allll of tac 14

Gaio Vipstano C. Fonteio consulibus

When Gaius Vipstanus and Gaius Fonteius [Capito] were consuls [AD 59],

diu meditatum scelus non ultra Nero distulit,

no [further] did Nero postpone a crime he had been considering for a long time,

vetustate imperii coalita audacia

his boldness having taken root through the length of his reign

et flagrantior in dies amore Poppaeae,

and [as he was becoming] day by day more passionately in love with Poppaea:

quae sibi matrimonium et discidium Octaviae incolumi Agrippina haud sperans

for she, not hoping for marriage for herself and divorce for Octavia [while] Agrippina [was] safe,

crebris criminationibus, aliquando per facetias incusare principem et pupillum vocare,

attacked the emperor with frequent accusations, sometimes by means of jokes, and called him '[Agrippina's] ward',

qui iussis alienis obnoxius non modo imperii sed libertatis etiam indigeret.

on the grounds that, dependent on the orders of others, he lacked not only power but also freedom.

cur enim differri nuptias suas?

For why [she said] was their marriage being postponed?

formam scilicet displicere et triumphales avos.

Doubtless it was her beauty which displeased him, along with the triumphs of her ancestors.

an fecunditatem et verum animum?

Or [was it her] fertility and the truth of her spirit?

timeri ne uxor saltem iniurias patrum, [...] aperiat.

It was feared that as a wife at least she might open [Nero's eyes to his mother's] oppression of the Senators,

iram populi adversus superbiam avaritiamque matris

the anger of the people towards the arrogance and greed of his mother.

quod si nurum Agrippina non nisi filio infestam ferre posset,

But if Agrippina could not put up with a daughter-in-law [unless she was] hostile to her son,

redderetur ipsa Othonis coniugio:

let her be returned to Otho in marriage!

ituram quoquo terrarum, ubi audiret potius contumelias imperatoris

She would go anywhere in the world where she might rather hear the insults towards the emperor

quam viseret periculis eius immixta.

than view them while herself tangled up in his perils.

haec atque talia lacrimis et arte adulterae penetrantia nemo prohibebat,

And such things [as these], sinking in by means of the tears and artifice of an adulteress, no one prevented,

cupientibus cunctis infringi potentiam matris

since they all desired his mother's power to be broken down

et credente nullo usque ad caedem eius duratura filii odia.

and no one believed that the son's hatred would harden him as far as her murder.

tradit Cluvius ardore retinendae Agrippinam potentiae

Cluvius hands down that Agrippina, in her passion for holding on to power,

eo usque provectam ut medio diei, cum id temporis Nero per vinum et epulas incalesceret,

was carried forward so far that, in the middle of the day, when at that time Nero was growing heated on account of wine and fine food,

offerret se saepius temulento comptam et incesto paratam;

she quite often offered herself [to him being] drunk adorned and ready for incest;

iamque lasciva oscula et praenuntias flagitii blanditias adnotantibus proximis,

and now, with their neighbours noticing provocative kisses and endearments that foretold of scandal [to come],

Senecam contra muliebres inlecebras subsidium a femina petivisse,

[Cluvius says that] Seneca sought help against these womanly enticements from a woman,

immissamque Acten libertam quae simul suo periculo et infamia Neronis anxia deferret

and that the freedwoman Acte was sent in, who was to tell him, anxious at the same time because of danger to herself and the bad reputation of Nero,

pervulgatum esse incestum gloriante matre,

that the incest had been widely reported since his mother was boasting of it,

nec toleraturos milites profani principis imperium.

and that the soldiers would not put up with the authority of a profane emperor.

Fabius Rusticus non Agrippinae sed Neroni cupitum id memorat

Fabius Rusticus relates that this [incest] was desired not by Agrippina but by Nero,

eiusdemque libertae astu disiectum.

and that this was thwarted by the cunning of the same freedwoman.

sed quae Cluvius eadem ceteri quoque auctores prodidere, et fama huc inclinat,

But the same facts as Cluvius [recorded] the other authors also have recorded, and rumour inclines in this [direction],

seu concepit animo tantum immanitatis Agrippina,

whether Agrippina conceived such a great monstrosity in her mind,

seu credibilior novae libidinis meditatio in ea visa est

or whether the consideration of a new depravity seemed more believable in one

quae puellaribus annis stuprum cum Lepido spe dominationis admiserat,

who in her girlish years had committed debauchery with Lepidus in the hope of power,

pari cupidine usque ad libita Pallantis provoluta

for the same reasons even at the whim of Pallas she prostrated herself

et exercita ad omne flagitium patrui nuptiis.

