Notes to Tacitus, Annales 2.86

Post quae: the prepositional phrase marks a transition to a new subject: quae = haec (neuter plural referring to the events immediately preceding).

refero, -ere, rettuli, relatum

announce, propose; its object is capiendam virginem, a passive periphrastic formation with esse understood in indirect statement. Caesar = the current emperor, Tiberius.

capio, -ere, cepi, captum

take in hand, choose; the verb in the gerundive with virginem refers to the ritual incorporation by the Pontifex Maximus of a new Vestal.

locum, -i n.

position, place.

quinquaginta indeclinable adjective

50.

sanctimonia, -ae, f.

sanctity, virtue; praise (summa sanctimonia) befitting a Vestalis Maxima.

sacrum, -i n.

rite, ceremony; dative after praesederat.

praesideo, -ere, -sedi

guard, watch, protect, defend; followed by the dative case. Scholars have understood Tacitus to say that Occia served as Maxima for this length of time.

ago, -ere, egi, actum

act; perform; with gratias (here grates) = give thanks, thank.

quod conjunction

that; the subjunctive (certarent) follows egit grates, in an informal indirect statement (a verb in a subordinate clause takes the subjunctive when it states the thought or the reason of a person other than the speaker/writer: here Tacitus records Tiberius's rationale).

offero, -ere, obtuli, oblatum

present, offer, bring forward; gerund, ablative of means.

officium, -ii n.

obligatory service; duty; office; ablative following de.

certo (1)

contend; strive; exert one's self. The thing over which the struggle takes place is introduced by de; the goal or object of the struggle is introduced by in.

praefero, -ere, -tuli, -latum

place before, prefer.

aliud quam comparison

anything else than; only (with non), explaining why Tiberius chooses one girl over the other.

coniugium, -i n.

marriage; union.

discidium, -i neuter

separation; parting; discord.

imminuo, -ere, -ui, -utum

diminish; weaken; violate.

quamvis conjunction

although, however much; translate with solatus est.

posthabeo, -ere, -ui, -itum

place after; esteem less; understand Agrippae filiam, the object of solatus est.

decies numerical adverb

ten times = a million sesterces (the neuter singular sestertium is understood to mean centum milia sestertium); here sestertii is the descriptive genitive after dote.

dos, dotis f,

dowery; ablative of means.

solor (1 deponent)

give comfort; console; compensate.

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