Latin- Germanicus and Piso

at Cn. Piso, quo celerius consilia inciperet, postquam Syriam

ac legiones attigit, largitione et ambitu infimos militum

iuvabat. cum veteres centuriones, severos tribunos

demovisset, locaque eorum clientibus suis attribuisset,

desidiam in castris, licentiam in urbibus, lascivientes per

agros milites sinebat. Nec Plancina, uxor Pisonis, se gerebat

ut feminam decebat, sed exercitio equitum intererat, et in Agrippinam, in

Germanicum contumelias iaciebat. nota haec Germanico,

sed praevertiad Armenios instantior cura fuit.

But Gnaeus Piso, in order to begin his plans more quickly, after he reaches Syria

and the legions he was helping the lowest of the soldiers with generous gifts

and bribery. When he had removed the veteran centurions and the strict tribunes,

and he had shared out their places to his clients, he was allowing idleness in the

camp, hooliganism in the city and the soldiers running riot through the countryside.

Nor was Plancina, the wife of Piso, conducting herself as was fitting for a woman,

but she was attending the exercises of the cavalry and she was hurling insults at

Agrippina and at Germanicus. These things were known to Germanicus but a more

pressing concern was to attend first to the Armenians. 

saevam vim morbi augebat persuasio veneni a Pisone

accepti; et reperiebantur solo ac parietibus erutae

humanorum corporum reliquiae, carmina et devotiones et

nomen Germanici plumbeis tabulis insculptum, cineres

semusti ac tabo obliti aliaque malefica quibus creditur 

animas numinibus infernis sacrari. simul missi a Pisone

incusabantur quod valetudinis adversae signa exspectarent

haec Germanico haud minus ira quam per metum accepta

sunt. Componit epistulam qua amicitiam ei renuntiabat.

The belief that poisen had been recieved from Piso was increasing the savage

force of the illness; and there were being found on the floor and on the walls the

dug up remains of human corpses, spells and curses and the name of Germanicus

inscribed on lead tablets, ashes half burned and smeared with rotten flesh and

other evil objects with which it is believed the souls are concecreted to the gods of

the underworld. At the same time, men sent by Piso were suspected because they

were waiting for the signs of adverse health. These things were recieved by

Germanicus not less in anger than for in fear. He composes a letter in which he

was breaking off friendship from him.

Germanicus paulisper se credidit convalescere; deinde

fessum fiebat corpus. Ubi finis aderat, adstantes amicos ita

adloquitur: "erit vobis occasio querendi apud senatum atque 

invocandi leges." decet amicos non prosequi defunctum

ignavo questu, sed quae coluerit meminisse, quae

mandaverit exsequi. vindicabitis vos, si me potius quam

fortunam meam diligebatis. " amici, dextram morientis

amplectentes, iuraverunt se vitam ante quam ultionem

amissuros esse.

For a little while Germanius believed that he was getting better; then his body was

becoming tired. When the end was present, he talks to his friends standing around

him in this way: "there will be for you a chance of complaining at the house of the

senate and of invoking the laws." It suits the friends not to escort the dead man

with futile complaints, but to recall what he wanted, to carry out what he ordered.

You yourselves will avenge me if you cared for me rather than my fortune " The

friends, grasping the right hand of the dying man swore they would lose life

before vengeance 

neque multo post mortuus est, ingenti luctu provinciae 

et circumiacentium populorum. Indoluerunt exterae

nationes regesque: tanta fuerat illius comitas in socios,

mansuetudo in hostes; propter vultum eloquentiamque

venerationem omnium adeptus erat. et erant qui illium

magno Alexandro ob formam aetatem genus locumque

mortis adaequarent; nam affirmaverunt utrumque corpore

decoro .praeditum, genere insigni ortum, vix triginta annos

natum periisse

not much later he died with huge grief of the province and of the surrounding

peoples. Foreign nations and kings mourned: so great had been his friendliness to

allies and his mercy to enemies; because of his expression and eloquence he had

obtained the respect of all. And there were those who were comparing him to

Alexander the great on account of his appearance, age, the manner and place of

his death; for they asserted that each one endowed with a handsome body, sprung

from an outstanding family, barely 30 years old had died.

at Agrippina, quamquam defessa luctu et corpore aegro,

impatiens tamen erat omnium quae ultionem morarentur.

ascendit navem cum cineribus Germanici et liberis,

miserantibus omnibus quod femina summa nobilitate

pulcherrimoque matrimonio, quae venerationem omnium

mereret, tunc ferales reliquias sinu ferret, incerta ultionis.

Pisonem interim apud Coum insulam nuntius adsequitur 

periisse Germanicum. quo gavisus caedit victimas, adit

templa. non modo Piso ipse gaudio immoderato se gerit, 

sed etiam magis insolescit Plancina, quae luctum mortua

sorore tum primum in laetum cultum mutavit.

But Agrippina, although tired out by grief and with a weak body, was, however

impatient of all things which were delaying revenge. She boarded a ship with the

ashes of Germanicus and with the children, with everyone pitying her because she

was a woman of the highest nobility and with the very finest marriage who

deserved the respect of all, was then carrying at her bosom the funeral remains,

uncertain of revenge. Meanwhile, a message reaches Piso at the island of Cos,

that Germanicus has died. Rejoicing at this, he kills victims and approaches the

temples. Not only does Piso conduct himself with excessive joy, but Plancina

becomes even more arrogant, who then for the first time changed from mourning

clothes for a dead sister, into happy clothes

at Romae, postquam fama Germanici valetudinis

percrebuit cunctaque, ut ex longinquo, aucta in deterius

adferebantur, dolor, ira, questus erumpebant: ideo nimirum

Germanicum in extremas terras relegatum esse, ideo Pisoni

permissam provinciam. hos vulgi sermones mors

Germanici, ubi nuntiata est, adeo incendit ut, ante edictum

magistratuum, ante senatus consultu, sumptuo iustitio 

desererentur fora, clauderentur domus. ubique silentium

et gemitus. et quamquam insignibus lugentium non

abstinebant, altius animis maerebant. 

