36 Flashcards
(causae in incerto fuere)
abrupt parentheses conveys erratic and irrational nature of Nero
maxime Aegyptum
hint of Mark Antony - forgetting duty to rule and preoccupation with pleasure
secretis imaginationibus
overtly portrays N as being delusional
absentiam
antithetical to ‘praesens’ - N’s behaviour is erratic and he seems unaware of what he wants or needs to do
immota ac prospera
deeply ironic, N’s reign is far from either
adiit Capitolium
uncertainty
seu numine exterrente
this reason is delusional
seu facinorum recordatione
secondary position places stylistic emphasis on this reason, and refers to his tyrannical actions
numquam timore vacuus
weak and indecisive, not brave and stoic as an emperor is expected to be
deseruit inceptum
deterioration of his ability to carry out his ill-thought out plans
amore patriae
lie
dictitans
repetitiveness - has to justify his irrational actions even to himself
vidisse… audire [repeated sentence structure]
series of N’s egomania - accentuated by tense change
tantum itineris
hyperbolic + contradicts earlier ‘non longam’
fortuita
implies these were frequent in his reign
