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Tacitus · Historiae I

Histories 1.87

Fear and flattery in Rome

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Hist. 1.87.1Et ōrātiō ad perstringendōs mulcendōsque mīlitum animōs et sevēritātis modus (neque enim in plūrīs quam in duōs animadvertī iusserat) grātē accepta compositīque ad praesēns quī coercērī nōn poterant.Both the speech, framed to reprove and to soothe the soldiers' minds, and the measure of his severity (for he had ordered no more than two to be punished) were gratefully received, and those who could not be controlled were calmed for the present. Hist. 1.87.1Nōn tamen quiēs urbī redierat: strepitus tēlōrum et faciēs bellī, mīlitibus ut nihil in commūne turbantibus, ita sparsīs per domōs occultō habitū, et maligna cūra in omnīs, quōs nōbilitās aut opēs aut aliqua īnsignis clāritūdō rūmōribus obiēcerat: Vitelliānōs quoque mīlitēs vēnisse in urbem ad studia partium nōscenda plērīque crēdēbant: unde plēna omnia suspīciōnum et vix sēcrēta domuum sine formīdine.Yet quiet had not returned to the city: there was the clash of arms and the look of war, for the soldiers, while causing no disturbance as a body, were scattered through houses in disguise, keeping a malicious watch on all whom nobility or wealth or some outstanding distinction had exposed to gossip: many also believed that Vitellian soldiers had come into the city to learn where men's sympathies lay: hence everything was full of suspicion, and even the privacy of homes was scarcely free from fear.

Hist. 1.87.1Sed plūrimum trepidātiōnis in pūblicō, ut quemque nūntium fāma attulisset, animum vultumque conversīs, nē diffīdere dubiīs ac parum gaudēre prosperīs vidērentur.But the greatest alarm was in public, where people changed their mood and expression with each piece of news that rumour had brought, so as not to seem to lose heart at doubtful news or to rejoice too little at good. Hist. 1.87.1Coāctō vērō in cūriam senātū arduus rērum omnium modus, nē contumāx silentium, nē suspecta lībertās;When the senate was assembled in the senate house, the right measure in everything was hard to keep, lest silence seem defiant, or frankness suspect; Hist. 1.87.1et prīvātō Othōnī nūper atque eadem dīcentī nota adūlātiō.and Otho, lately a private citizen and used to saying the same things, knew flattery well. Hist. 1.87.1Igitur versāre sententiās et hūc atque illūc torquēre, hostem et parricīdam Vitellium vocantēs, prōvidentissimus quisque vulgāribus convīciīs, quīdam vēra probra iacere, in clamōre tamen et ubi plūrimae vōcēs, aut tumultū verbōrum sibi ipsī obstrepentēs.So they kept turning their proposals and twisting them this way and that, calling Vitellius a public enemy and a parricide; the most far-sighted used commonplace insults, some hurled true reproaches, but only amid the shouting and where the voices were most numerous, or drowning out their own words with a din of talk.

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Grammar in this passage: gerunds and gerundives ×3, ablative absolute ×2, indirect statement ×5

