 'he avoided
the sight of.'
abrumperet vitam : an echo of Vergil's ' nequeo crudelem
abrumpere vitam,' Aen.yim 579.
Ch. 29, § I. per, &c., ' throughout a speech to this effect.'
ardesceret : by zeugma with ' voce ' and ' voltu ' ; cf. xv 4, 4,
'accenderant.'
celebritate fso Med.) = ' frequency.' This is the only instance
of the word being used in this sense.
manus et tela = 'tela in manibus,' cf. 'non occultis gladiis,'
ch. 27, I.
§ 2. obversabatur, ' was before them,' in their mind's eye ;
Thrasea was not present (cf. xiv 63, 2).
§ 3. tristem patria fortunam : see ch. 28, 2.
§ 4. enimvero : laying stress on a still stronger case, ' as for
Montanus,' &c.
famosi, ' slanderous.'
quia, &c., ' because he gave evidence o his talent,' and so pro-
voked Is^ero's jealousy.
Ch. 30, § I. interim : before the vote was taken on Thrasea's
case.
ingreditur : sc. ' curiam.' Ostorius was not a senator, so would
only come in to deliver his accusation.
quodque, >S:c., literally, ' and that he had carried out his procon-
sulate of Asia in a way rather adapted to himself in accordance
with renown,' i.e. so as to redound to his own glorification.
alendo seditiones civitatium : referring to his sympathy with
Pergamum against Acratus ; see ch. 23, l. For the ablative cf.
XV S> 3> ' percursando,'
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