Glōriam tamen mīlitārem cīvīlitāte et moderātiōne superāvit, Rōmae et per prōvinciās aequālem sē omnibus exhibēns, amīcōs salūtandī causā frequentāns vel aegrōtantēs vel cum fēstōs diēs habuissent, convīvia cum īsdem indiscrēta vicissim habēns, saepe in vehiculīs eōrum sedēns, nūllum senātōrum laedēns, nihil iniūstum ad augendum fiscum agēns, līberālis in cūnctōs, publicē prīvātimque dītāns omnēs et honōribus augēns quōs vel mediōcrī familiāritāte cognōvisset, per orbem terrārum aedificāns multa, immūnitātēs cīvitātibus tribuēns, nihil nōn tranquillum et placidum agēns, adeō ut omnī eius aetāte ūnus senātor damnātus sit atque is tamen per senātum, ignōrante Trāiānō. Ob haec per orbem terrārum deō proximus nihil nōn venerātiōnis meruit et vīvus et mortuus.
notes
Trajan's moderation and generosity
See Victor, De Caesaribus 13; Dio Cassius 68.6-7.
tamen: despite the considerable military achievements mentioned in the previous section.
cīvīlitāte et moderātiōne: the remainder of this chapter is a description of what it meant for an emperor to act "with citizen-like behavior and moderation."
superāvit: "surpassed," "outdid"
Rōmae: "at Rome," locative (AG 427.3)
sē ... exhibēns: "showing himself," "behaving as"
amīcōs salūtandī causā frequentāns: "going often to his friends to visit them" in the traditional morning salutatio. salūtandī is the gerund, genitive object of causā (AG 507).
fēstōs diēs: special occasions, like weddings or other celebrations.
indiscrēta: "with no distinction of rank" (Hazzard). It was a vice of the Roman aristocracy to grade guests at dinner parties by social rank, serving better food and wine to higher status guests.
vicissim: reciprocating for the invitations he had received.
laedēns: by exiling or executing them on trumped up charges of conspiracy, as some earlier emperors had done
nihil iniūstum ad augendum fiscum agēns: his finances were prosperous, partly owing to good management, and partly from the success of certain mining operations in Dacia (Hazzard). ad augendum fiscum is a gerundive purpose clause (AG 506).
honōribus augēns: "promoting" by appointing them to prestigious and lucrative governmental posts (LS honor I.B.1)
per orbem terrārum aedificāns multa: he constructed several good roads in the provinces and Italy; among them was the road across the Pomptine Marshes. At Ostia he built a large new basin. At Rome he constructed the aqueduct called by his name, built a theater in the Campus Martius, and above all, made the Forum Traianum, with its basilicas and libraries, and his column in the center (Hazzard).
nihil nōn: the figure of litotes, affirming a thing by denying its contrary (Hazzard)
nihil nōn tranquillum et placidum agēns: one of the most famous examples was Trajan's famous letter preserved by Pliny the Younger expressing his desire to limit the scope of the execution of the Christian sect.
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In Letters 10.97, he writes:
Pliny, you have acted appropriately in analyzing the cases of those alleged Christians who were brought to you. For no universal rule can be established here. These people should not be sought out; if they are brought to you and are proved to be Christians, they should be punished. However, those who deny that they are Christian should prove it, i.e., they should provide offerings to our gods; once this is done, even if they were suspected in the past, they ought to gain leniency and acquittal. Anonymous pamphlets should not be used as evidence; for they are the worst sort of example and not appropriate for our time period.
adeō ut: introduces a result clause (AG 537)
per senātum: "through (the efforts of) the Senate" (LS per II.B)
ignōrante Trāiānō: ablative absolute with a present active participle (AG 419)
deō proximus: "considered godlike" (Bird)
nihil nōn venerātiōnis meruit: "(there is) nothing of respect he did not earn," i.e. he earned every possible mark of respect. In 99 the Senate gave Trajan the title Pater Patriae, and starting in 103 his coins bore the legend Optimus Princeps, a phrase also used by Pliny the Younger.
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
mīlitāris, e [mīles], adj. |
military; as subst., a soldier; rēs mīlitāris, the art of war, military operations |
cīvīlitās, ātis [cīvīlis], f. |
citizen-like behavior, lack of pretension, courteousness, politeness, affability |
moderātiō, ōnis [moderor], f. |
moderation, self-control |
aequālis, e [aequus], adj. |
equal, like |
exhibeō, ēre, uī, itus |
to hold forth, show, display |
salūtō, āre, āvī, ātus [salūs, health] |
to wish one health, greet, visit |
frequentō, āre, āvī, ātus [frequēns] |
to visit repeatedly; frequent; throng |
aegrōtō, āre, āvī [from aeger] |
to be sick |
fēstus, a, um, adj. |
festive; diēs fēstus, holiday, special occasion |
indiscrētus, a, um [in + discernō, to distinguish], adj. |
without distinction of rank |
vicissim [vicis, alternation], adv. |
in turn |
vehiculum, ī [vehō], n. |
a vehicle, carriage |
senātor, ōris [senātus], m. |
a senator |
iniūstus, a, um [in + iūstus], adj. |
unjust |
fiscus, ī, m. |
the state treasury |
līberālis, e [līber], adj. |
generous |
prīvātim [prīvātus], adv. |
privately, as a single individual |
dītō, āre, āvī, ātus [dīs] |
to make rich, enrich |
mediocris, cre [medius], adj. |
common, moderate, mediocre |
familiāritās, ātis [familiāris], f. |
intimacy, friendship |
aedificō, āre, āvī, ātus [aedis + faciō] |
to build |
immūnitās, ātis [in + munus, burden], f. |
a tax break or release from an expected service obligation |
tribuō, ere, ī, ūtus [tribus] |
to assign, grant, give |
tranquillus, a, um, adj. |
calm, peaceful, tranquil |
placidus, a, um [placō, to soothe], adj. |
calm, quiet, tranquil |
ignōrō, āre, āvī, ātus [ignārus, ignorant] |
to be ignorant, not to know, overlook |
Trāiānus, ī, m. |
(M.) Ulpius Crīnītus Trāiānus, Roman emperor 98–117 A.D. |
propior, us [prope], comp. adj. |
nearer; sup. proximus, nearest, next; latest, last; next, following |
venerātiō, ōnis [veneror], f. |
veneration, reverence |
vīvus, a, um [vīvō], adj. |
living, alive |