GCSE prose set text Tacitus: Germanicus & Piso Germānicus et Pīsō (edited extracts from Tacitus, Annals 2.55-82 and 3.1-15) Summary of the story Tiberius sent Germanicus to the East to solve some long-standing problems on the fringes of the empire, including a crisis in Armenia; at the same time he sent Piso to Syria as governor to keep an eye on Germanicus and report back to him. The prescribed text begins after Piso and Germanicus have arrived in Syria. Germanicus, however, was more concerned with his political mission and set off for Armenia. After making a settlement in Armenia he visited Egypt. Meanwhile, in Syria Piso had reversed or cancelled Germanicus' orders. On his return to Syria, Germanicus quarrelled with Piso, then fell ill. He believed that Piso had poisoned him, and on his deathbed he asked his friends to avenge his death. Germanicus' wife Agrippina sailed to Italy, intent on revenge. Piso was in Cos when Germanicus died. Although Germanicus' supporters had appointed a new governor to replace him, Piso returned to Syria and attempted to recover the governorship by force. However, he was unsuccessful. He then returned to Rome, where he was put on trial. Although he refuted the poisoning charge, he could not answer the charge of corrupting the soldiers and abusing his position as governor. However, popular feeling was against Piso. Before the trial was concluded he committed suicide. Tacitus claims he is impartial (sine īrā et studiō, 'without indignation and partisanship', Annals 1.1.3). The facts he reports are generally accurate, but he tends to emphasise the oppressive aspects of the imperial system and concentrate on the faults of the emperors. His hostility to Tiberius is evident; he stresses Tiberius' hypocrisy and duplicity, and favours the more sinister interpretation of Tiberius' motives. The Romans regarded history as a branch of literature. An historian was expected to tell a good story in a highly descriptive, dramatic and emotional style. It was accepted that he would invent speeches and elaborate on circumstantial detail. Tacitus wrote his history of the 2 events of AD 18-20 in about AD 114, almost a century afterwards. Although he had access to contemporary accounts and records, he does not give much information about his sources, and from the level of detail it is clear that there is a large element of speculation and imagination. 2 3 Piso in Syria at Cn.Piso, quo celerius consilia1 inciperet, postquam Syriam ac legiones attigit, largitione et ambitu infimos militum iuvabat.2 But so that Gnaeus Piso might start his plans more quickly, after he had reached Syria and the legions, he began to help the most disreputable of the soldiers with generous gifts and bribery. cum veteres centuriones, severos tribunos3 demovisset, locaque eorum clientibus suis attribuisset, When he had got rid of the experienced (OR: long-serving, literally ‘old’) centurions and the disciplined (severos) tribunes and had assigned their positions to his hangers-on (clientibus), desidiam in castris, licentiam in urbibus, lascivientes per agros milites sinebat.4 he allowed slackness in the camp, hooliganism in the cities and the soldiers to run riot through the countryside. 1 = plans to thwart Germanicus 2 Tacitus’ condemnation shown through use of largitione and ambitu; infirmos underlines fact he is trying to win over the disreputable elements. 3 parallel phrases veteres centurions and severos tribunos suggests the impediment to Piso’s plans – they represent morality and true Roman values. 4 tricolon with examples of ill-discipline. Helps to emphasise very negative connotations and the extent of Piso’s cunning. 4 nec5 Plancina, uxor Pisonis, se gerebat ut feminam decebat, sed exercitio equitum intererat, Nor did Plancina, Piso’s wife, act as befitted a lady: she used to attend the cavalry exercises et in6 Agrippinam, in Germanicum contumelias iaciebat. and hurled insults at Agrippina and Germanicus. nota haec Germanico, sed praeverti ad Armenios instantior cura fuit. These things known to Germanicus, but there was a more pressing need to attend to the Armenians.7 In an omitted section, Germanicus averts a crisis in Armenia by supporting the people’s choice of king; then, in the following year (AD 19), he visits Egypt to see the ancient sites. On his return to Syria, he learns that all his orders to the legions and cities have been cancelled or reversed. As a result he has a row with Piso, with bitter recriminations on both sides. Soon afterwards Germanicus falls ill, and Piso waits to see how the illness progresses. 5 By extension, his wife is no better – nec (negative first word to introduce her); damning phrase about her behaviour follows. Plancina is cast by Tacitus as the evil opposite of Agrippina. 6 The use of this word is hostile: the sense is of ‘attacking’ someone. 