Tacitus, Annals, 15.20­-23, 33­-45. Latin Text, Study Aids with Vocabulary, and Commentary, 2013a

The general Agrippa was one of Augustus’ closest
companions and the architect of his victory at Actium. He also left his
mark on the urban topography. Arguably the most famous building he
sponsored was the Pantheon. The ‘Lake of Agrippa’ at issue here was a
huge artificial reservoir, built on the Campus Martius in Rome, which
supplied the ‘Baths of Agrippa’ with water and also served as an open-air
swimming pool. The invocation of Agrippa – one of Nero’s most famous
ancestors – is significant: ‘Tacitus no doubt relished pointing the contrast
between the engineering of Agrippa, Nero’s own great-grand-father, and
that of Tigellinus, Nero’s henchman: the one was intended for use and
regular enjoyment, the other exclusively for irregular pleasures.’ 140
The
antecedent of cui is ratem. The subject of the relative clause is convivium.
Tacitus says, literally, that the banquet was moving over the lake, pulled
along by other ships (navium aliorum tractu).
A rare repetition for Tacitus, the master of variation. Here
the polyptoton helps to generate a picture of the number of boats and to
emphasise the diverse uses to which they were put.
Tacitus continues to describe the physical
wonder of the spectacle: the boats were ornately decorated with the most
precious materials.
Tacitus proceeds to paint his picture: we now see the rowers, usually hardy,
strong men but here characterised by the highly derogatory exoleti, the
perfect passive participle of exolesco: the rowers, apparently, were male
(pathic) prostitutes. They are arranged according to age (per aetates) – and
their sexual expertise (scientiam libidinum). The suddenness of this revelation
is a big surprise after the purely choreographic description so far! So, with
extra shock-value for its unexpectedness, the moral degeneracy of the party
comes full into view.
The subject is Tigellinus. The accusative objects volucres et feras and
140 Woodman (1998) 172.