The Death of Claudius

The Death of Claudius - Chapter 25

2a C. 3a Antistio 2a M. 3a Suillio 1a consulibus 4a adoptio 5a in 6a Domitium 7a festinatur 8a auctoritate 9a Pallantis , 1b qui 2b obstrictus 3b Agrippinae 4b ut 5b conciliator 6b nuptiarum 7b et 8b mox 9b stupro 10b eius 8b inligatus , 1c stimulabat 2c Claudium 3c consuleret 4c rei 5c publicae , 8c Britannici 7c pueritiam 6c circumdaret 9c robore : 1d sic 2d apud 3d divum 4d Augustum , 5d quamquam 7d nepotibus 6d subnixum , 9d viguisse 8d privignos ; 3e a 4e Tiberio 5e super 6e propriam 7e stirpem 1e Germanicum 2e adsumptum : 2f se 3f quoque 1f accingeret 4f iuvene 7f partem 8f curarum 5f capessituro . 2g his 1g evictus 7g triennio 5g maiorem 6g natu 4g Domitium 3g anteponit 8g filio , 1h habita 3h apud 4h senatum 2h oratione 5h eundem 7h in 8h quem 6h a 9h liberto 4h acceperat 10h modum . 1i adnotabant 2i periti 3i nullam 6i antehac 4i adoptionem 7i inter 8i patricios 9i Claudios 5i reperiri , 1j eosque 4j ab 5j Atto 6j Clauso 3j continuos 2j duravisse .

Chapter 25 Translation: In the consulships of C. Antistius and M. Suillius the adoption regarding Domitius was hurried along on the authority of Pallas, who, bound to Agrippina as matchmaker of the marriage and soon bound by adultery with her, pressed Claudius to consider the interests of the state and strengthen the boyhood of Britannicus: similarly with the divine Augustus, although he was relying on his grandsons, his stepsons flourished; Germanicus had been adopted by Tiberius over his own offspring; he should also arm himself with a young man who would take on part of the cares of administration. Convinced by these (arguments), he preferred Domitius, older by a period of three years, to his son, having made a speech in the Senate in the same manner as that which he had received from his freedman. Experts noted that no adoption was found after this among the patrician Claudians, and they had lasted as an unbroken line from (the time of) Attus Clausus.