die senatus Tiberius orationem moderatam habuit.
On the day of the senate [meeting], Tiberius made a restrained speech.
Piso," inquit "patris mei legatus et amicus erat.
Piso", he said, "was my father's representative and friend.
eum Germanico adiutorem misi ego cum auctoritate senatus ad res apud Orientem administrandas.
I sent him, with the authority of the senate, as assistant to Germanicus to administer affairs in the east.
integris animas est diiudicandum utrum Piso contumacia et certaminibus vexaverit iuvenem
You must judge with impartial minds whether Piso harassed the young man with arrogance and rivalry
exituque eis laetatus sit, an scelere eum exstinxerit.
and rejoiced at his death, or killed him with a crime.
simul reputate utrum legiones ad seditionem incitaverit.
At the same time, consider whether he incited the legions to rebellion.
deinde biduum criminibus obiciendis statuitur utque post intervallum sex dierum res per triduum defenderetur.
Two days were then allocated for bringing charges so that, after an interval of six days, the defendant could be defended for three days.
Tres amici Germanici consimili studio obiecerunt Pisonem,
Three of Germanicus' friend alleged, with similar vigour, that Piso,
odio Germanici et rerum novarum studio,
through hatred for Germanicus and eagerness for revolution
milites per licentiam et sociorum iniurias corrupisse;
had corrupted the soldiers through [allowing] disorderly behaviour and injuries to the allies;
postremo ipsum Germanicum devotionibus et veneno occidisse.
finally, [they alleged that] he himself had killed Germanicus with curses and poison;
tum et Pisonem et Plancinam, postquam sacra et immolationes nefandas fecissent, petivisse armis rem publicam.
and then that, after they had conducted rites and wicked sacrifices, both Piso and Plancina had attacked the state with weapons.
defensio in ceteris criminibus trepidavit; nam neque ambitio militum neque iniuria in provinciam,
The defence stumbled over the rest of the charges; for they could deny neither the bribery of the soldiers nor the ill-treatment of the province,
ne contumeliae quidem adversum imperatorem, negari poterant: solum veneni crimen potuit Piso diluere.
nor indeed the insults against the general: Piso could refute only the charge of poison.
at simul populi ante curiam voces audiebantur: non temperaturos manibus si Piso sententias patrum evavisset.
At the same time the shouts of the people were heard before the senate house: they would not restrain their hands if Piso escaped the senators' verdict.
eadem erat Plancinae invidia.
Similar hatred was felt for Plancina.
atque ipsa, dum Pisoni spes erat absolutionis, sociam se cuiuscumque fortunae futuram esse et, si necesse esset, comitem exitii promittebat:
While hope remained of Piso's acquittal, she herself promised that she would be his ally in whatever fate and, if it proved necessary, his companion in death.
sed paulatim segregari a marito coepit. quod postquam Piso sibi exitiabile esse intellexit, dubitavit an causam diceret amplius.
But gradually she began to distance herself from her husband. After Piso realised that this spelt his doom, he doubted whether he should plead his case further.
itaque, tamquam defensionem in posterum diem meditaretur, pauca scribit obsignatque et liberto tradit; tum solita curando corpori exsequitur.
And so, as if he was planning his defence for the next day, he wrote a few words and sealed them and handed them to his freedman; Then, he attended as usual to his personal needs
deinde multam post noctem, egressa cubiculo uxore, claudi ianuam iussit; et prima luce perfosso iugulo, iacente humi gladio, repertus est.
Then, after most of the night (had passed), when his wife had left the bedroom, he ordered that the door be closed; and he was discovered at first light with his throat cut, with a sword lying on the ground.
at Agrippina, quamquam defessa luctu et corpore aegro, impatiens tamen erat omnium quae ultionem morarentur.
But meanwhile Agrippina, although exhuasted by grief and a sick body, was, however, impatient of everything which was delaying revenge.
ascendit navem cum cineribus Germanici et liberis;
She boarded a ship with the ashes of Germanicus and with her children
miserantibus omnibus quod femina summa nobilitate pulcherrimoque matrimonio, quae venerationem omnium mereret,
with everyone pitying her because a woman of the highest nobility, and with a very fine marriage, who deserved everyone's respect,
tunc ferales reliquias sinu ferret, incerta ultionis.
was then carrying the relics of the dead man in her bosom, uncertain about revenge.
Pisonem interim apud Coum insulam nuntius adsequitur periisse Germanicum.
Meanwhile news that Germanicus had died reached Piso at the island of Cos.
quo gavisus caedit victimas, adit templa.
Rejoicing at this, he slaughtered victims and visited temples.
non modo Piso ipse gaudio immoderato se gerit, sed etiam magis insolescit Plancina,
Not only did Piso himself behave with excessive joy, but Plancina, also, grew even more arrogant,
quae luctum mortua sorore tum primum in laetum cultum mutavit.
who then, for the first time, changed mourning apparel because her sister had died for cheerful clothing.
at Romae, postquam fama Germanici valetudinis percrebuit cunctaque, ut ex longinquo, aucta in deterius adferebantur, dolor, ira, questus erumpebant:
Meanwhile, at Rome, when the report of Germanicus' ill health spread and everything, as (usually happens) at a distance, was reported as exaggerated into (something) worse, grief, anger and complaining began to break out:
ideo nimirum Germanicum in extremas terras relegatum esse, ideo Pisoni permissam provinciam.
without a doubt (the people said), it was for this (very) reason that Germanicus had been banished to the ends of the Earth, for this reason that the province had been entrusted to Piso.
hos vulgi sermones mors Germanici, ubi nuntiata est, adeo incendit ut, ante edictum magistratuum, ante senatus consultum, sumpto iustitio desererentur fora, clauderentur domus.
