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
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This is a<br />
significant step: emperors did not usually intervene to set a maximum<br />
price for corn as it damaged the ability of merchants to make profit, so<br />
this marks a real emergency. With the price of corn at the time at around<br />
five sesterces per modius (about 16 pints of dry corn), this is a significant<br />
reduction, stressed by usque ad (‘right the way down to’). 165<br />
39.3 quae quamquam popularia in inritum cadebant, quia pervaserat rumor<br />
<br />
Troianum excidium, praesentia mala vetustis cladibus adsimulantem.<br />
quae is a connecting relative pronoun (= ea); it modifies<br />
popularia, which is an adjective used as a noun (‘these popular measures’).<br />
In a main clause: ‘however’<br />
The rumour is personified as a force of its own,<br />
w<strong>and</strong>ering around (pervaserat). The inversion of normal word order (verb<br />
+ subject) adds emphasis to the power of this rumour <strong>and</strong> the extent of its<br />
spread. The pluperfect indicates that the damage had already been done.<br />
Interestingly, it is again only <strong>Tacitus</strong> of the extant historians who<br />
reports that this was only a rumour: the others cheerfully record it as a fact.<br />
See Suetonius, Nero 38 <strong>and</strong> Dio 62.18.1, both cited above.<br />
An<br />
indirect statement dependent on rumor, <strong>with</strong> eum as subjective accusative<br />
<strong>and</strong> inisse <strong>and</strong> cecinisse as infinitives (note their front position <strong>and</strong> rhyme).<br />
This is where one of the most famous stories of Roman history comes from<br />
– Nero fiddling as Rome burns. Whatever its veracity (not counting the<br />
violin!), the plausibility of the rumour feeds on Nero’s notorious obsession<br />
<strong>with</strong> dramatic performances.<br />
This harks back to 15.33, where <strong>Tacitus</strong> reports on<br />
Nero’s desire to appear on stage before a larger public, in venues other than his<br />
house. This particular performance here, if it ever happened, took place <strong>with</strong>in<br />
the confines of Nero’s palace. There are no eye-witnesses <strong>Tacitus</strong> can rely on.<br />
So he reports a rumour – true to life, in the case of most such catastrophes?<br />
165 On famine <strong>and</strong> food supply in ancient Rome see further Garnsey (1988).
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