The annals of Tacitus

ON CHAPTERS 5, 6 63
5. apud patres tractabantur. See Introduction vi.
7. mandabatque honores.spectando. Tliis requires care in
translation :
' and in the bestowal of offices of state he paid regard
to a candidate's ancestry, military distinction, and high qualities
in civil life.' For artes 'accomplishments,' cf. Horace Odes iv 1
centum puer artium.
9. potiores fuisse, 'had more influence (with the Emperor).'
10. sua... species, ' kept their old prestige.' Cf. Cic. Piso 24
magna species, marjna dignitas, magna maiestas consulis.
11. exercita potestas, ' the authority was maintained.'
12. si...eximeretur, 'excepting the process for high treason.'
See Introduction viii.
13. bono in usu, 'well enforced,' i.e. neither too strict nor
too lax.
frumenta, supplies of grain collected from the Provinces in
return for military protection and the maintenance of state
officials.
etc.
pecuniae uectigales, including portoria, decumae, scriptura,
14. cetera... fructuiun, i.e. woods and forests, mines, salt-
works, etc. For the neut. plur., cf. c. o.
societatibus...agitabantur, 'were managed by companies of
Roman capitalists,' i.e. publicani. Their business was under the
control of presidents (magistri) in Rome, and vice-presidents (pro
niagistris) in the provinces. Cf. xiii 50 uectigalium societates.
15. res suas, probably not the fiscus or ' privy purse ' of
which the Emperor was only the trustee ; but the private
property alluded to in c. 15 non se ius nisi in seruitia et pecunias
familiares dedisse. Such agents were called procuratores patri-
monii [F.].
16. ex fama, ' according to their reputation.'
18. plerique, here ' most.' ' Many ' is the more usual signi-
fication of the word in Tacitus.
19. acri annona. 'b y the high price of food .' Tacitus uses
with annona metaphors from winter or storms. Cf. ii 87 saeuitiam
annonae.
20. quin, ' on the contrary.'