The Augustan Revolution
quopoterastrepidisutilisessereis.
viviteniminvobisfacundilinguaparentis,
etresheredemrepperitillasuum.AsafavourtakemywordstotheRomanpowers/whomyou
worshipnolessthantheThunderedontheTarpeianrock,/andas
myemissarytakeupmybrief,/eventhoughnopleainmynameis
good./Allbutabandoned,ailingandchillindeed,/ifIamsaved,it
willbebyyou./Nowmaymyflaggingfortunesrelyonthe
influenceyouenjoy,/thankstotheloveforyouoftheeternal
prince./Nowsummonupyourfamily’sbrillianteloquence,/which
hasmadeyouusefultotremblingdefendants./Forinyouliveson
yourfather’sgiftofspeech,/andhasfoundinyouatrueheir.Thetriumphitselfisthensuggestedasanappropriatemomentforthepre-
sentationofarequestandonceagainstressislaidonthecollectiveroleof
theimperialhouse(–):
tempusadestaptumprecibus.valetillevidetque
quasfecitvires,Roma,valeretuas.
incolumisconiunxsuapulvinariaservat:
promovetAusoniumfiliusimperium;
praeteritipsesuosanimoGermanicusannos;
necvigorestDrusinobilitateminor.
addenurumneptemquepiasnatosquenepotum
ceteraqueAugustaemembravaleredomus.Thetimeisrightforprayers.Heisflourishing,andsees/thatyour
strength,Rome,thathebuiltuphimself,isflourishingtoo./Awife
ingoodhealthguardshiscouch;/hissonpushesforwardthe
westernfront./Germanicusisolderthanhisyearsinspirit;/the
vigourofDrususmatcheshisnobility./Addapiousdaughter-in-law
andgranddaughter,andgrandsonswithsons,/andthatallthe
membersoftheAugustanhouseareingoodhealth.Again Livia comes first, though here unnamed, followed byTiberius, also
unnamed;thenGermanicusandDrusus,followedbyLivillaandAgrippina
(unnamed), and the ‘‘sons of his grandsons.’’ That is the sons of Germani-
cus—Nero,Drusus,andthejust-bornGaius;and(perhaps)theinfantsonof
Drusus,whowastodiein...^44
Tiberius,theactualtriumphator,continuestoplayastrikinglyanonymous
.Dio,,.