장음표시 사용
411쪽
TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS DRUSUS CAESAR. 397 Silanus, contracted to his davgliter, though he was underage ; but to eider peopte in such numbers, and so eas 1ly, that he was unanimo us ly addi essed by ali the legions se togrant his Consular lieuienanis the triumphat ornaments with their commisi1ons, to prevent their enga ging in Un- necessary wars. '' He gave A. Plautius the honor os an
ovation, and meeting him at his entering the city, wathedwith him into the Capitol, and bach again. And he al-lowed Gabinius Secundus, upon his conquest of the
Chauci, a nation os Germany, to assume the cognomenos Chauci US. XXV. His mana gement, mitti regat d. to the promotionos the Equestrian Order in the ariny, was this. Aster the command of a battalion, he granted that of the horso in a legion, and subsequently the commission os a Tribune. He raised a body of militia, which he called Supernumeraries who, though only nominat soldiers, yet
received pay. Ηe procured an aft of the Senate to prohibit ali soldiers frona attending Senators at their hoUses, in the way of res pedi and compliment. He confiscaled the estates of ali Deedmen who presumed to take tiponthem the Equestri an dignity. Such of them as were Ungrates ut to their patrons, and were compla ined of by them, he reduced to their former condition os sa very ;and declared to their advocates, that he would never give
judgment against their freedmen, in any suit at lai v hichthey might happeni to have with them. Some persons having eYpo sed their sick flaves, who were in a languilhing condition, in the is and of 2Esculapius, because of the tedio us ness of their cure ; he declared ali who were so exposed perfecti v free, ne ver more, is they thauld re-
COVer, to return to their former servitude and that is
B ny one Chose rather to kill than expose a fave, he sit ould, in that case, be liable to a prosecution for murder. IIe
412쪽
publimed a proclamation, sorbidding ali travellers to patithrough the towns of Italy any other isse than on ot, or in a litter or Chair. He quartered a baittalion os sol-diers at Puteoli, and another at Ostia, to be in readines sagainst any accidenis stom fre. He forbid foreigners theuse offucii Roman names as were approprialed to families. Those who falsely pretended to the Deedom os Rome he helieaded in the field of Esquiliae. He returned tonte Senate the provinces of Achaia and Macedonia, whicti Tiberius had talien under his own care. Me took froni the Lycians their liberty, to punici them for their civildissensions i but restored to the Rhodians their freedom
He absolved from the payment of ali ta tes for ever, the Iliens1ans, as being the founders of the Roman PeON ; reciting upon the occasion a letter in Greek,froin the Senate and people of Rome to king Seleu-Cus, in Which they promised hi in their friendmip andalliance, provided that he would grant their Lintaeuthe Iliensans an immunity frona ali burdens. He banish-ed froni Rome ali the Jewe, who v ere Continuat ly mal ing disturbances at the instigation os one Chrestus. Heallowed the ambassadors of the Germans to sit at the public diversions in the seais assigned to the Senators, beinginduces to this indulgence by the frankness and assurance of their bellaviour. For having been sented amongst the Common people, Upon Observing the ambassadors from Parthia and Armenia sitiing with the Senators, they went Over to them, as being, they se id, no way inferior tothem in poliat ei tirer of merit or quality. The savagereligion of tiae Druids, which had only been Orbiddenthe citiZens of Rome, during the reign of Aligustus, hutitterly aboli ted. . Ora the other hand, he endeavoredio transser the Eleusinian mysteries Dom Attica to Rome.
He likewise ordei ed the temple of Venus Erycina in Si-
413쪽
TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS DRUSUS CAESAR. 399eilv, which was old and in a ruinous condition, to belrepatred at the public eXpence. He concluded treaties with foreigia princes in the Forum, mitti the sacrifice of asow. and the form of words used by the heralds in for- mer times. Biit in these and other things, and indeed thegreater part of his administration, he adted not so much
by himself, as by the influence of his wives and freedia mea; being for the most pari. directed in conformity totheir interesis and humor.
XXVI. He was, at a very early age, contracted tot o wives, AEmilia Lepida, the grand-daughter of Augustus, and Livia Medullina, who had me cognomen os Camilla, and was descended fro in the old Dictator Camillus. The former he divorced in a state of virginity beCausether parenis had incurred the displealare of Augustus; and the lalter died of sichnest upon the day fixed for their nuptials. He nexi married Plautia Vrgulanilla, whose fallier had enjoyed the honor os a triumph ; and Don after AElia Paetina, the daughter Os a man os Coi sular rank. But he divorced them both: Paetina, uponsome frivolous offence ; and Urgulanilla, for scandalous lewdness, and the suspicion os murder. Aster them helook in marriage Valeria Messalina, the daughter of Barbatus Mes ala, his cous1n. But finding that, besides herother stameful debaucheries, me had married C. Silius, the document relative to her fortune heing formasty sign-ed, as usual, in the presence of Auspices, he piat her todeath. Then summoning his guards into his presence, he made to them this declaration : As I have been sounhappy in my marriages, I am resolved to continue in future a widower; and is I sliould not, I give you leaveto stab me. V He was howe ver unable to persis: in this resolution ; for he began immediately to minii of another
Wise; and of tahita bach again Paetina, Whom he had
414쪽
formet ly divorced ; as also Lollia Paullina, who had been married to Caius Caesar. But being enticed by the aris of Agrippina, the daughter of his brother Germanicus,
Upon the occasion of that familiar dalliance whicli theirnear relation admitted, he itidustriousy proCured a member of the Senate, at the neκt meeling, to declare it tobem his opinion, that they mould oblige the emperor tomarry Agrippina, as a meas ure highly conduci ve to the public good ; and that alLothers ought to be allowed theliberty of such matches, whicli untii that time had been
and a Centurion of the fit st rank, at the solemnigation ofWhose nuptials, 'oth he and Agrippina attended.
