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Tacitus · Historiae I

Histories 1.12

The question of an heir

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Hist. 1.12.1Paucīs post kalendās Iānuāriās diēbus Pompēī Propinquī prōcūrātōris ē Belgicā litterae adferuntur, superiōris Germāniae legiōnēs ruptā sacrāmentī reverentiā imperātōrem alium flāgitāre et senātuī ac populō Rōmānō arbitrium ēligendī permittere quō sēditiō mollius acciperētur.A few days after the Kalends of January a letter is brought from Pompeius Propinquus, the procurator in Belgica, saying that the legions of Upper Germany, breaking through the reverence of their oath, were demanding another emperor, and were leaving the choice to the senate and the Roman people so that their mutiny might be received more leniently. Hist. 1.12.1Mātūrāvit ea rēs cōnsilium Galbae iam prīdem dē adoptiōne sēcum et cum proximīs agitantis.This news hastened the decision of Galba, who had long been debating adoption with himself and his intimates. Hist. 1.12.1Nōn sānē crēbrior tōtā cīvitāte sermō per illōs mēnsīs fuerat, prīmum licentiā ac libīdine tālia loquendī, Dein fessā iam aetāte Galbae.Indeed, nothing had been talked of more often in the whole city during those months, first from the licence and passion for such talk, then because Galba was now worn with age. Hist. 1.12.1Paucīs iūdicium aut reī pūblicae amor: multī stultā spē, prōut quis amīcus vel cliēns, hunc vel illum ambitiōsīs rūmōribus dēstinābant, etiam in Titī Vīniī odium, quī in diēs quantō potentior eōdem āctū invīsior erat.Few had judgement or love of the state: many, with foolish hope, according as each was someone's friend or client, marked out this man or that in self-interested rumours, partly too out of hatred for Titus Vinius, who grew more hated each day by the same degree as he grew more powerful.

Hist. 1.12.1Quippe hiantīs in magnā fortūnā amīcōrum cupiditātēs ipsa Galbae facilitās intendēbat, cum apud īnfirmum et crēdulum minōre metū et maiōre praemiō peccārētur.For Galba's very indulgence sharpened the greed of his friends, gaping at their great good fortune, since with a weak and credulous man wrongdoing involved less fear and greater reward.

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Grammar in this passage: gerunds and gerundives ×2, purpose clauses ×1, ablative absolute ×1, indirect statement ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (100 words)
paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.few
post, adv.after, later; prep. with acc., after, behind
Kalendae, -ārum f. pl.the Kalends (1st day of the month)
Iānuārius, -a, -umof January (Kalendae Iānuāriae: 1 January)
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.day
prōcūrātor, -ōris m.manager, agent; regent
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
litterae, -ārum f. pl.letters (of the alphabet); a letter, dispatch
adferō, adferre, attulī, adlātusbear to, bring
superior, -ius, adj.higher; former, previous, preceding
legiō, -ōnis f.legion
rumpō, rumpere, rūpī, ruptusbreak, burst
sacrāmentum, -ī n.military oath (of allegiance)
reverentia, -ae f.respect, modesty, shyness
imperātor, -ōris, m.commander, general
alius, -a, -udanother, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
flāgitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumdemand urgently
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
senātus, -ūs m.senate
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
populus, -ī m.people, nation
Rōmānus, -a, -umRoman
arbitrium, -ī n.judgment, will, pleasure
ēligō, -ere, ēlēgī, ēlēctumpick out, choose
permittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missumallow, permit; entrust
quō, adv.to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long?
sēditiō, -ōnis f.riot, mutiny, discord
molliter (adv.)softly, gently; in comfort, luxuriously
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
mātūrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusripen; hasten
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
cōnsilium, -ī, n.advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence
iam, adv.now, already
prīdem (adv.)long ago; iam prīdem: long since
dē, prep, with abl.down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
adoptiō, -ōnis f.adoption
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
cum, prep, with abl.with
proximus, -a, -umnearest, next
agitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusdrive about; discuss, debate
nōn, adv.not
sānē, adv.certainly, by all means; very
crēber, -bra, -brumfrequent, numerous; close together
tōtus, -a, -umall the, the whole or entire
cīvitās, -tātis, f.state
sermō, -ōnis, m.conversation, talk, speech
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
mēnsis, -is m.month
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
prīmum, adv.first, in the first place
licentia, -ae f.freedom; lack of restraint, lawlessness
libīdō, -inis f.desire, lust; caprice
tālis, -esuch
loquor, loquī, locūtusspeak
deinde, adv.then, next
fessus, -a, -umexhausted, worn out, weary
aetās, -tātis, f.age
iūdicium, -ī n.trial, court; judgment
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
pūblicus, -a, -umpublic, of the state (rēs pūblica: the state)
amor, -ōris, m.love
multus, -a, -ummuch, great; plur., many
stultus, -a, -umfoolish, stupid
spēs, speī, f.hope
prōut (conj.)just as, according as
quis, qua, quid, indef. pron.any one, anybody, anything, some one, somebody, something
amīcus, -ī, m.friend
velor; vel … vel: either … or
cliēns, -entis m.client, dependent
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
ambitiōsus, -a, -umeager for office or popularity, ambitious
rūmor, -ōris m.rumour, report
dēstinō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumfasten, make fast
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
odium, -ī, n.hatred
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
quantus, -a, -umhow great or much?
potēns, -entispowerful
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
āctus, -ūs m.proceeding, course of action, procedure
invīsus, -a, -umhated, hateful (to: dat.)
quippe (adv.)of course, indeed, for
hiō, -āre, -āvīgape, open the mouth
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
fortūna, -ae, f.fortune
cupiditās, -tātis, f.desire, longing, eagerness
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
facilitās, -ātis f.easiness of manner, good nature, approachability
intendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentusstretch out; stretch, draw, aim
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
apud, prep, with acc.among, with
īnfirmus, -a, -umweak
crēdulus, -a, -umtrusting, credulous, too ready to believe
parvus, -a, -umlittle, small
metus, -ūs m.fear, dread
praemium, -ī, n.reward
peccō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumdo wrong
Tacitus, Historiae I. Latin text: C. D. Fisher, Cornelii Taciti Historiarum Libri (Oxford, 1911), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.