Tacitus, Germanicus and Piso

Piso in Syria

Translation (lines 1-10)

But Gnaeus Piso, in order to begin his plans more quickly, after he reached Syria and

his legions, began to help the most disreputable of the soldiers with generous gifts

and bribery. When he had removed the senior centurions and the strict officers, and

had handed over their posts to his clients, he allowed idleness in the camp,

hooliganism in the cities and soldiers running riot through the countryside (fields).

Nor did Plancina, Piso`s wife, behave as was proper for a woman, but was present at

the exercises of the cavalry and hurled insults at Agrippina and Germanicus. These

things were known to Germanicus, but a more pressing concern was to attend first

to the Armenians.

Notes

Tacitus wrote this in AD 112, long after the events. Germanicus was the nephew of
Tiberius and adopted by him in AD 4. In the following year he married Agrippina, the
granddaughter of Augustus. When he became emperor, Tiberius began to despise
Germanicus. Since he was unable to dispose of him openly, he sent hm to the East as
commander-in-chief of the Roman army there and to settle various problems on the
borders of the Roman empire. He also secretly ordered Germanicus Calpurnius Piso,
the governor of Syria, to block Germanicus’ orders and, some believe, arrange his
death.

The extract begins with the arrival of Germanicus and Piso in the East in AD 18.

1 Piso had been sent out as governor of Syria to keep an eye on, thwart and
(maybe) dispose of Germanicus, whom the emperor Tiberius hated.

2 legiones. As governor, Piso commanded the four legions in Syria, but

Germanicus, in charge of the whole eastern area, was in theory superior to him. The
main role of the legions was to guard against attack from Parthia.

2-6 Piso is trying to build up personal support for himself and make the soldiers
less loyal to Germanicus. He also wants his soldiers to stir up trouble, to make
Germanicus` task of settling the area more difficult. Tacitus disapproves – note the
pejorative vocab (desidiam, licentiam, lascivientes).
3-4 the experienced and disciplined soldiers would have opposed Piso’s will.

5-6 Tacitus uses lists, often without et, to build up a picture: desidiam...
licentiam...lascivientes milites. Another common device is `variation`: here, two
abstract nouns then milites, and in twice then per.

6-8 Tacitus obviously disapproves of Plancina too. She came from a noble and
wealthy family, a fact which increased Piso’s arrogance. Tacitus portrays Plancina as
the opposite of Agrippina (married to Germanicus, the granddaughter of Augustus).

9 Armenia lay between the Roman empire and the powerful and threatening
Parthians. Roman policy was to place on the throne of Armenia a ruler sympathetic
to themselves.
The death of Germanicus

Translation (lines 11 – 19)

The belief that poison had been received (of poison having been received) from Piso

increased the savage force of the illness; and there were found in the floor and walls

dug up remains of human bodies, spells and curses and the name of Germanicus

inscribed on lead tablets, cremated remains half burned and smeared with human

flesh and other evil objects by which it is believed that souls are consecrated to the

gods of the underworld. At the same time people sent by Piso were blamed because

[it was said that] they were waiting for signs of ill health. These things were received

by Germanicus no less in anger as with fear. He composed a letter in which he

renounced his friendship.

Notes

12-16 Human remains, and spells (carmina written in verse) and curses inscribed on
lead tablets, were commonly used in black magic. The cineres (l.14) are half burnet
and smeared with flesh because they have been snatched from funeral pyres.

12-16 Another of Tacitus` lists.

19 amicitia is not here personal friendship, but the formal relationship of

colleagues. By renouncing this, Germanicus is effectively dismissing Piso from office –
or trying to. Piso in fact left Syria (we find him later, l.44, on the island of Cos).

Translation (lines 20-28)

For a little while Germanicus believed that he was getting better; then his body

started to become tired. When the end was at hand, he addressed his friends

standing by in this way: `You will have the opportunity of complaining before the

senate and appealing to the laws. It is proper for friends not to escort the dead man

with pointless lamentation, but to remember what he wanted, to carry out what he
ordered. You will avenge me, if you loved me rather than my status`. The friends,

clasping the hand of the dying man, swore that they would give up life before

revenge.

Notes

20-21 Tacitus does not dwell on the course of the illness. It is the emotional death-
bed scene which interests him and the reactions of everyone around.

22 Significantly, Germanicus tells his friends to raise the matter in the senate
rather than to go to the emperor. He suspected the emperor of some measure of
complicity and hoped his friends might receive a sympathetic hearing in the senate.

24 lamentation will not benefit the dead, and so will be futile; it also requires
less effort of will to mourn than to pursue justice. Action is needed!

25 vos is emphatic (a) because it is not needed and (b) by its unusual position.

Translation (lines 29-37)

Not long afterwards he died, to the great grief of the province and the surrounding

peoples. Foreign peoples and kings mourned: so great had been the friendliness of

that man towards allies, his mercy towards enemies; because of his expression and

his eloquence he had gained the respect of everyone. And there were those who

compared him the Alexander the Great because of his appearance, his age and the

manner and place of his death; for they declared that each of them had been

endowed with a handsome body, had been descended from a distinguished family

and had perished when scarcely thirty years old.