and was trained in all [manner] of depravities by marriage to her uncle.

igitur Nero vitare secretos eius congressus,

Therefore Nero avoided private meetings with her

abscedentem in hortos aut Tusculanum vel Antiatem in agrum laudare

and praised her when she went away either to gardens at Tusculum or to the estate at Antium

quod otium capesseret.

on the grounds that she was keen in her pursuit of leisure.

postremo, ubicumque haberetur, praegravem ratus interficere constituit,

Finally, wherever she might be kept [held], considering her a most serious problem, he decided to kill her,

hactenus consultans, veneno an ferro vel qua alia vi.

deliberating on this point only - whether by poison or by sword or by some other [form of] violence.

placuitque primo venenum.

At first he decided on poison.

sed inter epulas principis si daretur, referri ad casum non poterat tali iam Britannici exitio;

But if it were given during a feast of the emperor, it could not be attributed to accident, [since] such had already been Britannicus' demise;

et ministros temptare arduum videbatur mulieris usu scelerum adversus insidias intentae;

and it seemed difficult to try to corrupt the servants of a woman alert to plots [because of] her own use of crimes;

atque ipsa praesumendo remedia munierat corpus.

and of course she herself had fortified her body by the taking of remedies beforehand.

ferrum et caedes quonam modo occultaretur nemo reperiebat;

Slaughter by the sword - no one [was able] to work out any means [by which] it might be concealed;

et ne quis illi tanto facinori delectus iussa sperneret metuebat.

and he was afraid that anyone who was chosen for such a great crime as that would reject their orders.

obtulit ingenium Anicetus libertus,

There came the offer of a plan by the freedman Anicetus,

classi apud Misenum praefectus et pueritiae Neronis educator ac mutuis odiis Agrippinae invisus.

prefect of the fleet at Misenum and boyhood tutor to Nero, and moreover hated Agrippina with mutual loathing.

ergo navem posse componi docet

Therefore he explained that a ship could be constructed

cuius pars ipso in mari per artem soluta effunderet ignaram:

[so that] part of it, being broken up by design while actually out at sea, would discharge her unawares:

nihil tam capax fortuitorum quam mare;

[he said that] nothing [offered] so much scope for accidents as the sea;

et si naufragio intercepta sit,

and, if she were cut off by a shipwreck,

quem adeo iniquum ut sceleri adsignet quod venti et fluctus deliquerint?

who [he said] [would be] so unjust as to ascribe to a crime what the winds and the waves had done wrong?

additurum principem defunctae templum et aras et cetera ostentandae pietati.

He said that the emperor would be able to add a temple to the dead woman and altars and so on to show his [sense of] duty.

placuit sollertia, tempore etiam iuta,

[It was] the ingenious plan that pleased him, helped also by the timing,

quando Quinquatruum festos dies apud Baias frequentabat.

when he was visiting the festival of the Quinquatrus at Baiae.

illuc matrem elicit, ferendas parentium iracundias [...] dictitans

To there he lured his mother, repeatedly saying that parents' tantrums had to be put up with

et placandum animum dictitans quo rumorem reconciliationis efficeret

and their spirit had to be placated in order to bring about a rumour of reconciliation

acciperetque Agrippina facili feminarum credulitate ad gaudia.

and that Agrippina might accept it with the easy credulity of women for cheerful news.

venientem dehinc obvius in litora (nam Antio adventabat)

As she came after this [Nero], going to the shore to meet her (for she was approaching from Antium),

excepit manu et complexu ducitque Baulos.

he took her by the hand and embraced her and led her to Bauli.

id villae nomen est quae promunturium Misenum inter et Baianum lacum flexo mari adluitur.

This is the name of the villa which, between the promontory of Misenum and the lake of Baiae, is lapped by an inlet of the sea.

stabat inter alias navis ornatior, tamquam id quoque honori matris daretur:

There stood among the others a ship more decorated, as if this were also being given [as a tribute] to his mother's honour:

quippe sueverat triremi et classiariorum remigio vehi.

in fact she had been accustomed to travel by trireme and with a crew [of sailors] from the fleet.

ac tum invitata ad epulas erat ut occultando facinori nox adhiberetur.

