at Cn. P?s?, qu? celerius c?nsilia inciperet, postquam Syriam ac legi?n?s attigit, largiti?ne et ambit? ?nfim?s m?litum i?v?bat.
But Gnaeus Piso, in order to begin his plans more quickly, after he reached Syria and the legions, he was pleasing the most disreputable of the soldiers with generous gifts and bribery.
cum veter?s centuri?n?s, sev?r?s trib?n?s d?m?visset,
When he had removed the senior centurions and the strict tribunes,
locaque e?rum clientibus su?s attribuisset,
and had assigned their positions over to his own clients,
d?sidiam in castr?s, licentiam in urbibus, lasc?vient?s per agr?s m?lit?s sin?bat.
he allowed idleness in the camp, hooliganism in the cities and soldiers to run riot through the countryside.
nec Plancina, uxor Pis?nis, s? ger?bat ut f?minam dec?bat, sed exerciti? equitum intererat,
Nor did Plancina, the wife of Piso, conducting herself as a woman should, but she attended to the exercises of the cavalry,
et in Agrippinam, in Germ?nicum contum?li?s iaci?bat.
and began to hurl insults at Agrippina and Germanicus.
n?ta haec Germ?nic?, sed praevert? ad Armeni?s instantior c?ra fuit.
This was noticed by Germanicus, but a more urgent concern for him to attend to the Armenians.
saevam vim morb? aug?bat persu?si? ven?n? a Pis?ne accept?;
The belief of recieving posion from Piso was increasing the savage force of the illness;
et reperi?bantur sol? ac parietibus ?rutae h?m?n?rum corporum reliquiae,
the dug up raimains of human bodies were being discovered in the floors and in the walls
carmina et d?v?ti?n?s et n?men Germ?nic? plumbe?s tabul?s ?nsculptum,
spells and curses and the name of Germanicus inscribed on lead tablets,
ciner?s s?must? ac t?b? obliti aliaque malefica
ashes half-burned smeared by rotten flesh and other evil pieces of black magic
quibus cr?ditur animas n?minibus infernis sacr?r?.
with which it is believed souls are dedicated to the gods of the Underworld.
simul miss? a Pis?ne inc?s?bantur
At the same time men sent by Piso were being accused
quod val?t?dinis adversae signa exspect?rent.
of waiting for signs of ill health.
haec Germ?nic? haud minus ?r? quam per metum accepta sunt.
These details were heard by Germanicus as much in anger as through fear.
comp?nit epistulam qu? amicitiam e? ren?nti?bat.
He writes a letter with which he renounces his friendship with him.
Germ?nicus paulisper s? cr?didit conval?scere; deinde fessum fi?bat corpus
Germanicus believd he was getting better for a little bit; then his body became tired.
ubi finis aderat, adstant?s am?c?s ita adloquitur:
When the end was near, he addressed his friends standing by in this way:
'erit v?b?s occ?si? querendi apud sen?tum atque invocand? l?g?s.
'There will be an opportunity for you to complain in the senate and invoke the laws.
decet am?c?s n?n pr?sequ? d?f?nctum ign?v? quest?,
It is not right for friends to follow a dead man in pointless grieving,
sed quae voluerit meminisse, quae mand?verit exsequ?.
but to remember what he wanted and to carry out what he had ordered.
vindic?bitis v?s, si m? potius quam fort?nam meam d?lig?b?tis.'
You will avenge me, if you respect me rather than respecting my status.'
amic?, dextram morientis amplectent?s, i?r?v?runt s? vitam ante quam ulti?nem ?miss?r?s esse.
His friends, grabbing the right hand of the dying man, swore that they would give up their lives rather than revenge.
neque mult? post mortuus est, ingent? l?ct? pr?vinciae et circumiacentium popul?rum.
