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TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS DRUSUS CAESAR. 377this cra Zy constitution of body and mind, at the mow of gladiators, wilich in conjunction with his brother he gavethe peopte in bonor of his sather's memory, he presided mussied up in a pallium, contrary to custom. When hensi med the manly habit, he was carried in a chair atmid-night into the Capitol without the usual ceremony. III. He applied himself, however, stom an early age,
mitti great assiidui ty to the study of the liberat sciences, and frequently publisi ed 1pecimens of his Mill in each of
them. But never, with ali his endeavors, could he attainto any public pos: in the go vertament, or afford any hopeos arriving at distinction in a future period. His mother Antonia frequently called hi in a mons fer os a man, thathad been only begula, but never fini med by nature. And when si ae would iapbraid any one mitti duiness, s hosaid, he was more a fool than her 11 Claudius. V His grandmother Augusta always trea ted hina with the ulmos ContCmpi, Very rarely spolie to him, and when site didadmonisii him hipon any occasion, it was in writing, very briefly and se vel ely, or by messen gers. His sister Livilla, opon hearing that he would be Created Cm- Peror, Openly and loudly expresssed her indignation that
the Roman people should experience a fate so severe anilso much belo their grandeur. To show the opinion, both favorabie and otherwise, entertained concerning him
by Aligustus his great-uncte, I have here subjo incit semeeYtradis froni the letters of that emperor.
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his superintending at the feast of the pi tests, is he will sit Dser himself to be governed by his hinsman Silanus's son, that he may do nothing to malle the peopte stare and Iaugh at hi m. But Ι do not approve of his seeing the
Circens an games frona the Pulvinar. He will be there posed to vlew in the very front of the theatre. Nordo I like that he should go to the Alban mountain, or beat Rome during the Latin festiva l. For is he be capableos attending his brother to the mountain, why is he not
wim he was more cautious and attentive in the choice of seme person, Whose motion, air and gait, might be propersor tiae poor creature's imitation:
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TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS DRUSUS CAESAR. 37
. In things of consequence he sed ly fatis.
Where his mind does not run astray, he d scoversnoble disposition. V In a third letter he says, I et me die, my dear Livia, is I am not astonimed, that your grand n Tiberius shohild declaim to please me: for lio he that tallis so obscurely, should be able to declaim soclearly and properi y, I cannot imagine. V There is nodoubi but Augustus, after this, came to a resolution Uponthe subjecto, and accordingly lest hi in invested with noother honor than that of the Augurat Priesthood ; naminghim amongst the heirs of the third degree, and such asivere but distantly allied to his famil3, for a si Xth part of his estate only, and lest him a legacy of no more than eight hundred thousand sesterces. V. Tiberius, upon his requesting so me preserment irithe govern ment, granted hi in the Consular ornaments.
But he persisting in his requisition, the former wrote tollim, that he sent him sorty gold pieces for his expenCes, during the festivals of the Saturnalia and Sig/llaria.' 'Upon this, laying asside ali hope of ad vancem ent, ne resigne thimself entii ely to an indolent lise; living in great priva cy, One while in his gardens, or a country-seat which he hadnear the City ; another while in Campania, where he passed his time amongst the viles: company ; by Whicli means, bessides his former character of a duli heavy sello , he acquircd that os a drunkard and gamester.
VI. Notwith standing the in Linous lise he led, muchrespect was Jown him both by the public, and private
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of the Consulf the favor of bearing on their shoulders thecorpse of Augustus to Rome, and a second time to con a-tulate the Consuls upon the dea th of Sejanus. When heentered the theatre, they Used to rise, and putoiftheir cloah s. The Senate lihewise voted, that he should be ad ted tothe number of the Sodales Augu tales Who mere chosen by lot: and seon after, that his house, which was buriatdown, si ould be rebulli at the public charge; and that heshould have the right os deli vering his sentiments, Uponany subjedio that came bes ore the liouse, amongst the menos Consular rank. This decree was' however repealed ;Tiberius insisting to have him excused on account of his meat ness, and promising to mahe good his losse at hisown eXpence. But at his death, he named him in his li, among f his third heirs, for a third part of his estate; leaving hi in besides a legacy of two millions os sesterces, and eXpres sty recommenti ing him to the armies, the Senatoand people of Rome, amongst his other relations. VIL At last, Caius his brother's son, upon his advanc
ment to the empire, eradeavoring to gain the affections
of the public by ali the aris of populari ty, he like ise was admitted to public ossices, and bore the Consulmis in
conjunction with his nephew for two monilis. As he was entering the Forum for the first time M th the Fasces, an ea gle which was sying that way, alighted upon his right uio uider. He lihewi se took his tot for the go-
verrament of a province as Pro-Consul, at the eXpirationos the year. Anil he so metimes pressi ted at the public diversions of the theatre, in the roona of Caius; being al-ways, On those occasions, Compli mented with the acclamations of the people, wissa ing him ait happiness, semetimes under the titie of the em peror's uncte, and metimes under that of Germanicus's brother.
