The Germania and Agricola, and Also Selections from the Annals of Tacitus. with English Notes, Critical and Explanatory (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1864 Excerpt: ... NOTES ON THE ANNALS. BOOK I. Chap I.--Urbem Romam.... habuere. These words form an hexameter line. In Tacitus there are several, and they often occur in other prose writers. Generally speaking, however, they are not so much the result of any actual intention on the part of the writer as of the emphatic arrangement of the sentence. Hexameters in prose militate against good taste, and were regarded as faults by the ancient critics. Compare Cic. de Orat., iii., 47, 182; Id. Orat., 56, 189; Quintil., ix., 4, 72.--Habuere. "Held," i. -., governed.--Ad tempos. "For a time," i. e., either for a short time, to meet some pressing emergency, or for an indefinite period, whenever and as long as seemed necessary. The dictatorship, however, could not regularly be held for a longer period than six months.--Decemviralis potestas. "The decemviral office." Potestas must be taken here in its strict sense of delegated or official authority, for the decemvirs were, in fact, at the head of the state in the third year also (B.C. 449), but then with usurped power.--Ultra biennium. In point of fact, it lasted a few months beyond the twc years. But during the last seven months of their power, they maintained themselves by force. Tribunorum militum. Military tribunes, with consular authority, were created from A.U.C. 310 to 388, though not uninterruptedly.--Cinnce. Cinna held the consulship four times, from A.U.C. 667 to 670.--Sulla. Sulla continued dictator from A.U.C. 672 to 675. He was the first who was invested with the dictatorship for any lengthened period Caesar was the first who was made perpetual dictator.--Cessere. "Merged."--Nomine principis. He was content with the title of princeps, in which there was nothing that savored of the despot or tyrant; being aware that t...