almost by his sole recommendation, the highest offices for whomsoever he chose; and who refused nothing to Asinius Pollio, which men of the noblest birth had to obtain with infinite labour, were certainly of opinion that he who possessed the greatest virtues, was entitled to the greatest honours. The natural imitation of other men's examples led Cæsar to make trial of Sejanus, and occasioned Sejanus to bear a share of the burdens of the prince; and induced the senate and people of Rome cheerfully to call to the guardianship of their safety him whom they saw best qualified for the charge. CXXIX. Having exhibited a general view of the administration of Tiberius Cæsar, let us now enumerate a few particulars respecting it. With what wisdom did he bring to Rome Rhascuporis, the murderer of Cotys, his own brother's son, and partner in the kingdom, employing in that affair the services of Pomponius Flaccus, a man of consular rank, naturally inclined to all that is honourable, and by pure virtue always meriting fame, but never eagerly pursuing it! With what solemnity as a senator and a judge, not as a prince, does he *** hear1 causes in person! How speedily did he crush *** *2 when he became ungrateful, and attempted innovations! With what precepts did he form the mind of his Germanicus, and train him in the rudiments of war in his own camp, so that he afterwards hailed him the conqueror of Germany! What honours did he heap on him in his youth, the magnificence of his triumph corresponding to the grandeur of his exploits! How often has he honoured the people with donations! How readily has he, when he could do it with the sanction of the senate, supplied senators with property suitable to their rank, neither encouraging extravagance, nor suffering honourable poverty to be stripped of dignity! In what an honourable style did he send his Germanicus to the transmarine provinces! With what energy, employing Drusus as a minister and coadjutor in his plans, did he force Maroboduus, who 1 CXXIX. Does he *** hear] Pressius audit. The word pressius, which can hardly be sound, though Perizonius tries to defend it, I have not attempted to translate. 2 Did he crush * * * Whose name should fill this blank is doubtful. Krause thinks that of Archelaus, king of Cappadocia. was clinging to the soil of the kingdom which he had possessed, to come forth, like a serpent concealed in the earth, (let me speak without offence to his majesty,) by the salutary charms of his counsels! How honourably, yet how far from negligently, does he keep watch over him! How formidable a war, excited by the Gallic chief Sacrovir and Julius Florus, did he suppress, and with such amazing expedition and energy, that the Roman people learned that they were conquerors, before they knew that they were at war, and the news of victory outstripped the news of the danger! The African war too, perilous as it was, and daily increasing in strength, was quickly terminated under his auspices and direction. CXXX. What structures has he erected in his own name, and those of his family! With what dutiful munificence, even exceeding belief, is he building a temple to his father! With how laudable a generosity of disposition is he repairing even the buildings of Cnæus Pompey, that were consumed by fire! Whatever has been at any time conspicuously great, he regards as his own, and under his protection. With what liberality has he at all times, and particularly at the recent fire on the Cælian Mount, repaired the losses of people of all conditions out of his own property! With what perfect ease to the public does he manage the raising of troops, a business of constant and extreme apprehension, without the consternation attendant on a levy! If either nature allows us, or the humility of man may take upon itself, to make a modest complaint of such things to the gods, what has he deserved that, in the first place, Drusus Libo should form his execrable plots; and, in the next, that Silius and Piso should follow his example, one of whom he raised to dignity, the other he promoted? That I may pass to greater matters, (though he accounted even these very great,) what has he deserved, that he should lose his sons in their youth, or his grandson by Drusus? But we have only spoken of causes for sorrow, we must now come to occasions of shame. With what violent griefs, Marcus Vinicius, has he felt his mind tortured in the last three years! How long has his heart been consumed with affliction, and, what is most unhappy, such as he was obliged to conceal, while he was compelled to grieve, and to feel indignation and shame, at the conduct of his daughter in-law and his grandson! And the sorrows of this period have been aggravated by the loss of his most excellent mother, a woman who resembled the gods more than human beings; and whose power no man ever felt but in the relief of distress or the conferring of honour. CXXXI. Let our book be concluded with a prayer. O Jupiter Capitolinus, O Jupiter Stator! O Mars Gradivus, author of the Roman name! O Vesta, guardian of the eternal fire! O all ye deities who have exalted the present magnitude of the Roman empire to a position of supremacy over the world, guard, preserve, and protect, I entreat and conjure you, in the name of the Commonwealth, our present state, our present peace, [our present princes!] And when he shall have completed a long course on earth, grant him successors to the remotest ages, and such as shall have abilities to support the empire of the world as powerfully as we have seen him support it! All the just designs of our country men * * * * 1 CXXX. Daughter-in-law] Agrippina, the wife of Germanicus. 2 Grandson] Nero, the son of Germanicus. Velleius merely echoes the calumnies of Tiberius on both these characters. 3 CXXXI. [Our present prince!] The words hunc principem, which the text requires, are supplied from a conjecture of Lipsius. The conclusion of the prayer is imperfect. INDEX. ABBREVIATIONS.-C., Conspiracy of Catiline; J., Jugurthine War; Fr., Frag- ABORIGINES of Italy, C., 6 Acerrans made Roman citizens, V., i. 14 Achæans driven out of Laconia, V., i. 3. Actium, battle of, Fl., iv. 11; V., ii. 84 Etolian war, Fl., ii. 9; V., ii. 38 Albania reduced, V., ii. 40 Allies of Rome, war with, Fl., iii. 18 Altars of the Philæni, J., 19 Afranius and Petreius in Spain, Fl., iv. Amulius, Fl., i. 1 2. Afranius's death, ib. Afranius, comic writer, V., i. 17 African war against Cæsar, V., ii. 54 Agrippa, Octavius's admiral, V., ii. 89. Alba, built by Ascanius, Fl., i. 1. War Amyntas, king, joins Augustus, V., ii. 84 77 Annius, Lucius, tribune, J., 37 Antiochus Epiphanes, V., i. 10 army, C., 56. Not present in the Appius Claudius Cæcus, his verses, Ep. Appius Claudius the Decemvir, Fl., i. 24 Apuleius, sedition of, Fl., iii. 16 Aquilius poisons springs in Pergamus, Aquitani, Fl., iii. 10 Archelaus, general of the Pontic army, Archilochus, poet, V., i. 5 Archons at Athens, V., i. 2, 8 Ariobarzanes, Fl., iii. 5; iv. 2 Aristonicus, son of Attalus, Fr., B. iv. Aristophanes, poet, V., i. 16 Armenians, J., 18. Subdued by Pompey, Arminius cuts off Varus, V., ii. 118 V., i. 17. Faithful to Rome, V., ii. 23. Atreus, V., i. 7 Attalus, king of Pergamus, his will, Fr., Attius Nævius, the augur, Fl., i. 5 Aulus, brother of Albinus, left in com- Aurelia Orestilla, C., 15, 35 Aventine Mount, secessions to, J., 31 Babylon, V., i. 6 His Bæbius, Caius, a tribune of the people, Balearic isles subdued, Fl., iii. 8 Arsaces, letter of Mithridates to, Fr., B. Bellienus, prætor at Utica, J., 104 iv. Artabazes, Fl., iii. 5 Artavasdes, king of Armenia, V., ii. 82 Asia, by some included in Europe, J., Aspar, an instrument of Jugurtha, J., Athenio, leader of the slaves in Sicily, Athens occupied by Mithridates, Fl., Bestia, Lucius, C., 17. Appointed to Bibulus, Ep. i. 9; V., ii. 44 Bithynia bequeathed to the Romans, Bituitus, a Gallic king, Fl., iii. 1 |