Tacitus Annals Translation Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by Cheetography

qui obstrictus Agrippinae ut concil­iator nuptiarum et mox stupro eius inligatus,

who was bound to Agrippina as the facili­tator of her marriage, and later under obligation by a shameful affair with her,

sic apud divum Augustum, quamquam nepotibus subnixum, viguisse privignos;

thus in the house of the divine Augustus, although he relied on his grandsons, his stepsons had thrived;

se quoque accingeret iuvene partem curarum capess­ituro.

he should also equip himself with a young man who would undertake his share of the labours.

habita apud senatum oratione eundem in quem a liberto acceperat modum.

he made a speech in the Senate in the same style as he had received from his freedman.

eosque ab Atto Clauso continuos duravisse.

They endured long and unbroken from Attius Clausus

et Caesar adulat­ionibus senatus libens cessit ut vicesimo aetatis anno consulatum Nero iniret atque interim designatus procon­sulare imperium extra urben haberet ac princeps iuventutis appell­aretur.

And Caesar yielded gladly to the flatteries of the Senate, so that Nero should enter upon the consulship in his twentieth year of life and meanwhile, as consul­-de­sig­nate, should have procon­sular authority outside the city and be called the Prince of Youth.

et ludicro circen­sium, quod adquir­endis vulgi studiis edebatur, Britan­nicus in praetexta, Nero triumphali veste travecti sunt:

And at the circus games, which were put on to gain the favour of the crowd, Britan­nicus in the toga praetexta and Nero in the triumphal regalia processed:

simul qui centur­ionem tribun­orumque sortem Britannici misera­bantur, remoti fictis causis et alii per speciem honoris;

At the same time those of the centurions and tribunes who pitied the lot of Britan­nicus were removed, some for made up reasons and others under the guise of honour;

obvii inter se Nero Britan­nicum nomine, ille Domitium saluta­vere.

meeting each otherm Nero greeted Britan­nicus by name, he greeted him "­Dom­iti­us".

sperni quippe adopti­onem, quaeque censuerint patres, iusserit populus, intra penates abrogari;

for in fact the adoption was being rejected, the matters which the Senators had decided, the people had ordered, were being rescinded inside his own home;

commotus his quasi criminibus optimum quemque educatorem filii exilio aut morte adficit datosque a norverca custodiae eius imponit.

Alarmed by these as if they were criminal charges, he punished all the best educators of his own son with exile or death, and he imposed on him the guardians given by his stepmo­ther.

adnect­ebatur crimini Vibia mater eius, ut casus prioris (nam relegata erat) impatiens.

His mother was woven into the charge, on the grounds that she was impatient of her former fortune (for she had been relega­ted).

idque ad clementiam trahebat Caesar, quod stirpem hostilem iterum conser­varet.

Caesar was using this as evidence of his clemency, because he was again allowing a hostile line to live.

morte fortuita an per venenum extinctus esset, ut quisque credidit, vulgavere

whether he died by an accide­ntaly death or by poison, each person spread as he believed.

laudati dehinc oratione principis qui ob angustias familiares ordine senatorio spone cederent, motique qui remanendo impude­ntiam paupertati adicerent.

After this, praised in speed by the Emperor were those who because of straitened family wealth withdrew from senatorial rank of their own accord, and those who added cheek to poverty by remaining were removed.

Claudius triremes quadri­rem­esque et undevi­ginti hominum mila armavit, cincto ratibus ambitu, new vaga effugia forent, ac tamen spatium amplexus ad vim remigii, gubern­antium artes, impetus navium et proelio solita.

Claudius armed triremes and quadre­remes and 19000 men, the edge was surrounded by rafts, so that there would be no wandering escape, and yet embracing a space for the attacking force of the rowers, the skills of those steering, the attack of the ships and the usual events of the battle.

reliqua lacus classiarii textis navibus obtine­bant.

Marines retained control of the remaining parts of the lake decked on the ships.

ipse insigni paluda­mento neque procul Agrippina chlamyde aurata prasedere.

He, in his distin­guished general's cloack, and Agrippina not far off in a golden cloak, presided.

legatus is Tauri Africam imperio procon­sulari regentis, postquam revene­rant, pauca repetu­ndarum crimina, ceterum magicas supers­tit­iones obiect­abat.

He was the legate of Taurus when Tarus was govenor of Africa with procon­sular power, after they had returned, he cited a few charges of extortion but especially with magical supers­tit­ions.

