Humanitext Reader

Plutarch · Life of Otho §16.1-16.3

Departure of the Senators and Final Words to Cocceius

Passage 16 of 18 · Greek

Summary

Otho orders his friends and senators to depart safely, comforts his nephew Cocceius, explaining his reasons for delaying adoption and advising him not to fear Vitellius. He then sternly suppresses the soldiers who are threatening the departing senators.

§16.1τοιαῦτα διαλεχθείς, καὶ πρὸς τούς ἐνίστασθαι καὶ παρακαλεῖν ἐπιχειροῦντας ἀπισχυρισάμενος, τούς τε φίλους ἐκέλευεν ἀπαλλάττεσθαι καὶ τῶν συγκλητικῶν τούς παρόντας·
Having spoken thus, and having firmly refused those who attempted to oppose him and exhort him to stay, he ordered his friends and those of the senators who were present to depart.
τοῖς δὲ μὴ παροῦσιν ἐπέστελλε καὶ γράμματα πρὸς τὰς πόλεις, ὅπως παρακομισθῶσιν ἐντίμως καὶ μετὰ ἀσφαλείας.
For those who were not present, he also wrote letters to the cities, so that they might be escorted honorably and in safety.
§16.2προσαγόμενος δὲ τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν Κοκκήϊον, ἔτι μειράκιον ὄντα, θαρρεῖν παρεκάλει καὶ μὴ δεδιέναι Οὐϊτέλλιον, οὗ καὶ μητέρα καὶ γενεὰν καὶ γυναῖκα αὐτός, ὥσπερ οἰκείων κηδόμενος, διαφυλάξαι.
And drawing to himself his nephew Cocceius, who was still a youth, he exhorted him to be of good courage and not to fear Vitellius, explaining that he himself had protected Vitellius’ mother, family, and wife as if caring for his own relatives.
διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ οὐδὲ θέσθαι παῖδα βουλόμενος αὐτόν, ἀλλʼ ἀναβαλέσθαι τὴν εἰσποίησιν, ὅπως συνάρχοι κρατήσαντος αὐτοῦ, μὴ προσαπόλοιτο πταίσαντος· ἐκεῖνο δέ, εἶπεν, ὦ παῖ, παρεγγυῶμαί σοι τελευταῖον, μήτε ἐπιλαθέσθαι παντάπασι μήτε ἄγαν μνημονεύειν ὅτι Καίσαρα θεῖον ἔσχες. §16.3γενόμενος δὲ ἀπὸ τούτων μετὰ μικρὸν ἤκουσε θορύβου καὶ βοῆς ἐπὶ θύραις, οἱ γὰρ στρατιῶται τῶν συγκλητικῶν τοῖς ἀπιοῦσι διηπείλουν ἀποσφάξειν, εἰ μὴ παραμενοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ οἰχήσονται τὸν αὐτοκράτορα καταλιπόντες.
For this very reason, indeed, he had not wished to adopt him as a son, but had postponed the adoption, so that he might rule jointly with him if Otho conquered, but might not perish with him if he failed. “And this, my boy,” he said, “is my last charge to you: neither to forget entirely, nor to remember too much, that you had Caesar as an uncle.” Having finished these matters, after a short time he heard a disturbance and shouting at the doors; for the soldiers were threatening to slaughter the departing senators if they did not remain but should go away leaving the Emperor.
πάλιν οὖν προῆλθεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀνδρῶν φοβηθείς, καὶ τούς στρατιώτας, οὐκέτι δεητικὸς οὐδὲ πρᾷος, ἀλλὰ τραχὺς ὀφθείς, καὶ μετʼ ὀργῆς εἰς τὸ θορυβοῦν μάλιστα διαβλέψας, ἀπελθεῖν ἐποίησεν εἴξαντας καὶ διατρέσαντας.
Therefore, fearing for the men, he went out again, and appearing to the soldiers no longer supplicating or mild, but harsh, and looking with anger especially at the most turbulent, he made them yield and disperse in fear, and depart.

Notes

  1. 16.2διαφυλάξαι — The aorist infinitive διαφυλάξαι is used in indirect speech depending on παρεκάλει, presenting the reason why Cocceius should not fear Vitellius (i.e., because Otho himself had protected Vitellius’ family).
  2. 16.2κρατήσαντος αὐτοῦ... πταίσαντος — κρατήσαντος αὐτοῦ (if he conquered) and [αὐτοῦ] πταίσαντος (if he failed) are genitive absolute constructions functioning as conditional clauses. In πταίσαντος, the subject αὐτοῦ (referring to Otho) is omitted as it is understood from the preceding phrase.
  3. 16.3τοῖς ἀπιοῦσι — τοῖς ἀπιοῦσι is the present participle (masculine plural dative) of ἄπειμι (to depart), serving as the dative object of διηπείλουν (threatened). The present tense of this verb often carries an inceptive or imminent future sense (“those who were about to depart”).
  4. 16.3ἀπελθεῖν ἐποίησεν εἴξαντας καὶ διατρέσαντας — This is a causative construction where ἐποίησεν governs the infinitive ἀπελθεῖν (made them depart). The subjects of the infinitive, the soldiers, are represented by the accusative participles εἴξαντας καὶ διατρέσαντας (yielding and trembling), which agree with the implicit object of ἐποίησεν.

Cite this passage

Plutarch, Life of Otho §16.1-16.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg066.humanitext-grc2:16.1-16.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.