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i TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS DRU SUS CAESAR. 3II VIII. Amidis' ait this res pedi , he neverihelesi frequent ly experienced contumelious treaiment. For is at any timehe came late in to stipper, he was obliged to walli round the room sonae time besore he could get a place at tablea
was a Common practiCe with him, the companu used tothrow olive-stones and dates at him. Aiad bust oris that
into Germany, to congratulate the emperor UpOn the OC-
Casion, he was in danger of his life ; Caius being greatly Cnraged, and eXpressing his resentanent, that his unc lesiould be sent to hina, as is he was a boy that wanted a
ver, in his travelling habit. Froni this period, he spoliein the Senate always the last of the members of Consularrank ; being called upon after the rest, on purpos e to dilia grace hi m. An indidiment likewise for the fot gery of awill was allowed to be prosecuted, though he had signed ii as a Witness. At last, being obliged to pay into the trea-
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purpose, reduced to the necessity of exposing to sale his Whole estate, by an edidi of the commissioners. X. Having spent the greater part of his life under theseand the like circumstances, he came at last to the empire in the fiftieth year of his age, by a very stirpi ising turn offortune. Being amongst others prohibited by the conspirators from approaching the em peror, under the preteXt Ofhis dessiring to bc private, he reti red into an apni tment called the Hermaeum: and soon after, terrisaed by the report of his being sain, he crepi into an adjoining bal co-ny, where he hid himself hehind the hangings of the door. A common soldier that happened to passe that way, spyingliis stet, and desii ous to discover who he was, pulled him Out; when immediately knowing him, he threis himself ina great fright at his feet, and saluted him by the titie of em
peror. He then conducted hi in to his fellow-soldiers, allin great rage, and irresolute what illey mould do. 'Theyput him into a chair, and because the flaves of the pala had ali fed, took their turn s of carrying him, and broughthim into the camp, very melancholy and in great ConstCl nation ; the peopte that mel him lamenting his sit uation, asis the poor innocent man was carrying away to eXeCUti Ono Being received with in the ram paris, he continued ali night Mith the watch, recovered sornewhat frona his fright, butin no great hopes of the Riccessio . For the Consuls, withthe Senate and city. battalions, had possessed thenaseives of the Forum and the Capitol, with a resolution to asseri the
bulae of the commons, to the holi se, to give his ad viceupon the present jun iure os uinirs, returned an Mer, Ι am under constra int, and cannot poss1bly Come. '
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TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS DR Us Us CIEsAR. 383selves, and the insoleiace of the populace, who insistedupon being governed by one person, and Claudius byname, he suffered the soldiers to assemble under artus, and
Mear to support him ; when he promised them fifteenthousand sesterces a man, he being the first of the Caesars that purchased the fideli ty of the soldiers with money. XL Having thus secured to himself the administrationos affairs, his first object was to abolisi ali remembrance of the two preceding days, in Whicli a change of govern-ment had been debated. Accordingly he passed an adt of perpetuat oblivion and pardon for every thing said or done luring that time ; and this he faithfully observed, withthe exception only of putting to death a sew Tribunes and
Centurions concerned in the conspiracy against Caius, both a3 an eXample, and because he understood that they had
proposed to kill himself likewise. He now turned his thoughis towariis paying his res pedi to the memory of his
relations. His most solemn and usual Oath was, ByAugustus. V He prevalled with the Senate to decree divine honors to his grandinother Livia, with a chariot in the Circensi an procession drawn by elephanis, as h ad bienappo inted for Augiistus, and public offerings to the gliosis of his parenis. For his fallier, likewise, he obta inedCircensian games, to be celebrated e very year, upon his birth- lay, and for his mollier a chariot to be di a viathrough the Circus, with the titie of Atigiista, which hadbeen refused by his grandinother. To the memory os his brother, to which, upon ali occasions , he smowed agreat regarit, he ordered a GreeL comedy of his own tobe addes to the games at Naples, and received the honoros a Crown upon it, by the sentence of the judges in that solemnity. Nor did he omit to malle honorable anigrate fui mention of M. Antoni ; declaring by a procla-
