2 AUGUST 2008, Page 23

Brown in power

Sir: The slow-burn political death of our subPrime Minister reminds me of a passage in Tacitus Histories [1.49], regarding the short rein of the Emperor Galba who came to power in 68AD and was murdered by his praetorian guard (who else?) in 69AD.

maior privato visus dum privatus fuit, et omnium consensu capax imperii nisi imperasset

My loose translation (I expect to be corrected) would be: ‘He seemed too great for ordinary life when he was a private citizen, and everyone agreed he would make a great leader, until he actually came to power.’

Henry Cobbe

London SW8