Tarquitius tamen curia exactus est;

However, Tarquitius was driven out of the senate house;

ob haec mors indicta, multum adversante Narcisso, qui Agrippinam magis magisque suspectans prompsisse inter proximos ferebatur certam sibi perniciem, seu Britan­nicus rerum seu Nero poteretur;

For these crimes tthe death penalty was imposed, with Narcissus greatly opposing it, who suspecting Agrippina more and more, it was said spoke frankly among those closest to him that destru­ction was certain for him, whether Britan­nicus or Nero gained power;

convictam Messalinam et Siliam;

[Narcissus said] Messalina and Sillius had been convicted,

Britannico successore nullum principi metum:

if Britan­nicus were the successor, there was no reason to fear for the emperor:

quamquam ne impudi­citiam quidem nunc abesse Pallante adultero, ne quis ambigat decus pudorem corpus, cuncta regno viliora habere.

Although unchastity was not absent even now, with Pallas as the adulterer, so that no one could doubt that she considered her honour, her reputa­tion, her body, everyt­hing, less valuable than rule.

tum Agrippina, sceleris olim certa et oblatae occasionis propera nec minist­rorum egens, de genere veneni consul­tavit, ne repentino et praecipti facinus proder­etur;

Then Agrippina, once determined on crime, quick to seize the opport­unity presented, and not in need of accomp­lices, debated the type of poison, [fearing] her crime would be revelead by a sudden and abrupt one;

exquisitum aliquid placebat, quod turbaret mentem et mortem differret.

Something specially chosen was best, such as would disturb the mind yet put off death.

eius mulieris ingenio paratum virus, cuius minister e spadonibus fuit Halotus, inferre epulas et explorare gustu solitus.

The poison was procured by the abilities of the woman, and her accomplice was Halotus, from the eununchs, accustomed to bring in the banquets and try the most by tasting.

rogataque lex qua in familiam Claudiam et nomen Neronis transiret.

and a law was passed by which he came across into the CLaudian family and given the name Nero.

quibus patratis nemo adeo expers miseri­cordiae fuit quem non Britannici fortun maerore adficeret.

When matters were accomp­lished, no one was so devoid of pity who was not moved with sorrow by the future of Britan­nicus.

neque enim segnem ei fuisse indolem ferunt, sive verum, seu periculis commen­datus retinuit famam sine experi­mento.

For they say that his intell­igence was not sluggish, whether it was true, or whether rated because of the the dangers, he kept the reputation without proof.

igitur distrahi cohortes ambitu duorum et, si ab uno regere­ntur, intent­iorem fore discip­linam adseve­rante uxore, transf­ertur regimen cohortium ad Burrum Afranium, egregiae militaris famae, gnarum tamen cuius sponte praefi­cer­etur.

Therefore, with his wife asserting earnestly that the cohorts were being split by the rivalry of the two, if they were ruled by one man, the discipline would be tighter, the command of the cohorts was transf­erred to Afranius Burnus, of outsta­nding military reputa­tion, however aware by who interv­ention he was put in charge.

inter quae praecipuus propug­nator eius Vitellius, validi­ssima gratia, aetate extrema (adeo incertae sunt potentium res) accusa­tione corrip­itur, deferente Iunio Lupo senatore.

Meanwhile, Vitellius, her foremost champion, a man with very strong influence but extreme old age (the affairs of the powerful are so uncertain) was attacked by an accusa­tion, brought by the senator Junius Lupus.

praebu­iss­etque auris Caesar, nisi Agrippinae minis magis quam precibus mutatus esset, ut accusatori aqua atque igni interd­iceret.

Caesar would've offered his ears, if he had not been changed by the threats of Agrippina more than by her prayers, with the result that he banned the accuser from receiving water and fire.

insessum diris avibus Capito­lium, crebris terrae motibus prorutae domus, ac dum latius metuitur, trepid­atione vulgi invalidus quisque obtriti;

Terrible birds settles on the Capitol, houses were demolished by frequent earthq­uakes, and as the panic spread more widely, all the weak people were crushed by the panic of the crowd;

nec occulti tantum questus, sed iura reddentem Claudium circum­vasere clamoribus turbidis, pulsumque in extremam fori partem vi urgebant, donec militum globo infensos perrupit.

And so many complaints were not hidden but a crowd surrounded Claudius while delivering justice with unruly shouts, and he was driven to the furthest part of the forum by force and they assailed him, until he broken through the aggressors with a compact mass of soldiers.

at hercule olim Italia legionibus longinquas in provincias commeatus portabat, nec nunc infecu­nditate laboratur, sed Africam potius et Aegyptum exercemus, navibusque et casibus vita populi Romani permissa est.

