Augustan Histories [Historia Augusta]
Scriptores Historiae Augustae
117-284 AD Rome
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
AVIDIUS CASSIUS VULCACII GALLICANI V.C.
I. 1 Avidius Cassius, ut quidam volunt, ex familia Cassiorum fuisse dicitur per matrem, [homine] novo genitus Avidio Severo, qui ordines duxerat et post ad summas dignitates pervenerat;
[As certain fellows want to believe, Avidius Cassius is reported to have been related to the Cassian family through his mother, although he was born from a novus homo--newly made man--named Avidius Severus, who had once presided over the social classes to later on gain the highest political offices.]
2 cuius Quadratus in historiis meminit, et quidem graviter, cum illum summum virum et necessarium rei p. adserit et apud ipsum Marcum praevalidum;
[The latter's life was recalled, and indeed, in quite a serious manner, since he was portrayed as one the greatest men, one both necessary for the commonwealth and an excellent comparison to Marcus himself.]
3 nam iam eo imperante perisse fatali sorte perhibetur.
[You see, shortly after he begun ruling, it is reported that he died from a deadly accident.]
4 Hic ergo Cassius ex familia, ut diximus, Cassiorum, qui in C. Iulium conspiraverant, oderat tacite principatum nec ferre poterat imperatorium nomen dicebatque nil esse gravius nomine imperii, quod non posset e re p. tolli nisi per alterum imperatorem.
[So at this point, Cassius, as I have said, from the Cassian family---who had long ago conspired against Gaius Julius--secretly despised the imperial administration, nor could he tolerate the name of the emperors, and he used to say that there was nothing more heinous than the name of 'empire', which could not have arise unless through a successive emperor.]
5 Denique temptasse in pueritia dicitur extorquere etiam Pio principatum, sed per patrem, virum sanctum et gravem, adfectationem tyrannidis latuisse, habitum tamen semper ducibus suspectum.
[It is reported that he finally tried, in his young days, to rebel against *Antoninus Pius' imperial administration, but he was hidden away by his father, a pious and serious mind, from the reach of the tyrant, but he was still held a suspect by the subsequent leaders.]
6 Vero autem illum parasse insidias ipsius Veri epistula indicat, quam inserui.
[In any event, in truth, he points out that that, in Verus' letter, he had tried to made plots, and I included this letter.]
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