(1) Hīs igitur abeuntibus administrātiōne reī pūblicae Cōnstantius et Gālerius Augustī creātī sunt dīvīsusque inter eōs ita Rōmānus orbis, ut Gallias, Ītaliam, Āfricam Cōnstantius, Īllyricum, Asiam, Orientem Gālerius obtinēret sūmptīs duōbus Caesaribus.

(2) Cōnstantius tamen contentus dīgnitāte Augustī Ītaliae atque Āfricae administrandae sollicitūdinem recūsāvit, vir ēgregius et praestantissimae cīvīlitātis, dīvitiīs prōvinciālium ac prīvātōrum studēns, fiscī commoda nōn admodum adfectāns dīcēnsque melius pūblicās opēs ā prīvātīs habērī quam intrā ūnum claustrum reservārī, adeō autem cultūs modicī, ut festīs diēbus, sī amīcīs numerōsiōribus esset epulandum, prīvātōrum eī argentō ōstiātim petītō trīclīnia sternerentur.

(3) Hic nōn modo amābilis, sed etiam venerābilis Gallīs fuit, praecipuē quod Dioclētiānī suspectam prūdentiam et Maximiānī sanguināriam temeritātem imperiō ēius ēvāserant. Obiit Britanniā Eborācī prīncipātūs annō tertiō decimō atque inter dīvōs relātus est.

Constantius I and Galerius Emperors, 305–306 CE

(1) Hīs igitur abeuntibus: referring to previous Emperors, Diocletian and Maximian, who abdicated in 305 CE (Brev. 9.27)

dīvīsusque inter eōs ita: "was divided between them in such a way that..." anticipating a result clause (AG 537)

sūmptīs duōbus Caesaribus: referring to the Caesars Maximinus and Severus, who will be named just below (Brev. 10.2)

(2) Ītaliae atque Āfricae administrandae: "of governing Italy and Africa," genitive gerundive form (AG 507)

studēns: "devoted to" + dative

commoda:  "benefits"

adfectāns: "striving after" + accusative

dīcēnsque ... claustrum reservārī: order: dīcēns melius [esse] pūblicās opēs habērī ā prīvātīs quam [pūblicās opēs] reservārī intrā ūnum claustrum. 

claustrum: "cage," "prison"

adeō ... cultūs modicī: "of so modest a mode of living," introducing a result clause (AG 537) (Hazzard)

sī esset epulandum: "if he had to give a banquet," neuter gerundive used impersonally (AG 500.3)

argentō: "with silverware"

trīclīnia sternerentur: "tables would be set" (LS sterno II.A.1). For more information on Roman dining practices, see triclinium.

(3) Gallīs: "to the Gauls" (dative of person judging, AG 378). He had reserved Gaul for his peculiar province (Hazzard).

Eborācī: "at York" (locative case, AG 427.3). Constantius was on an expedition against the Picts (Hazzard).

imperiō eius: "under his rule"

prīncipātūs annō tertiō decimō: 306 CE

inter dīvōs: Constantius I was deified according to custom for Roman emperors. See Smith, s.v. Apotheosis.

Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates

administrātiō, ōnis, f.

management, government

Cōnstantius, ī, m.

(1) Cōnstantius Chlōrus, father of Constantine the Great. Roman emperor 305–306 A.D.; (2) Cōnstantius, third son of Constantine the Great. Roman emperor 337–361 A.D.

Gālerius, ī, m.

Gālerius (Valerius) Māximiānus, Roman emperor, 305–311 A.D.

Augustus, ī, m.

a title of honor given to Octavianus in 27 BC and after him to all the Roman emperors

Gallia, ae, f.

the country of the Gauls; modern France and the territories on the west bank of the Rhine. The northern part of Italy was settled by Gauls, and was called Gallia Cisalpina; hence the pl. Galliae.

Ītalia, ae, f.

Italy

Āfrica, ae, f.

Africa; often the northern part of the continent, especially the part near Carthage

Īllyricum, ī, n.

a country east of the Adriatic Sea

Asia, ae, f.

Asia; the Roman province of Asia Minor

Oriēns, entis [orior], m. (sc. sōl)

the East, the Orient

obtineō, ēre, uī, tentus

to hold, possess; rule, govern

Caesar, aris, m.

a family name in the Julian gens. (1) C. Iūlius Caesar, the famous dictator; (2) Sex. Iūlius Caesar, uncle of the dictator. Consul 91 B.C.; (3) C. Octāviānus, the emperor Augustus

contentus, a, um [contineō], adj.

content, satisfied 2

administrō, āre, āvī, ātus [ad + ministrō, to manage]

to manage, govern, regulate, carry on (war)

sollicitūdō, inis [sollicitus, agitated], f.

uneasiness of mind, care, anxiety

recūsō, āre, āvī, ātus [re + causa]

to refuse, object, decline, hesitate

praestans -ntis

superior, excellent, distinguished, extraordinary (see praestō)

cīvīlitās, ātis [cīvīlis], f.

affability, lack of pretension

prōvinciālis, is, m.

a provincial

fiscus, ī, m.

the treasury

commodum, ī [commodus], n.

convenience, advantage, utility

admodum [ad + modus], adv.

very, exceedingly

adfectō, āre, āvī, ātus [ad + fectō, freq. of faciō]

to strive after, aspire to

claustrum, ī [claudō], n.

cage, prison; barrier

reservō, āre, āvī, ātus

to keep back, reserve, preserve

cultus, ūs [colō], m.

cultivation, worship; culture, training; mode of life; dress, splendor

modicus, a, um [modus], adj.

small, moderate

fēstus, a, um, adj.

festive; diēs fēstus, feast day

numerōsus, a, um [numerus], adj.

numerous

epulor, epulārī

to feast, banquet

ōstiātim, adv.

from door to door, from house to house

trīclīnium, ī, n.

a couch for three persons reclining at meals, a dinner sofa

sternō, ere, strāvī, strātus

to lay low, scatter; pave; set (a table)

amābilis, e [amō, to love], adj.

worthy of love, lovely, amiable 3

venerābilis, e [veneror], adj.

venerable, reverend

Gallus, a, um

pertaining to Gaul. Gallī, ōrum, pl. m., the Gauls. Gallus, ī, m., a Roman cognomen: (1) C. (Cn.) Cornēlius Gallus, governor of Egypt under Augustus; (2) Gallus Hostīliānus, Roman emperor 251–253 A.D.

praecipuē [praecipuus], adv.

chiefly, principally, especially

Dioclētiānus, ī, m.

(Valerius) Dioclētiānus, emperor 284–305 A.D.

suspectus, a, um [orig. part. of suspiciō], adj.

mistrusted, suspected

prūdentia, ae, f.

foresight, practical wisdom, good sense

Māximiānus, ī, m.

(1) Gālerius (Valerius) Māximiānus, Roman emperor, 305–311 A.D.; (2) (M. Aurēlius Valerius) Māximiānus, surnamed Herculius, Roman emperor 286–305 A.D.

sanguinārius, a, um [sanguis], adj.

bloodthirsty, bloody, sanguinary

temeritās, ātis [temerē, rashly], f.

rashness, heedlessness, temerity

ēvādō, ere, vāsī, vāsus

to escape; get to be, become

obeō, īre, īvī (iī), itus

to go to meet; attend to, perform; die, perish

Britannia, ae, f.

Britain, England and Scotland; in the pl. includes Ireland

Eborācum, ī, n.

a city in Britain, modern York

prīncipātus, ūs [prīnceps], m.

reign, sovereignty

 

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