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Saturday, July 16, 2011

Suetonius, Life of Nero

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.]