But at Rome, after the rumor of Germanicus's ill health had spread and all things,

as from far off, were being reported increased for the worse, grief, anger and

complaints were bursting out: For that reason evidently, Germanicus had been

exiled to far off lands, for that reason, the province was entrusted to Piso. The

death of Germanicus, when it was announced so inflamed these conversations of

the mob that before an edict of the magistrates, before a decree of the senate,

with a break in legal business taken up, the fora were deserted, homes were shut.

On all sides there was silence and mourning. and although they were not

abstaining from the outward signs of mourners, they were grieving more deeply in their hearts.

navigatione hiberni maris nequaquam intermissa

Agrippina Brundisio appropinquat. interim adventu eius

audito multi amici et plurimi milites qui sub Germanico

stipendia fecerant ruerunt ad portum. Simulac visa est

navis, complentur non solum portus sed etiam moenia ac

tecta turba maerentium et rogantium inter se, silentione an 

voce aliqua egredientem exciperent. navis lente 

appropinquat, non celeriter, ut solet, sed cunctis ad tristitiam 

compositis. posquam duobus cum liberis, feralem urnam

tenens, egressa e nave defixit oculos, idem fuit omnium

gemitus.

With a voyage on the winter sea, not at all interrupted, Apgrippina approaches

Brundisium. When they heard of her arrival, many friends and soldiers of

the highest worth who had served under Germanicus, rushed to the harbor. As

soon as the ship appeared, not only harbors are filled but also the walls and roofs

by a crowd both grieving and asking among themselves in silence or with some

phrase they should receive as she left the ship. The ship slowly approached, not

quickly, as is usual but with everything arranged for sadness. Afterwards, with two

children and holding the funeral urn, she left the ship and lowered her eyes. The

groaning of them all was the same.

die senatus Tiberius orationem moderatam habuit. " Piso"

inquit "patris mei legatus et amicus erat. eum Germanico

adiutorem misi ego cum auctoritate senatus ad res apud

Orientem administrandas. integris animis est diiudicandum 

utrum Piso contumacia et certaminibus vexaverit iuvenem

exituque eis laetatus sit, an scelere eum exstinxerit. simul

reputate utrum legiones ad seditionem incitaverit."

On a day of the senate, Tiberius made a modest speach "Piso" he said " was a

legate and a friends of my father" i sent him as a helper to Germincus with the

authority of the senate to look after business in the East. It must be judged with

impartial minds, whether Piso bothered the young man in arrogance and rivalry

and rejoiced at this death, or murdered him by crime. At the same time, consider

whether he insighted the legions to mutiny

deinde biduum criminibus obiciendis statuitur utque

post intervallum sex dierum reus per triduum defenderetur.

tres amici Germanici consimili studio obiecerunt Pisonem,

odio Germanici et rerum novarum studio, milites per 

licentiam et sociorum iniurias corrupisse; postremo ipsum 

Germanicum devotionibus 

Then two days are decreed for presenting the charges and that after an interval of

6 days the accused would be defended for 3 days. 3 friends of Germanicus with

similar vigor alleged that Piso in hatred for Germanicus and enthusiasm for

revolution had corrupted the soldiers through disorder and harm done to the alies;

lastly he had killed Germanicus himself with curses and with poison. Then, both

Piso and Plancina after they had made rites and evil sacrifices, they had attacked

the state with weapons

defensio in ceteris criminibus trepidavit; nam neque

ambitio militum neque iniuria in provinciam, ne contumeliae

quidem adversum imperatorem, negari poterant: solum

veneni crimen potuit Piso diluere. at simul populi ante

curiam voces audiebantur: non temperaturos manibus si

Piso sententias patrum evavisset

The defense stumbled on the other charges; for neither bribery of the soldiers, nor

harm to the province, not even insults against the emperor could be denied: only

the charge of poison could Piso refute. But at the same time in front of the senate

house the voices of the people were heard: they would not restrain their hands if

Piso escaped the judgement of the senators

eadem erat Plancina invidia. atque ipsa, dum Pisoni

spes erat absolutionis, sociam se cuiuscumque fortunae

futuram esse et, si necesse esset, comitem exitii promittebat:

sed paulatim segregari a marito coepit. quod postquam

Piso sibi exitiabile esse intellexit, dubitavit an causam diceret 

amplius. itaque, tamquam defensionem in posterum diem

meditaretur, pauca scribit obsignatque et liberto tradit; tum

solita curando corpori exsequitur. deinde multam post

noctem, egressa cubiculo uxore, claudi ianuam iussit; et

primi luce perfosso iugulo, iacente humi gladio, repertus est

Plancina was subject to the same jealousy and she herself, while there was hope

of aquittal for Piso, was promising that she would be an ally of whatever luck, and

if it were necessary, a comrade in death: but gradually she began to be distanced

from her husband, because after Piso understood that he was doomed, he

hesitated whether to plead his case anymore and as if he was contemplating a

defense into the following day, he writes a few words, seals them and hands them

to a freedman; then he performs the usual tasks for caring for his body. Then

after most of the night, after his wife left the bedroom, he ordered the door to be

shut; and at first light he was found with a stabbed throat and a sword lying on the ground.