The abandonment of Dacia and the death of Aurelian.
(1) Urbem Rōmam mūrīs fīrmiōribus cīnxit. Templum Sōlī aedificāvit, in quō īnfīnītum aurī gemmārumque cōnstituit. Prōvinciam Dāciam, quam Trāianus ultrā Dānuvium fēcerat, intermīsit, vāstātō omnī Īllyricō et Moesiā, dēspērāns eam posse retinēre abductōsque Rōmānōs ex urbibus et agrīs Dāciae in mediā Moesiā collocāvit appellāvitque eam Dāciam, quae nunc duās Moesiās dīvīdit et est <in> dextrā Dānuviō in mare fluentī, cum anteā fuerit in laevā.
(2) Occīditur servī suī fraude, quī ad quōsdam mīlitārēs virōs, amīcōs ipsīus, nōmina pertulit adnotāta falsō manum ēius imitātus, tamquam Aurēliānus ipsōs parāret occīdere; itaque ut praevenīrētur, ab īsdem interfectus est in itineris mediō, quod inter Cōnstantīnopolim et Hēraclēam est, strātae veteris; locus Caenophrūrium appellātur. Mors tamen ēius inulta nōn fuit. Meruit quoque inter dīvōs referrī.
notes
(1) Prōvinciam Dāciam...intermīsit: Aurelian made the Danube the boundary of the empire, as Augustus had done (Hazzard).
quam Trāianus ultrā Dānuvium fēcerat: for the Emperor Trajan's Dacian campaigns, see Eutropius, Brev. 8.2.2
dēspērāns eam posse retinēre: dēspērāns takes an indirect statement with an implied se as the subject. Eam is the direct object of retinēre and refers back to Dacia.
duās Moesiās dīvīdit: "Early in his reign, Aurelian realized the futility of trying to retain the devastated remaining sections of Dacia and withdrew its forces and inhabitants south of the Danube, creating two new provinces, Dacia Ripensis and Dacia Mediterranea, between the two Moesias" (Bird).
(2) servī suī fraude: the private secretary of the emperor. He is generally said to have been a freedman (Hazzard).
strātae veteris: Eutropius seems to be specifying that Aurelian's journey was taking place along an old road (as opposed to a newer road).
Caenophrūrium: Caenophrurium
Mors tamen ēius inulta nōn fuit: litotes construction (AG 326.c). Tacitus had the assassins put to death soon after the beginning of his reign (Hazzard).
inter dīvōs: For more information on the deification of Roman emperors, see Apotheosis
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
|
fīrmus, a, um, adj. |
strong, powerful; trusty |
|
aedificō, āre, āvī, ātus [aedis + faciō] |
to build |
|
īnfīnītum, ī, n. |
a large amount, a large number |
|
gemma, ae, f. |
a bud; gem, precious stone |
|
Dācia, ae, f. |
a country north of the Danube |
|
Trāiānus, ī, m. |
(M.) Ulpius Crīnītus Trāiānus, Roman emperor 98–117 A.D. |
|
Dānuvius, ī, m. |
the Danube river |
|
intermittō, ere, mīsī, missus |
to send between, interpose, interrupt; stop, cease |
|
vāstō, āre, āvī, ātus |
to lay waste, devastate, destroy |
|
Īllyricum, ī, n. |
a country east of the Adriatic Sea |
|
Moesia, ae, f. |
the modern Bulgaria and Servia, divided into Moesia Superior and Inferior; hence the pl., Moesiae |
|
dēspērō, āre, āvī, ātus [dē + spērō, to hope] |
to give up hope, despair |
|
abdūcō, ere, dūxī, ductus |
to lead away, withdraw |
|
colloco -are |
to arrange, to station, lay, put, place, set, set up |
|
anteā [ante], adv. |
before, formerly |
|
laevus, a, um, adj. |
left; as subst., laeva, ae, f., the left; in laevā, on the left side |
|
fraus, fraudis, f. |
foul play; treachery 2 |
|
mīlitāris, e [mīles], adj. |
military; as subst., a soldier; rēs mīlitāris, the art of war, military operations |
|
perferō, ferre, tulī, lātus |
to carry through; convey, report; endure |
|
adnotō, āre, āvī, ātus [ad + notō, to mark] |
to observe, remark |
|
falsō [falsus, false], adv. |
falsely |
|
imitor, ārī, ātus sum |
to imitate |
|
Aureliānus ī, m. |
Lucius Domitius Aureliānus, Roman emperor, 270–275 A.D. |
|
praeveniō, īre, vēnī, ventus |
to come before, get start of, anticipate, outstrip |
|
medium, ī, n. |
middle, midst, space between |
|
Cōnstantīnopolis, is, f. |
Constantinople, a city built on the site of Byzantium by Constantine the Great |
|
Hēraclēa, ae, f. |
a city in Thrace on the Propontis |
|
strāta, ae, f. |
(sc. via), a paved road or way (> sterno -ere) |
|
Caenophrūrium, ī, n. |
a town in Thrace |
|
inultus, a, um [in + ulcīscor, to avenge], adj. |
without satisfaction, unavenged, unpunished |