[1] Magnō adsēnsū celebrāta sententia. nōn tamen senātūs cōnsultum perficī potuit, abnuentibus cōnsulibus ea dē rē relātum. mox auctōre prīncipe sānxēre nē quis ad concilium sociōrum referret agendās apud senātum prō praetōribus prōve cōnsulibus grātēs, neu quis eā lēgātiōne fungerētur. [2] īsdem cōnsulibus gymnasium ictū fulminis cōnflagrāvit effigiēsque in eō Nerōnis ad īnfōrme aes liquefacta. et mōtū terrae celebre Campāniae oppidum Pompēī magnā ex parte prōruit; dēfūnctaque virgō Vestālis Laelia, in cuius locum Cornēlia ex familiā Cossōrum capta est.

Study Questions

22.1:

  • What construction is abnuentibus consulibus?
  • With reference to the Introduction, Section 6 (on Thrasea Paetus), consider why the consuls are disinclined to let Thrasea’s proposal be put to the vote.
  • What was the concilium sociorum?
  • Why is referret in the subjunctive?

22.2:

  • isdem consulibus: suggest an idiomatic translation for this phrase.
  • gymnasium: what is this, and what connotations does such a building have? (You may wish to include consideration of the etymology of gymnasium in your answer.)
  • Try reading out loud effigiesque in eo Neronis ad informe aes liquefacta. What do you think Tacitus’ tone of voice would be like?
  • Who were the Cornelii Cossi?

Stylistic Appreciation:

How does Tacitus add colour to his account of the end of the year in this little chapter?

Discussion Point:

What do you make of the ‘ominous’ destruction of Nero’s Gymnasium and his effigy within? Why does Tacitus include this detail? Does he take this to be a sign of divine judgment? Do you think there is a place for ‘prodigies’ such as this in the writing of history? What are the forces that modern historians appeal to in order to impose meaningful patterns upon (amorphous) historical time?

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Suggested Citation

Mathew Owen and Ingo Gildenhard, Tacitus, Annals, 15.20–23, 33–45. Cambridge: Open Book Publishers, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-78374-003-1. DCC edition, 2016. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/tr/tacitus-annals/15-22