And at that time she had been invited to a feast so that night might be made use of for concealing the crime.

satis constitit extitisse proditorem

There is no doubt that there had emerged a traitor

et Agrippinam auditis insidiis, an crederet ambiguam, gestamine sellae Baias pervectam.

and that Agrippina, once she had heard of the plot, doubting whether to believe it, was transported to Baiae in the conveyance of a sedan-chair.

ibi blandimentum sublevavit metum:

There flattery assuaged her fear:

comiter excepta superque ipsum conlocata.

she was received courteously by him (Nero) and placed [in honour] above him.

iam pluribus sermonibus modo

Now with a number of conversations,

familiaritate iuvenili Nero et rursus adductus, quasi seria consociaret,

sometimes with the familiarity of his youth and at other times serious, as if he were communicating grave matters,

tracto in longum convictu, prosequitur abeuntem,

after the banquet had been long drawn out, [Nero] pursued her closely as she went,

artius oculis et pectori haerens,

clinging to her more closely with his eyes and to her breast,

sive explenda simulatione, seu periturae matris supremus aspectus quamvis ferum animum retinebat.

either in completing his pretence or his last sight of his mother before her death held on to his soul, however wild [it was].

noctem sideribus inlustrem et placido mari quietam

A night bright with stars and peaceful with a calm sea

quasi convincendum ad scelus dii praebuere.

as if to provide conviction of a crime, [this is what] the gods [provided].

nec multum erat progressa navis, duobus e numero familiarium Agrippinam comitantibus,

Nor had the ship advanced far, with two out of the number of her slaves accompanying Agrippina,

ex quis Crepereius Gallus haud procul gubernaculis adstabat,

of whom Crepereius Gallus was standing by not far from the rudders,

Acerronia super pedes cubitantis reclinis

[while] Acerronia, reclining over the feet of Agrippina as she lay there,

paenitentiam filii et reciperatam matris gratiam per gaudium memorabat,

was recalling joyfully the remorse of her son and the recovered influence of his mother,

cum dato signo ruere tectum loci multo plumbo grave,

when [suddenly] on a given signal the roof of their shelter collapsed, [being] heavy with much lead,

pressusque Crepereius et statim exanimatus est:

and Crepereius was crushed and at once killed:

Agrippina et Acerronia eminentibus lecti parietibus ac forte validioribus quam ut oneri cederent protectae sunt.

Agrippina and Acerronia were protected by the walls of their couch, which was projecting and by chance too strong to give way under the weight.

nec dissolutio navigii sequebatur, turbatis omnibus

Nor did the break-up of the ship follow, since everything had been thrown into confusion

et quod plerique ignari etiam conscios impediebant.

and because the ignorant majority were hindering even those who were aware [of the plot].

visum dehinc remigibus unum in latus inclinare atque ita navem submergere:

It seemed a good idea in due course for the rowers to lean over on one side and submerge the ship that way:

sed neque ipsis promptus in rem subitam consensus,

but [there was] not ready agreement among them on the sudden plan,

et alii contra nitentes dedere facultatem lenioris in mare iactus.

and others, straining in the opposite direction, gave the opportunity for a more gentle descent into the sea.

verum Acerronia, imprudentia dum

But Acerronia, while with a lack of forethought

se Agrippinam esse utque subveniretur matri principis clamitat,

she kept shouting that she was Agrippina and in order that help should be given to the emperor's mother,

contis et remis et quae fors obtulerat navalibus telis conficitur:

was dispatched by poles and oars and whatever naval weapons chance had offered:

Agrippina silens eoque minus adgnita (unum tamen vulnus umero excepit)

Agrippina, in silence and hence less recognised (however, she did receive one wound in her shoulder),

nando, deinde occursu lenunculorum Lucrinum in lacum vecta villae suae infertur.

by swimming, then by having met [some] small boats, was conveyed into the Lucrine lake and brought into her own villa.

illic reputans ideo se fallacibus litteris accitam

There [Agrippina], considering that it was for this reason that she had been summoned by false letters

et honore praecipuo habitam,

and that she had been treated with such singular honour,

quodque litus iuxta non ventis acta, non saxis impulsa

and [thinking over the fact that] it was not driven near the shore by winds, not struck by rocks

navis summa sui parte veluti terrestre machinamentum concidisset;

that the ship had collapsed in the top part of itself just like a mechanism on dry land;

observans etiam Acerroniae necem, simul suum vulnus aspiciens,

observing also Acerronia's death, at the same time noting her own wound,

solum insidiarum remedium esse, si non intellegerentur;

and she reflected that the only solution to the plot was if they [Acerronia's death and her own wound] were not understood;

misitque libertum Agerinum qui nuntiaret filio

and she sent the freedman Agerinus to announce to her son that,