The annals of Tacitus

ON CHAPTERS 1, 2 57
19. summa apiscendi libido, siimma must be neut. plur ,
' the highest position.' Cf. parando regno (below) ; also xi 26
sitmma adeptus.
1. praefecturae, ' the praetorian command.'
intendit, Ht. 'stretch tight,' i.e. 'increase,' 'enhance,'—very
favourite word with Tacitus in this sense.
2. dispersas. N. quotes Suetonius Augustus 49 neque tamen
umqxiam plures quam tres cohortes in urhe passus est easque sine
eastris ; reliquMs in hiberna et aestiua circa finitima oppida
dimittere assuerat.
una castra, between the Porta CoUina and Viminalis, outside
the Agger of Servius.
3. numeroque...oreretur. The sense is well brought out
by K.,— 'while the sight of their own strength and numbers
would give confidence to the soldiers, and overawe the rest of
the citizens.'
6. si quid subitum... pariter subueniri, 'if any emergency
befell, greater support was given by joint action.' For this
use of pariter cf. i. 32 pariter ardescerent pariter silerent, 'as
one man.'
7. seuerius acturos, ' they would live stricter lives.'
uallum, i.e. the praetorian camp.
procul must not be pressed ; it frequently denotes ' at some
distance.' The camp was just outside the walls. And, as
F. says, to live in camp at all was a separation.
8. inrepere, 'began to insinuate himself.'
9. adeundo, appellando, ' by mixing with them and calling
them by name.' The modal use of the abl. gerund is very
frequent in Tacitus ; also in Livy. It is often best translated
by the English pres. partic. Cf. conducendo (line 2).
10. centuriones ac tribunes, previously appointed by the
Emperor himself.
neque senatorio ambitu...ornandi, 'nor did he refrain from
courting senators in the way of securing for his creatures public
distinctions or provincial offices.' Sejanus wished to make it felt
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