The annals of Tacitus

94 NOTES
nothing else than a monarchy,'—though it was not so in form.
Formally things went on tamquam iietere re imhlica (i 7),—the
names of the old magistrates being preserved. Cf. c. 20 quasi
Varro consul aut illiid res inihlica esset.
10. haec conquiri tradique, referring to the first words of
c. 32. He attaches the chief importance to insignificant doings
of Emperor and Senate, especially the record of prosecutions.
He cares nothing for the grand operations of imperial government.
in rem fuerit, ' may prove useful.' Cf. c. 5 incertum fuerit
c. 32 7ion sine iisu fuerit.
11. prudentia, 'by their own wisdom.'
13. aliorum euentis docentur. euenta means 'experiences.'
Cicero has euenta nostra in ad /am. i 7. ' The idea seems to be
that it is the business of the historian to select proper instances
as examples or as warnings. ...He has so to marshal his facts that
his readers may draw the proper conclusions from them ' [R.].
ceteruin...adferunt, 'however, such enquiries, although sure
to be profitable, yet bring very little entertainment.' This is
the force of ut...ita....For the thought cf. Thuc. i 22 Kal is /x^v
CLKpdacnv laws to /xij /xvdwdes avrCiv aTepTriarepov (pavelrai.
14. uarietates, ' vicissitudes.'
15. exitus, ' deaths,' as often in Tacitus.
16. continuas accusationes, ' an unbroken record of pro-
secutions.'
18. coniungimus, ' we string together.'
easdem exitu.-.satletate.
' \.r\^.]^ {^,11 endinp in one wav. with a.
uniformity as monotonous «« it, i>^ rpvnlHng' [R.].
22. TIberio regente. rego is rarely used of an Emperor.
23. ut, 'though.' Cf. c. 40.
of others is aimfiiL-aJL_the.mgfilyes.'
26. ut niinis...arguens, 'as criticising from too close a point
of view the opposite qualities ' [F.]. ' How admirable is Tacitus
when he sums up in a perfect phrase some paipful human
characteristic!' rR.L 6>