a NERO (L. Domitius Ahenobarbus Claudius) was the sixth emperor, by adoption one of the Cæsars, reigning from A.D. 54 to 68. He was a boy of fifteen on coming to power, handsome, popular, amiable boy; but he became, later, the most extraordinary compound of profligacy, vanity, and cruelty that even the history of the Empire shows. That the Roman State still a Republic in name should have endured for fourteen years what it is charity to call the insane freaks and caprices of this sickly and weak-minded youth, is partly explained by the name of Cæsar, which he inherited, and by the deep horror left on men's minds by the century of the Civil Wars; partly by the remorseless cruelty of the Roman temper and manners. The narrative of Tacitus rather softens than magnifies the popular suspicions as to his guilt in the matter of the great conflagration. This passage is taken from the Fifteenth Book of the Annals, ch. 38-44. 209. 5. princeps, prince: a title given in early times to the leader of the Senate; it was that by which the emperor was chiefly known in Rome; abroad, he was known chiefly as commander of the armies, imperator. circi: the Circus Maximus, where the great games were held, was in a long narrow level, in a valley that ran northwestwardly towards the river, between the Palatine and Aventine. The fire began at the foot of Mount Cœlius, at the upper end, where the wooden galleries of the Circus gave the flames full play. — munimentis, fire-proof walls: notice that vel connects domus and templa, as being obstructions of similar nature (§ 43, 3); while aut separates them from aliud moræ. et obnoxia urbe: et, both, corresponds to -que below; obnoxia, exposed; artis (from artus), narrow; enormibus (e norma, out of rule), irregular. 20. lamenta... pars; all these nominatives are subj. of impediebant. — fessa . . . ætas (Ritter has fessi ævo): those worn with years, or helpless in childhood, ætate being abl. of cause, and pueritia the gen. limiting ætas. -- illis quoque, these too, i.e., the next streets (proxima). 210. 4. victus: this genitive limits fortunis, having lost all their store, even of daily food. — quamvis patente effugio, no matter how open the way of escape. &c. crebris minis, by reason of, esse sibi auctorem, that they were acting under orders. 11. Antium (Anzio), on the coast, thirty-five miles from Rome, was a favorite residence of Nero. monumenta Agrippa: the splendid structures and gardens of Agrippa, minister and son-inlaw of Augustus, were in the Campus Martius, outside the city as then built; the Pantheon, now standing, belonged to them. Nero's gardens (of the Vatican) were beyond the Tiber, near where St. Peter's church now stands.—ternos nummos, i.e., three sesterces the modius, or twelve cents a peck. domesticam scænam, a stage in his own house. 27. apud imas Esquilias, near where the Coliseum now stands, about half a mile north of where it first broke out. - The second fire is shown by inscriptions to have lasted three days; the entire conflagration continued seven or nine days. 211. 1. Tigellinus was a favorite freedman of Nero, notorious for his corruption and extortion. cognomentum, a later form for cognomen. 10. haud perinde, not so much. —Averno: Lake Avernus is near Naples, more than a hundred miles from Rome, separated from the Tiber by bays and rocky headlands. — squalenti, barren or dusty.gignendis aquis: dat. after humidum, -conisus: the more common form of spelling is connisus. 26. urbis quæ domui supererant, what of the city remained after the palace was built: Ritter omits domui. -Gallica incendia: the city was burned by the Gauls B.C. 389; after their retreat, it was rebuilt in great haste, and very irregularly. 212. 1. finivit, limited or fixed. — domibus aut insulis: the domus was a complete edifice, or mansion, owned and occupied by a single proprietor; the insula a block of tenements, bounded by streets or alleys on each side. These insula were often built to a great height, the law of Augustus restricted them to seventy feet, - and swarmed with the poorer population of the city. utique et ut, following destinabat. certa sui parte, in certain parts (sui is plur.).— aqua, subj. of flueret: of the public aqueducts, which were very numerous and finely constructed; some of them brought water from a distance of sixty miles. custodes, sc. erant: guards were stationed for this purpose. communione parietum communibus parietibus; abl. after ambirentur. 20. The books of the Sibyl, which she sold to King Tarquin, were carefully preserved by a special body of priests, the quindecimviri sacris faciundis (Hb. § 145), and consulted in emergencies. — sellisternia, banquets to female deities; those to the gods were lectisternia: goddesses, like women, must sit on stools (sella); while the gods, like men, reclined at their meals on couches (lecti). — Christianos: this is the first distinct mention of the Christians in Pagan history. Suetonius says, more briefly (Nero, ch. 16), "Afflicti suppliciis Christiani, genus hominum superstitionis novæ ac maleficæ." And of the previous reign he says, with a more doubtful allusion, perhaps, to the "false Christs" of the Jewish fanatics, "Judæos impulsore Chresto assiduè tumultuantes Româ expulit." 213. 7. odio humani generis, enmity towards all mankind (Merivale),—the charge constantly brought against the Jews, with whom the Christians were often confounded. The peculiar and clannish habits of the Jews might bring this charge upon them: in the case of the Christians, it was increased by their recoil from the pleasures and vices of the pagan world, that kept them a "sect," apart from others, and was already leading towards those extravagances of austerity and devotion which fill the legends of monks and hermits. The common belief among the Christians, that the end of the world was near, with the conflagration of all things, and the destruction of the Eternal City itself, might make the crime seem credible and likely. — flammandos: this seems to be used here as a present passive participle (Ritter). They were wrapped in a sort of mat of papyrus, smeared with wax and tar, a style of torture spoken of by Juvenal (I. 155, VIII. 235), and Martial (X. 25, 5). PRINCIPAL DATES OF ROMAN HISTORY. Founding of Rome (common date) First Punic War: Regulus; Victory of Duilius Third Punic War Carthage destroyed; Corinth taken Numantia taken; Ti. Gracchus tribune Tribuneship of C. Gracchus. War with Jugurtha Cimbri defeated by Marius 111-106 101 Battle of Pharsalus: Pompey defeated and murdered 48 46 |