By Hercules, once Italy used to carry supplies to far off legions, and now it is hard-p­ressed by infert­ility, but rather we cultivate Africa and Egypt, the Roman people entrust life to boats and chance.

statui­turque ut ignaro domino ad id prolapsae in servitute, sin consen­sisset, pro libiertis habere­ntur.

and it was decided that those who had fallen to this [level] without the master knowing, should be held in slavery, but if the master had consented, they shold be regarded as freedw­omen.

additum a Scipione Cornelio grates publice agendas, quod regibus Arcadiae ortus veterrimam nobili­tatem usui publico postpo­neret seque inter ministros principis haberi sineret.

It was added by Scipio Cornelius that thanks should be given publically because he, descended from the kings of Arcadia was setting aside his very old nobility for public purpose and allowing himself to be considered among the princeps' servants.

et fixum est [aere] publico senatus consultum quo libertinus sestertii ter milies possessor antiquae parsim­oniae laudibus cumula­batur.

And thte Senate decree was put upon a public bronze plaque by which this freedman, worth 300,00­0,000 sesterces was heaped with praises for his old fashioned frugality.

incuria operis manifesta fuit, haud satis depressi ad lacus ima vel media.

The inadequacy of the project was clear: it had not been sunk deep enough to the bottom of the lake or even the middle.

quin et convivium effluvio lacus adpositum manga formidine cunctos adfecit, quia vis aquarum prorumpens proxima trahebat, convulsis ulteri­oribus aut fragore et sonitu exterr­itis.

Moreover also a party held near the outlet of the lake caused great panic because the force of the water bursting forth began to drag away everything nearest the channel, those further away being violently shaken or terrified by the din and noise.

nec ille reticet, impote­ntiam muliebrem nimiasque spes eius arguens.

And he did not hold back, critic­ising her for the lack of self-r­est­raint typical of a woman and her excessive hoops.

utque studiis honestis et eloque­ntiae gloria enites­ceret, causa Iliensium suscepta Romanum Troia demissum et Iuliae stirpis auctorem Aeneam aliaque haud procul fabulis vetera facunde executus perpetrat, ut Ilienses omni publico munere solver­entur.

With honourable enthusiasm in order to shine through a reputation for eloquence, he took on the case of the people of Ilium, having descended from Troy, and Aeneas the founder of the Julian family and other old things not far from fables, he achieved that the people of Ilium were freed from all state taxation.

reddita Rhodiis libertas, adempta saepe aut firmata, prout bellis externis meruerant aut domi seditione deliqu­erant;

Freedom was returned to the people of Rhodes, freedom that had often been taken away or confirmed, depending on whether they had merited it in foreign wars or done wrong at home by sedition;

signa ac tentoria militum igne caelesti arsere;

Military standards and tents burned with celestial fire;

biformis hominum partus et suis fetum editum cui accipitrum ungues inessent.

[it was said] a two-formed human was born and the offspring of a sow was given birth to on which there were talons of a hawk.

sed in praecipuo pavore Agrippina, vocem Claudii, quam temulentus iecerat, fatale sibi ut coniugum flagitia ferret, dein puniret, metuens, agere et celerare statuit, perdita prius Domitia Lepida mulier­bribus causis, quia Lepida minor Antonia genita, avunculo Augusto, Agrippinae sobrina prior ac Gnaei mariti eius soror, parem sibi clarit­udinem.

But Agrippina, in particular dread, fearing a comment of Claudius', which he drunkenly threw out, that it was fated for him to endure the outrageous conduct of his wife then punish it, she decided to act and to hurry, first she destroyed Domitia Lepida for womanly reasons, since Lepida, born from Antonia the younger, whose uncle was Augustus, second cousin once-r­emoved of Agrippina, and sister of her [former] husband Gnaeus, believed herself to be equal to her in distin­ction.

et utraque impudica, infamis, violenta, haud minus vitiis aemula­bantur quam si qua ex fortuna prospera accepe­rant.

and each were unchaste, notorious and aggres­sive, and they competed with each other no less in vices than if they had received successes by fortune.

nam Lepida blandi­mentis ac largit­ionibus iuvenilem animum devinc­iebat, truci contra ac minaci Agrippina, quae filio dare imperium, tolerare imperi­tantem nequibat.

for Lepida was binding his young mind fast with blandi­shments and lavish gifts, on the other hand Agrippina was harsh and threat­ening, who was able to give imperial power to her son but was unable to tolerate him ruling.