(1) Offēnsārum et inimīcitiārum immemor fuit, convīcia ā causidicīs et philosophīs in sē dicta lēniter tulit, dīligēns tamen coercitor disciplīnae mīlitāris.

(2) Hic cum fīliō Titō dē Hierosolymīs triumphāvit. Per haec cum senātuī, populō, postrēmō cūnctīs amābilis ac iūcundus esset, prōfluviō ventris extīnctus est in villā propriā circā Sabīnōs, annum agēns aetātis sexāgēsimum nōnum, imperiī nōnum et diem septimum, atque inter dīvōs relātus est.

(3) Genitūram fīliōrum ita cognitam habuit, ut, cum multae contrā eum coniūrātiōnēs fierent, quās patefactās ingentī dissimulātiōne contempsit, in senātū dīxerit aut fīliōs sibi successūrōs aut nēminem.

    The character of the Emperor Vespasian; his death (79 CE)

    (1) Offēnsārum et inimīcitiārum: immemor takes a genitive object (LS immemor)

    in sē: "against him" (LS in II.C)

    philosophīs: some philosophers in the early principate were outspoken critics of the emperors, and many, like the famous Stoic teacher Epictetus, were banished from Rome. According to Suetonius, "When the Cynic philosopher Demetrius met [Vespasian] abroad after being condemned to banishment, and without deigning to rise in his presence or to salute him, even snarled out some insult, he merely called him 'cur'" (Vespasian 13).

    coērcitor: "enforcer," the word is a hapax legomenon (Hazzard).

    (2) dē Hierosolymīs triumphāvit: in 71 CE when Titus returned to Rome after the sack of Jerusalem.

    prōfluviō ventris: "diarrhea"

    circā Sabīnōs: Vespasian died in his own home in the Sabine district in 79 CE.

    inter dīvōs: unlike the other emperors involved in the Year of the Four Emperors, Vespasian was deified after his death (See Smith, Apotheosis).

    (3) Genitūram fīliōrum ita cognitam habuit: "he knew the horoscope of his sons so well" (Hazzard). genitura = "the hour of birth" as predictive of fate through the position of the stars at that time.

    quās patefactās: refers to coniūrātiōnēs

    successūrōs: future active form of succēdō, with esse understood. The verb dīxerit signals the following indirect discourse construction (AG 577).

    Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates

    offēnsa, ae, f. disfavor, offense, hatred, enmity
    inimīcitia, ae, [inimīcus, unfriendly], f. enmity
    immemor, oris [in + memor], adj. unmindful, careless
    convīcium, ī [con + vocō], n. a loud noise, clamor, cry; insult
    causidicus, ī [causa + dīcō], m.

    a pleader, advocate, special pleader

    philosophus, ī, m. a philosopher
    lēniter [lēnis, soft], adv. softly, mildly, lightly
    dīligēns, tis [dīligō], adj.

    careful, diligent, attentive; sparing; fond of

    coërcitor, ōris [coerceō], m. one who restrains, an enforcer
    mīlitāris, e [mīles], adj.

    military; as subst., a soldier; rēs mīlitāris, the art of war, military operations

    Titus, ī, m.

    T. Flavius Sabīnus Vespasiānus, Roman emperor 79–81 A.D. 2

    Hierosolyma, ōrum, pl. n. Jerusalem
    triumphō, āre, āvī, ātus to celebrate a triumph
    postrēmō [posterus], adv. at last, finally
    amābilis, e [amō, to love], adj. worthy of love, lovely, amiable
    iūcundus, a, um, adj. pleasant; pleasing, joyful, dear
    prōfluvium, ī, n.

    a flowing forth; ventris prōfluvium, diarrhea

    venter, tris, m. the stomach; appetite
    exstinguō, ere, stīnxī, stīnctus [ex + stinguō, to extinguish]

    to quench, kill, blot out, destroy, extinguish, put an end to

    vīlla, ae, f. a country house, farm, villa
    Sabīnī, ōrum, pl. m.

    the Sabines, a race in central Italy, adjoining Latium on the east

    genitūra, ae, f. hour of birth; nativity 3
    coniūrātiō, ōnis [coniūrō], f. a conspiracy, plot
    patefaciō, ere, fēcī, factus [pateō + faciō]

    to lay open, disclose, bring to light

    dissimulātiō, ōnis [dissimulō, to make unlike], f.

    a disguising, dissembling, concealment

    succēdō, ere, cessī, cessus

    to come up, advance; succeed, follow

     

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