Tacitus Section 6 Flashcards
Forte congruerat ut Clodii Macri et Fontei Capitonis caedes nuntiarentur.
By chance it had coincided that the slaughters of Clodius Macer and Fonteius Capito were reported.
Macrum in Africa haud dubie turbantem Trebonius Garutianus procurator iussu Galbae,
Macer, without doubt making trouble in Africa, Trebonius Garutianus [had killed] the imperial agent, at Galba’s orders.
Capitonem in Germania, cum similia coeptaret, Cornelius Aquinus et Fabius Valens legati legionum interfecerant antequam iuberentur.
Capito in Germany, while he undertook similar things, Cornelius Aquinus and Fabius Valens, the commanders of the legions, had killed before they were ordered.
fuere qui crederent Capitonem ut avaritia et libidine foedum ac maculosum, ita cogitatione rerum novarum abstinuisse,
There were those who believed that Capito, although disgusting and stained by greed and lust, had yet refrained from thought of revolution,
sed a legatis bellum suadentibus, postquam impellere nequiverint, crimen ac dolum ultro compositum, et Galbam mobilitate ingenii,
but with the commanders urging war, after they had proved unable to persuade [him], a charge and even a plot was put together, and that Galba, either through the fickleness of his character,
an ne altius scrutaretur, quoquo modo acta quia mutari non poterant comprobasse.
or so that he might not investigate it too deeply, had approved the things that were done, in whatever manner, because they could not be changed.
ceterum utraque caedes sinistre accepta, et inviso semel principi seu bene seu male facta parem invidiam adferebant.
But either execution was unfavourably received, and to an Emperor, once [he became] hateful, things done either well or badly would bring equal loathing.
venalia cuncta, praepotentes liberti servorum manus subitis avidae et tamquam apud senem festinantes, eademque novae aulae mala, aeque gravia, non aeque excusata.
All things [were] for sale; [his] freedmen [were] extremely powerful, the hands of [his] slaves greedy for sudden [gains], and hurrying as was natural in the case of an old [master]; same [were] the evils in a new court, equally burdensome, but not equally excused.
ipsa aetas Galbae inrisui ac fastidio erat adsuetis iuventae Neronis et imperatores forma ac decore corporis, ut est mos vulgi, comparantibus.
The very time of life of Galba was an object of ridicule and disgust to those accustomed to the youth of Nero, and [those] who compared emperors by the beauty and grace of body, as is the custom of the common people.
