Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus [Suetonius]
69-130 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
SVETONI TRANQVILII VITA NERONIS
I. Ex gente Domitia duae familiae claruerunt,
Calvinorum et Aenobarborum.
[Two families distinguished themselves from the clan of Domitians, the Calvini and the Ahenobarbi.]
Aenobarbi auctorem originis itemque cognominis habent L. Domitium,
[The Ahenobarbi take as their original and eponymous founder, Lucius Domitius,]
cui rure quondam revertenti iuvenes gemini augustiore forma ex occursu imperasse traduntur,
[to whom, once upon a time in the countryside, a pair of identical twins, young men of extremely prestigious stature, ordered him, as he approached]
nuntiaret senatui ac populo victoriam,
[that he should announce something to the senate as well as the people,]
de qua incertum adhuc erat;
[about what is not exactly clear;]
atque in fidem maiestatis adeo permulsisse malas,
[and that he so had the power to soothe over evils when entrusted to the faith of his command]
ut e nigro rutilum aerique similem capillum redderent.
[that his hair turned from red to black, almost in the appearance of bronze.]
Quod insigne mansit et in posteris eius,
[And that remained a sign of prestige for his posterity,]
ac magna pars rutila barba fuerunt.
[and a large number of them had red beards.]
Functi autem consulatibus septem,
[And still, seven of them served as consuls,]
triumpho censuraque duplici
[and a pair of triumphs and offices as censor]
et inter patricios adlecti perseveraverunt omnes in eodem cognomine.
[and once they were recruited into the class of patricians, they persevered through time with this very same name.]