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mation, That he the more earnes ly insiste i upon the observation of his fallier Drusus's birtla-day hec auso it was likewise that of his grand ther Antony. '' He completed the marbie arch Dear Pompey s theatre, which had formerly been decreed by the Senate in honor of Tiberius, but neglected. And though lie cancelled ali the adis of Caius, yet he sorbid the day of his assassination, notwith standing it uvas that of his o n accession to the empire, tobe reckoned among the festivals. XII. But in respect of his own aggrandi ment, he was sparing and modest, declining the titie of emper i , and res using ali excessive honors. He Celebrated the marriage of his datighter and the birth- lay of a grandson with great privaCy, at home, He recalled none of those whohad been banisaed, without a decree of the Senate for it :and reques ed of them the favor, to bring into the hous emith him the commander of the guai df, and a few militatγ Tribunes ; and also that they would be pleased tobesto iapon his procurators a judiciat authori ty in the provinces. He asked of the Consuls likewise the privi- lege of holding fairs iapon his private e state. He frequently assis sed the magistrates in the tristi os causes, as One of their asseTors. And when they presented the people willi any public diversii Oras, he would viso up to them v illi therest of the spectators, and pay his respedis to them both by mortis and gestures. When the Tribunes of the com
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11BERIUS CLAUDIUS DRUSUS CAESAR.and satia, the peopte never cea sed cursing the soldiers fortrai tors, and the Senate as parricides, untii one or two persons, and presently after severat others, were brought by the magis drates ut ora the Rostra, who asi ured themthat he was alive, and not far frona the City, upon his re-
XIIL Conspiracies however were formed against him, not only by individuals separalely, but by severat in Conjunction: and at last his govertament was disturbed with a
civit war. A common man was found with a poni ard, near his chamber, at in id night. Two men of the Equeia trian Order were discovered watting for him in thes reeis, armed th a tuck and a hunttaan's dagger : oneos them intending to attach him as he came out of the theatre, and the other as he was sacrificing in the temple of Mars. Gallus Asinius, and Statilius Corvinus, grand sons of the two orators, Pollio and Me Tala, formedagains him a conspiracy, in whicli they engaged many of his freedmen and faves. Furius Camillus Scribonianus, his lieuienant in Dalmatia, raised a civit waragainst him, but was reduced in the sp ace of sive days ;the legions which had been seduced by him to revolt, re
linquishing their pua pose, upon a fright occasioned by ill
meet their new emperor, the ea gles could not be dresed, or the other standards pulled out of the ground, Whetherit Was by accident, or a divine interposition.
XIV. Besides his former Consul his , he held the os
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had never been done by any of the em perors besore hirti. Whether he was Consul or not, he gave constant attend-ance in the couris for the administration os justice, evenia pon such days as were selemialy obsei ved as days of re-
iapon the public festivals of ancient institution, or unluchydays. Nor did he always adhere strictly to the letter of the laws, but over-ruled the rigor or lenity of many, aCeording to his sentiments of justice and equity. Forwhere persons tost their suits by insisting upon more than appeared to be their due, be re the judges of private causes, he granted them the indulgerice of a second triat. And with regard to lacti as were convicted of any great villainy, he would even exceed the punishment appotnted by law, and condemn them to be eXposed to wild beasts. . XV. But in the hearing and determining of causes, hesbowed a strange variety of humor, being one while Circumspect and sagacious, another while inconsiderate andram, and metimes frivolous, and like one in a state os insipiency. In cancelling the nam es of persons iapon me
vice, had answered to his name, as too fond of the ossice. Another that was summoned be re the emperor Upon a
cause of his own, but assedged that the assair did not pro- perly Corne under his Cogni Zance, but that of the ordinaryjudges, he ordered to plead the cause himself immediatelybe re him, and give a specimen in a bus1nesse of his own, how equitable a judge he would prove in that os other