Notes

29 The `province` is Syria. The date of Germanicus’ death was 10 October AD 19

29-32 Tacitus emphasises the grief: the province, foreigners, kings, allies, enemies,
everyone respected and mourned Germanicus (more lists).
34-37 Alexander the Great died at Babylon, Germanicus at Antioch; the cities were
not close to each other but both would seem distant oriental places to the Romans.
Both died for reasons which were unclear and poison was suspected in each case.
Alexander was the son of king Philip, Germanicus the nephew and adopted son of
the emperor Tiberius. Alexander died aged 32, Germanicus 33.
Mourning

Translation (lines 38 – 48)

But Agrippina, although exhausted by grief and ill health (body), was nevertheless

impatient of everything which delayed vengeance. She boarded a ship with the ashes

of Germanicus and with her children, with everyone pitying her because a woman of

the highest nobility and most glorious marriage, who deserved the respect of

everyone, was then carrying the remains of the dead man in her bosom, uncertain of

vengeance. Meanwhile a message reached Piso at the island of Cos that Germanicus

had perished. Rejoicing at this he killed victims, and went to the temples. Not only

did Piso himself behave with excessive joy, but Plancina grew even more insolent,

and she (who) then for the first time changed her mourning clothes for her dead

sister into cheerful clothes.

Notes

41 With everyone pitying her because...: Tacitus makes his own opinions clear,
but includes them as being “everyone`s” and so makes them seem less subjective to
himself and more objectively true.

43 sinu ferret: It is possible that Agrippina actually clutched the ashes to her
bosom, but the phrase is designed to create a pathetic picture (as is the earlier
reference to her children). Tacitus contrasts her previous good fortune and her
current (tunc) wretchedness and vulnerability.

44-6 adsequitur, caedit, adit, gerit: present tense (`historic present`) for
immediacy and vividness.

45 Killing victims and visiting temples would normally be signs of thanksgiving

for some benefit conferred by the gods. Tacitus implies this is Germanicus` death –
this would have been extraordinarily tactless of Piso, considering the high status and
popularity of Germanicus. But Piso could be marking the end of the period of
mourning for his sister-in-law.
47 Plancina`s change into bright clothes and jewels is presented as a statement
of joy, but it could simply be a fact that she happened to come to the end of her
mourning period at that time.

Translation (lines 49-58)

But at Rome, after the rumour of Germanicus` ill health spread and everything, as

usually happens (ut) from a distance, was reported exaggerated for the worse, grief,

anger and lamentations broke out: doubtless for that reason Germanicus had been

banished to the furthest lands, for that reason the province had been entrusted to

Piso. The death of Germanicus, when it was announced, inflamed these

conversations of the ordinary people to such an extent that, before any edict of the

magistrates, before any decree of the senate, a break from legal business was taken

and (ablative absolute - a break...having been taken) the law courts were deserted,

houses were closed. Everywhere silence and sorrow. And although they did not

refrain from the outward signs of mourners, they grieved more deeply in their hearts

(minds).

Notes

49 But at Rome...: This goes back in time to the period of Germanicus’ sickness.
We (the readers) know that Germanicus is dead, which adds dramatic irony.

51 dolor...: Tacitus again uses other people`s reactions and words to hint at
Piso`s guilt without actually stating it himself. We also have another of his lists.

doubtless for that reason...: This is accusative and infinitive, representing

what the people said. Again therefore the emotive language (“banished to the
furthest lands”) is slipped in without Tacitus giving it as his own view.

53 The province is Syria. Note the alliteration in Pisoni permissam provinciam.

Piso immediately becomes the scapegoat.

55 A iustitium was a regular part of public mourning, usually proclaimed by

official edict after the announcement of a distinguished man`s death. On this
occasion the grief was spontaneous.
56 clauderentur domus: The rich did not receive their clients; another
suspension of normal business.

56-57 ubique silentium et gemitus. The lack of verb adds to the starkness of the
sentence.

57 The `outward signs` would be mourning clothes

Translation (lines 59-69)

With her voyage over the wintry sea not at all interrupted, Agrippina

approached Brundisium. Meanwhile, when her arrival was heard of, many friends

and very many soldiers who had served under Germanicus rushed to the harbour. As

soon as the ship was seen, not only the harbour but also the walls and roofs were

filled with a crowd of people mourning and asking each other whether they should

receive [her] in silence or with some word. The ship approached slowly, not quickly,

as usual (as it was accustomed), but with all the signs of mourning (lit: everything

arranged for sadness). After she disembarked from the ship with her two children,

clasping the funeral urn, and cast down her eyes, the same groan arose (was) from

everyone.

Notes

59 Sailing was normally curtailed in winter, but Agrippina was eager to return to
Rome in her desire for vengeance.

60 Brundisium (modern Brindisi) in the heel of Italy was and is the main port for
travel between Italy and the east.

61 These veterans had fought under Germanicus in Germany.

66 Sailors would normally be eager to reach the end of the journey and the
safety of the harbour.

67 One of her children, Gaius, (Caligula) was to be the next emperor.

Note all the details designed to elicit sympathy for Agrippina: the crowds of
sympathisers (they rush to the harbour, fill every vantage point, mourn, groan); the
slow progress of the ship, whose sailors presumably find the situation too sorrowful
to race along; the children, the urn, the downcast eyes. “Agrippina`s disembarkation
is stage-managed for maximum effect, but is the stage-manager Agrippina or
Tacitus?” Tacitus paints a scene from a Greek tragedy with the onlookers as the
chorus. Some verbs (appropinquat twice and complentur) are in the present tense
for greater immediacy. The dignified composure of Agrippina would have greater
impact upon a Roman than uncontrolled distress.