When the death of Germanicus was announced, it inflamed these remarks of the people to such an extent that (even) before the magistrates' edict, before the senate's decree, legal business was suspended, forums were deserted and houses were shut.
ubique silentium et gemitus. et quamquam insignibus lugentium non abstinebant, altius animis maerebant.
Everywhere (was) silence and sorrow. And although they did not refrain from (outward) signs of (people) mourning, in their hearts they grieved more deeply.
navigatione hiberni maris nequaquam intermissa Agrippina Brundisio appropinquat.
Without interrupting her journey over the wintry sea at all, Agrippina approached Brundisium.
interim adventu eius audito multi amici et plurimi milites qui sub Germanico stipendia fecerant ruerunt ad portum.
Meanwhile having heard of her arrival, many friends and very many soldiers who had served under Germanicus rushed to the port.
simulac visa est navis, complentur non solum portus sed etiam moenia ac tecta turba maerentium et rogantium inter se, silentione an voce aliqua egredientem exciperent.
As soon as the ship was seen, not only the port but also the walls and roofs were filled with a crowd (of people) grieving and asking among themselves whether they should receive (Agrippina) in silence or with some utterance as she disembarked.
navis lente approprinquat, non celeriter, ut solet, sed cunctis ad tristitiam compositis.
The ship approached slowly, not quickly, as it was accustomed (to approach), but with everything arranged to give a sorrowful appearance.
postquam duobus cum liberis, feralem urnam tenens, egressa e nave defixit oculos, idem fuit omnium gemitus.
When she lowered her eyes after disembarking from the ship with her two children, and carrying her funeral urn, an identical groan rose from all.
Germanicus paulisper se credidit convalescere;
For a while Germanicus thought that he was getting better;
deinde fessum fiebat corpus.
then his body became tired.
Ubi finis aderat, adstantes amicos ita adloquitur:
When the end arrived, he addressed his friends who were standing round in this way.
Erit vobis occasio querendi apud senatum atque invocandi leges.
You will have the opportunity of complaining before the senate and of appealing to the law.
Decet amicos non prosequi defenctum ignavo questu,
It is not fitting for friends to escort a dead body with pointless lamentation,
sed quae voluerit meminisse, quae mandaverit exsequi.
but to remember what he wanted and to carry out what he ordered.
Vindicabitis vos, si me potius quam fortunam meam diligebatis.
You will avenge me, if you love me rather than my status.
Amici, dextram morientis amplectentes,
Clasping the dying man's right hand, the friends
iuraverunt se vitam ante quam ultionem amissuros esse.
swore that they would rather die than give up revenge.
Neque multo post mortuus est
Germanicus died not long after,
ingenti luctu provinciae et circumiacentium populorum.
to the huge grief of the province and of the surrounding peoples.
Indoluerunt exterae nationes regesque:
Foreign people and kings mourned him
tanta fuerat illius comitas in socios,
such was his friendliness to allies,
mansuetudo in hostes;
his mercy to enemies
propter vultum eloquentiamque venerationem omnium adeptus erat.
because of his face and eloquence, he received the respect of everyone
Et erant qui illum magno Alexandro ob formam aetatem genus locumque mortis adaequarent;
There were even those who compared him with Alexander the Great because of his appearance, his age and the manner and place of his death;
nam affirmaverunt utrumque corpore decoro praeditum,
For they declared that both were endowed with a handsome body,
genere insigni ortum,
were descended from a noble family,
vix triginta annos natum periisse.
and died aged barely thirty.
Saevam vim morbi augebat persuasio veneni a Pisone accepti;
Belief that he had received poison from Piso added to the savage virulence of Germanicus' illness
et reperiebantur solo ac parietibus erutae humanorum corporum reliquiae,
and the dug-up remains of human corpses were discovered on the walls and floors,
carmina et devotiones et nomen Germanici plumbeis tabulis insculptum
spells and curses were found, the name of Germanicus inscribed on lead tablets
cineres semusti ac tabo obliti aliaque malefica quibus creditur animas numinibus infernis sacrari.
half-burned ashes smeared with flesh, and other evil objects with which it is believed souls are dedicated to the gods of the underworld.
Simul missi a Pisone incusabantur quod valetudinis adversae signa exspectarent.
At the same time, men sent by Piso were suspected because they awaited indications of poor health.
Haec Germanico haud minus ira quam per metum accepta sunt.
These things were received by Germanicus with as much anger as fear.
Componit epistulam qua amicitiam ei renuntiabat.
He wrote a letter in which he renounced his friendship to him.
at Cn. Piso, quo celerius consilia inciperet, postquam Syriam ac legiones attigit, largitione et ambitu infimos militum iuvabat.
But after he reached Syria and the legions and so that he could begin his plans sooner, Gaius Piso aided the most disreputable soldiers with gifts and bribery.
cum veteres centuriones, severos tribunos demovisset, locaque eorum clientibus suis attribuisset,
When he had removed the senior centurions and upright tribunes, and had given their positions to his own clients,
desidiam in castris, licentiam in urbibus, lascivientes per agros milites sinebat.
he allowed idleness in the camp, debauchery in the towns and the soldiers to rampage through the countryside.
nec Plancina, uxor Pisonis, se gerebat ut feminam decebat,
Nor did Plancina, Piso's wife, deport herself as befitted a woman,
sed exercitio equitum intererat, et in Agrippanam, in Germanicum contumelias iaciebat.
but she was present at cavalry exercises and hurled insults at Agrippina and Germanicus.
nota haec Germanico, sed praeverti ad Armenios instantior cura fuit.
These things were known to Germanicus, but attending first to Armenia was a more pressing concern.