Not much later he died, with huge grief of the province and of the surrounding peoples.
indolu?runt exterae n?ti?n?s r?g?sque:
Foreign nations and kings mourned:
tanta fuerat illius c?mit?s in soci?s, m?nsu?t?d? in host?s;
So great had been the friendship of that man towards the allies, his mercy towards the enemies;
propter vultum ?loquentiamque vener?ti?nem omnium adeptus erat.
because of his appearance and eloquence he had won the respect of all.
et erant qu? ilium magn? Alexandr? ob f?rmam aet?tem genus locumque mortis adaequ?rent;
And there were those who compared that man with Alexander the great because of his appearance, short life, manner and the place of his death;
nam affirm?v?runt utrumque corpore dec?r? praeditum, genere insigni ortum, vix tr?gint? ann?s n?tum periisse.
for they declared that both were endowed with a handsome body, born from a distinguished family, and that he had died scarcely thirty years old.
at Agrippina, quamquam d?fessa (erat) l?ct? et corpore aegr?,
But Agrippina, although worn out by grief and by physical illness,
impati?ns tamen erat omnium quae ulti?nem mor?rentur.
was however unable to endure all those things which delayed her vengeance.
ascendit n?vem cum cineribus Germ?nic? et l?ber?s,
She boards a ship with Germanicus ashes and their children,
miserantibus omnibus quod f?mina summ? n?bilit?te pulcherrim?que m?trim?ni?,
with everyone feeling pity because a woman from the highest rank and a very fine marriage, .
quae vener?ti?nem omnium mer?ret, tunc f?r?l?s reliqui?s sin? ferret, incerta ulti?nis.
who deserved the respect of all, was then carrying the remains of the dead man in her lap, uncertain of vengeance
P?s?nem interim apud Coum ?nsulam n?ntius adsequitur periisse Germ?nicum.
Meanwhile the news reaches Piso at the island of Cos that Germanicus has died.
qu? g?v?sus caedit victim?s, adit templa.
Rejoicing at this news he slaughters victims, visits temples.
n?n modo P?s? ipse gaudi? immoder?t? s? gerit, sed etiam magis ?nsol?scit Planc?na,
Not only Piso personally acts with excessive joy, but also Plancina becomes more arrogant,
quae l?ctum mortu? sor?re tum pr?mum in laetum cultum m?t?vit.
who then for the first time exchanged her mourning clothes because of her dead sister for cheerful ones.
at R?mae, postquam f?ma Germ?nici val?t?dinis percr?buit c?nctaque, ut ex longinqu?, aucta in d?terius adfer?bantur, dolor, ?ra, quest?s ?rump?bant:
But in Rome, after the rumour of Germanicus' ill health spread and all things, as happens from a distance, were being reported, after having been exaggerated for the worse, grief, anger (and) complaint were breaking out.
(dicebant) ide? nimirum Germ?nicum in extr?m?s terr?s rel?g?tum esse, ide? P?s?ni permissam (esse) pr?vinciam.
For this reason, (people said) it was doubtless Germanicus was exciled to distant territories, for this reason (people said) the province had been entrusted to Piso.
h?s vulg? serm?n?s mors Germ?nic?, ubi n?nti?ta est, adeo incendit ut,
The death of Germanicus, aggravated these conversations of the people, when it was announced, to such an extent that, before the proclamation of the magistrates,
ante ?dictum magistr?tuum, ante sen?t?s c?nsultum, s?mpt? i?stiti? d?sererentur fora, clauderentur dom?s.
before the decree of the senate, (when legal business had been suspended) the law courts were deserted, the houses were shut down.
ubique silentium et gemitus. et quamquam insignibus l?gentium n?n abstin?bant, altius animis maer?bant.
Everywhere it was silent and mourning. And (although they did not refrain from the outward signs of mourning), they were mourning more deeply in their souls.
n?vig?ti?ne h?bern? maris n?qu?quam intermiss? Agrippina Brundisi? appropinquat.
With the voyage over the wintry sea not at all interrupted Agrippina approaches Brundisium.
interim advent? eius aud?t? mult? amic? et pl?rim? milit?s qui sub Germ?nic? stipendia f?cerant ru?runt ad portum.
