Tacitus, Annals, 15.20-23, 33-45. Latin Text, Study Aids with Vocabulary, and Commentary, 2013a
Tacitus, Annals, 15.20-23, 33-45. Latin Text, Study Aids with Vocabulary, and Commentary, 2013a
Tacitus, Annals, 15.20-23, 33-45. Latin Text, Study Aids with Vocabulary, and Commentary, 2013a
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
(in predicative position <strong>and</strong> governing the genitive phrase imminentis<br />
caedis) – is the direct object of excepisse. prohibitum modifies Thraseam – it is<br />
<strong>Tacitus</strong>’ condensed way of saying that Nero forbade Thrasea to attend his<br />
reception of the senate. Nero’s decision to uninvite just him from the birth<br />
celebrations amounted to a renuntiatio amicitiae (renunciation of friendship)<br />
from the emperor, often a precursor to banishment or worse: this is what<br />
<strong>Tacitus</strong> refers to <strong>with</strong> praenuntiam imminentis caedis contumeliam (an affront<br />
which foreshadowed his impending murder). At 16.24, <strong>Tacitus</strong> notes that<br />
the emperor had prohibited Thrasea to join in the celebrations that greeted<br />
the arrival of Tiridates (the Parthian king) in Rome: Igitur omni civitate ad<br />
excipiendum principem spect<strong>and</strong>umque regem effusa, Thrasea occursu prohibitus<br />
non demisit animum, sed codicillos ad Neronem composuit, requirens obiecta et<br />
expurgaturum adseuerans, si notitiam criminum et copiam diluendi habuisset<br />
(‘The whole city, then, streamed out to welcome the emperor <strong>and</strong> inspect<br />
the king, but Thrasea was ordered to avoid the reception. [Aptly named for<br />
‘Boldness’] He didn’t lower his spirits, but drew up a note to Nero, asking<br />
for the allegations against him <strong>and</strong> stating that he would rebut them, if he<br />
was allowed cognizance of the charges <strong>and</strong> facilities for dissipating them’).<br />
Embedded <strong>with</strong>in coverage of Thrasea<br />
occurs an ablative absolute in which <strong>Tacitus</strong> dispatches the rest of the<br />
senate. The whole (cf. the totalising omni) of the senate troop out to Antium<br />
to pay their homage to the newborn. The strong verb effundo (literally ‘to<br />
pour out’; this picks up on the image of flux in the previous sentence: quae<br />
fluxa fuere) helps to convey how the senators were falling over themselves<br />
to be seen congratulating the emperor <strong>and</strong> his wife.<br />
Immediately after the birth.<br />
The contrast between Nero’s wild emotions <strong>and</strong> Thrasea’s<br />
unshaken spirit is pointed.<br />
secutam [sc. esse] [sc.<br />
esse] se Thraseae apud Senecam iactaverit ac Senecam Caesari gratulatum<br />
[sc. esse]The sentence introduces a surprising turn: after the reference to<br />
Thrasea’s impending doom (<strong>and</strong> its Stoic acceptance), we now hear [the<br />
story] that Nero reconciled himself <strong>with</strong> his adversary <strong>and</strong> boasted about it<br />
to his old tutor Seneca. ferunt introduces an indirect statement <strong>with</strong> vocem<br />
<strong>and</strong> Senecam as subject accusatives <strong>and</strong> secutam (esse) <strong>and</strong> gratulatum (esse) as
Change language