7 This shows Germanicus has the greater good of Rome at heart, putting public before private matters. 5 The death of Germanicus There is no evidence beyond Tacitus’ persuasive rhetoric of Piso’s complicity in Germanicus’ death. The human remains/ spells etc found in Germanicus’ house couldd have been fabricated as evidence against Piso. Notive the words of general innuendo and suggestion : persuasio / creditur / incusabantur. Belief not hard fact. saevam8 vim morbi augebat persuasio veneni a Pisone9 accepti; His belief that poison had been received from Piso increased the terrible virulence of his illness. Belief in magic was widespread and certain objects were thought to have the power to deliver people to the gods of the Underworld. These included the remains of human bodies, spells, curses and lead curse tablets with the name of the intended victim inscribed on them. et reperiebantur solo ac parietibus erutae humanorum corporum reliquiae, carmina et devotiones et nomen Germanici plumbeis tabulis insculptum, cineres semusti ac tabo obliti10 aliaque malefica11 quibus creditur12 animas numinibus infernis sacrari.13 Disinterred remains of human bodies were being found under the floor and in between the walls, spells and curses and the name of Germanicus inscribed on lead tablets were found, and also charred cremated remains smeared with rotten flesh and other pieces of sorcery, by means of which it is believed souls can be condemned to the gods of the underworld. 8 saevam = powerful word to start on. 9 Notice Piso’s name right next to word for poison! 10 the ashes had been taken from a funeral pyre before being fully cremated. 11 other objects of black magic (voodoo objects) might include things connected with the victim such as hair, nail clippings, pieces of clothing or wax images, because it was believed that in order to gain control of someone the witch or magician often needed something connected with that person. 12 Tacitus shows he thinks this kind of belief is mumbo-jumbo: cynicism – but he still says it to damn Piso. 13 This passage has given grotesque details in a long/disjointed and ghoulish catalogue. Tacitus savours the details of the evil magic. 6 simul missi a Pisone incusabantur quod valetudinis adversae signa exspectarent.14 At the same time, people sent by Piso were being accused of awaiting signs of ill health. haec Germanico haud minus ira quam per metum15 accepta sunt. componit epistulam qua amicitiam16 ei renuntiabat. This was all taken by Germanicus as much in anger as through fear. He wrote a letter in which he broke off diplomatic relations with him.17 Germanicus paulisper se credidit convalescere; deinde18 fessum19 fiebat corpus. For a little while Germanicus believed he was getting better; then his body became weak. ubi finis aderat, adstantes amicos ita adloquitur: When the end was nigh, he spoke to his friends who stood around his bed in this way: 14 This subjunctive shows that this is an alleged reason; it’s not necessarily the truth. 15 as much in anger (IRA= ablative) as though fear (PER + accusative)– variation of contruction – G’s reactions say a lot about the very real threat Piso poses. “The ablative case (īrā) and the preposition (per) both express the reason. This is a good example of variātiō.” 16 amicitia = diplomatic relationship expected of an official. To call off = tantamount to dismissal. 17 As commander-in-chief of the forces in the East, Germanicus was Piso's superior, so could have issued the order to return to Rome. As we learn later, Piso went only as far as Cos. 18 The improvement in G’s health is skated over/compressed. Tacitus is much more interested in people`s reactions. 19 The word is emotive: it makes G seems vulnerable and pathetic. 7 ‘erit vobis occasio querendi apud senatum atque invocandi leges.20 ‘You will have an opportunity to complain in the senate and to invoke the laws21. decet22 amicos non prosequi defunctum ignavo questu, sed quae voluerit meminisse, quae mandaverit exsequi. Friends ought not to escort a dead man with pointless lamentation but to remember what he wanted and to carry out what he entrusted them with. vindicabitis vos, si me potius quam fortunam meam diligebatis.’ You will avenge me, if you used to love me rather than my rank and success.’ amici, dextram morientis amplectentes, iuraverunt se vitam ante quam ultionem amissuros esse.23 His friends, grasping the right hand of the dying man, swore that they would give up their lives rather than the pursuit of revenge. Scale and wide geographical generalisations – provinciae (i.e. Syria)…circumiacentium populorum…exterae and reges (possibly= Parthians – who gave up fighting out of respect)> climax – venerationem omnium. Ratchets up the pathos. 20 Sense of due process is suggested by the neat balance of the two phrases (+gerundive) querendi senatum….invocandi leges.