Meanwhile, when her arrival was heard about, many friends and more soldiers, who had served under Germanicus, rushed to the port.
simulac visa est n?vis, complentur n?n s?lum portus sed etiam moenia ac t?cta turb? maerentium
As soon as the ship was seen, not only the harbour but also the fortifications and the roofs are filled with a crowd of people mourning
et rogantium inter s?, (utrum) silenti?ne an v?ce aliqu? ?gredientem exciperent.
and asking one another whether in silence or with some statement to receive her as she disembarked.
n?vis lent? appropinquat, n?n celeriter, ut solet, sed c?nct?s ad tristitiam composit?s.
The ship approaches slowly, not swiftly, as is customary, but with all the signs of mourning.
postquam du?bus cum l?ber?s, f?r?lem urnam ten?ns, ?gressa ? nave d?fixit ocul?s, ?dem fuit omnium gemitus.
After disembarking with her two children, holding the funeral urn, she lowered her gaze, there was the same groan from everybody.
deinde biduum criminibus obiciendis statuitur utque post intervallum sex dierum reus per triduum defenderetur.
Then two days were laid down for presenting the charges and that after an interval of six days the accused would be defended for three days.
tres amici Germanici consimili studio
Three friends of Germanicus, with equal zeal,
obiecerunt Pisonem, odio Germanici et rerum novarum studio,
said in accusation that Piso because of his hatred of Germanicus and because of his desire for revolution
milites per licentiam et sociorum iniurias corrupisse;
had corrupted the soldiers through riotous behaviour and the ill-treatment of the people of the province,
postr?m? ipsum Germ?nicum d?v?ti?nibus et ven?n? occidisse.
that finally he himself had killed Germanicus with spells and poison.
tum et Pis?nem et Plancinam, postquam sacra et immol?ti?n?s nefand?s f?cissent, petivisse armis rem p?blicam.
That then both Piso and Plancina, after they had made rites and unspeakable sacrifices, had attacked the state with arms.
d?f?nsi? in c?ter?s criminibus trepid?vit; nam neque ambiti? militum neque ini?ria in pr?vinciam, n? contum?liae quidem adversum imper?t?rem, negari poterant:
The defence stumbled on the rest of the charges; for neither bribery of the soldiers nor the ill treatment towards the province, not even the insults against the emperor could be denied:
s?lum ven?n? crimen potuit Pis? d?luere.
Piso was only able to challenge the charge of poison.
at simul populi ante c?riam v?c?s audi?bantur:
But at the same time voices of the people were being heard in front of the senate:
n?n temper?t?r?s manibus si P?s? sententi?s patrum ?v?sisset.
that they were not about to restrain his hands if Piso escaped the verdict of the senators.
eadem erat Plancinae invidia.
There was the same resentment towards Plancina.
atque ipsa, dum P?s?ni sp?s erat absol?ti?nis, sociam s? cuiuscumque fort?nae fut?ram esse et,
And she herself, while there was hope of acquittal for Piso, she promised that she would be his ally whatever his fate and,
si necesse esset, comitem exiti? pr?mitt?bat: sed paul?tim s?greg?r? ? mar?t? coepit.
if it were necessary, a sharer of death; but gradually she began to distance herself from her husband.
quod postquam Pis? sibi exiti?bile esse intell?xit, dubit?vit an causam diceret amplius.
After Piso realised that it was fatal for himself, he doubted whether to plead his case any further.
itaque, tamquam d?f?nsi?nem in posterum diem medit?r?tur, pauca scribit obsignatque et libert? tradit;
And so, as if he was planning his defence for the following day, he is writing a few words, seals them and hands them over to his freedman;
turn solita c?rand? corpori exsequitur. deinde multam post noctem, ?gress? cubicul? ux?re, claud? i?nuam iussit; et pr?m? luce perfoss? iugul?, iacente humi gladi?, repertus est.
then he carried out the usual actions for looking after his body. Then late into the night, after his wife had gone from the bedroom, he orders the door to be closed; and at dawn with his throat cut, he was found with his sword lying on the ground.