Latin vocabulary for this passage (129 words)
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
ōrātiō, -ōnis, f.speech; ōrātiōnem habēre, to deliver an oration, speak
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
perstringō, -ere, -strīnxī, -strictusgraze; seize, run through (of a feeling)
mulceō, -ēre, mulsī, mulsusstroke; soothe, calm
que, enclitic conj.and
mīles, mīlitis, m.soldier
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
sevēritās, -ātis f.strictness, severity
modus, -ī, m.way, manner
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
enim, conj.for
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
plūrēs, -a, plur. adj.more, many, several
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj.two
animadvertō, -vertere, -vertī, -versusturn the mind to, observe
iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussusbid, order, command
grātē (adv.)gratefully, thankfully; with pleasure
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
compōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positumput together; mend, set in order
praesēns, -sentis, adj.present, immediate, imminent
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
coerceō, -ēre, coercuī, coercitumrestrain, keep in check
nōn, adv.not
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
tamen, adv.however, yet, nevertheless
quiēs, quiētis, f.rest, repose
urbs, urbis, f.city
redeō, -īre, -iī, -itusgo back, return
strepitus, -ūs m.noise, din
tēlum, -ī, n.missile, spear, weapon
faciēs, -ēī f.face; appearance
bellum, -ī, n.war
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
nihil, n., indecl.nothing
commūnis, -ecommon, shared, public
turbō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusconfuse, throw into disorder, disturb, trouble
ita, adv.in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
spargō, spargere, sparsī, sparsusscatter, sprinkle
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
domus, -ūs, f.house, home
occultus, -a, -umhidden, secret
habitus, -ūs m.condition, state; bearing, character
malignus, -a, -umspiteful; (of light) scanty
cūra, -ae f.care, concern (cūrae esse: to be a concern)
omnis, -eall, every
nōbilitās, -tātis f.the nobility
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
ops, opis f.; pl. opēs, -umhelp; (pl.) resources, wealth, power
aliquī, -qua, -quod, indef. pron. adj.some, any
īnsignis, -enotable, remarkable
clāritūdō, -inis f.fame, distinction, renown
rūmor, -ōris m.rumour, report
obiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectusthrow in the way or to
Vitelliānus, -a, -umof Vitellius; as noun, a Vitellian soldier
quoque, adv.also
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventuscome
studium, -ī, n.eagerness, zeal; study, pursuit
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
nōscō, -ere, nōvī, nōtumget to know (perf. nōvī: know)
plērīque, plēraeque, plēraquemost, very many
crēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditusbelieve
unde, adv.whence
plēnus, -a, -umfull
suspīciō, -ōnis, f.suspicion
vix, adv.with difficulty, scarcely, hardly, barely
sēcrētum, -ī n.a private place; secret
sine, prep. with abl.without
formīdō, -inis f.fear, dread; something to be dreaded
sed, conj.but
plūrimum (adv.)most, very much (plūrimum posse: be most powerful)
trepidātiō, -ōnis f.alarm, agitation
pūblicum, -ī n.open street, public place
quisque, quaeque, quidque, indef. pron.each
nūntius, -ī, m.messenger; message
fāma, -ae, f.report, rumor
adferō, adferre, attulī, adlātusbear to, bring
vultus, -ūs m.face, expression
convertō, -vertere, -vertī, -versusturn round, turn, change; in fugam convertere, to put to flight
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
diffīdō, -ere, -fīsus sumdistrust, lose confidence in (+ dat.)
dubius, -a, -umdoubtful, uncertain
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
parum (comp. minus, superl. minimē)too little; minimē: least, not at all
gaudeō, gaudēre, gāvīsusbe glad, rejoice
prosperus, -a, -umfavourable, successful, prosperous
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
cōgō, cōgere, coēgī, coāctusdrive together, collect; compel
vērō, adv.in truth, indeed; however
cūria, -ae f.senate house
senātus, -ūs m.senate
arduus, -a, -umsteep, difficult
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
contumāx, -ācisstubborn, defiant, unyielding, insolent
silentium, -ī n.silence; silentiō: in silence, quietly
suspectus, -a, -umsuspected, mistrusted
lībertās, -tātis, f.freedom, liberty
prīvātus, -a, -umprivate
nūper, adv.newly, lately, recently
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictussay, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
nōtus, -a, -umknown, well-known, famous
adūlātiō, -ōnis f.flattery, fawning
igitur, conj.therefore
versō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusturn about; (pass. or reflexive) move about, be engaged
sententia, -ae, f.opinion; purpose
hūc, adv.to this place, hither
illūc (adv.)to that place, there
torqueō, torquēre, torsī, tortusturn
hostis, -is, m. and f.enemy, foe
parricīda, -ae m.murderer of a parent; traitor, assassin
vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscall, summon
prōvidēns, -entisfar-sighted, prudent
vulgāris, -ecommon, ordinary, usual
convīcium, -ī n.loud noise, wrangling; abuse
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron.a certain, certain
vērus, -a, -umtrue; rē vērā, in truth, in fact
probrum, -ī n.disgrace, shame; probrō habērī: be counted a disgrace
iaciō, iacere, iēcī, iactusthrow, cast, hurl
clāmor, -ōris, m.shout, cry
ubi, adv.where; conj., when
multus, -a, -ummuch, great; plur., many
vōx, vōcis, f.voice; word
tumultus, -ūs m.uproar, uprising
verbum, -ī, n.word
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
obstrepō, -ere, -strepuīmake a noise against, shout down
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.