XXVII. He had child ren by three wives: by Urgulanilla, Drusus and Claudia; by Paetina, Antonia ; and by Messalina, Octavia, and a son, whom at first hecalled Germanicus, but asterwariis Britannicus. He lost Drusus while a miuor, at Pompeii, being choahed witha pear, whicli in play he tossed up in to the air, and Calched upon iis descent in his molith. He had but a se days be re concluded a match bet wi Et hi in and one of Sejanus 's daughters : for whicli reason, I am sui prised that sonae authors siould say he lost his life by the treachery of Sejanus. Claudia, who was in deed the dati gliter of Boter his Deed-man, though sie was horn iive monilisbesore his divorcing her mollier, he ordei ed to be thrownnahed at her door. He mari ted Antonia to Cn. Pompey the Great', afterwariis to Faul iis Sylla, both yotitiis of very
η It would stem frona illis passage, that the cognomen of the Great'' had now been restored to the descendents of Cn.
415쪽
TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS DRUSUS CAESAR. go Inoble parentage : Octavia to his stel)-son Nero, after ille had been contracted to Silanus. Britannicus was bornupon the twentieth day of his reign, and in his secondConsulmip. He would of ten hold him in his arnis, and recommenti hi in to the favor of the soldiers ; and hewould likewis e to the common peopte in the theatre, set-ting him upon his lap, or before him, whilit he was asyet but very litile, and would join in their acclamations, and good wishes in his helials of his sens-in aw, he adopted Nero. He not only dismissed from his favor. both Pompey and Silanus, but put them to death. XXVIII. Amongst 'his freedmen, me greatest DVO- rite was the eunuch Posides, whom, in his Britissi triumphille presented with the Hasta Ρura; as he did likewise se
verat omers of the army. NeYt to mim, is not equat, in favor was Felix whom he not only dignified with a command both of foot anil horse in the troops, but madegovernor of Judea ; and he heca me, in consequence of his elevation, the humand of three queens. Another favorite was Harpocras, to Maom he granted the privilege of using a chair in the city, and of entertaining the people with public diversions. In this class was likewise Polybius who
This Is the Felix mentioned in the twenty- urth chapter of the A s of the Apostles; who, when St. Paul spoke of justice and temperance, and the judgment to Come, trem- hie l. V Whether his agitation aro se frona any compunctionos mind, for h. ing been concerned in the dark and bloodytransactions whicli passed at the cours of Claudius, it is impossibie to determine. His fortune, however, in marxying three queens, Was extraordinary; and to the completion os is, he seems to have only wanted what the same aposite benevolently Wished to Festus, his successor in the goverrament of Judea.
416쪽
him in his studies, and had osten the honor to wallibetwixi the two Consuls. But ab ove ali others, Narcissus his secretary, and Pallas the compti oller of his household,
fered to be honored, by a decree os the Senate, with immense presenis, but with Quaestorian and Praetorian ornaments. So much diit he indulge them in amasIsing trea lare, and pliandering the public, that, Upon his complaining once of the lownesse of his eXChequer, sonae persons made the remark, that It would be fuit enough, i filiose two freedmen of his would but take him into part-nermis mitti them. XXIX. Being entia ely governed by these men, and his wives, as I have ali eady se id, he was a tool to the purposes of Others, rather than a prince He distributed offices, or the command of armies, pardoned or punished, according as it suiled their interesis, their passions, ortheir caprice ; and for the mosi pati, without percei ving, or being sensibie of what he did. Not to recount particularly every inferior transaction relative to the revocation os granis, the reversion of judiciat decisons, thepresenting him with falle patents of ossices to sign, orthe bare- cod alteration of them aster signing ; he putio death Appius Silanus, the fa ther of his son-in-law , and the two Julias, the daughters of Drusus and Germanicus, Without any positive proof of the crimes witliwhich thev were Charged, or so much as permitting themto make any deseiace. He adsed in the sanae manuer to-vrariis Cn. Pompey, the humand of his et ter daughter, and L. Silanus, who was Contracted to the yOunger. Pompey was stabbed in the adi of uia natural lewdneis th a favorite paramour. Silanus uvas obliged to qui titie ossice of Praetor Upon the sourth of the Calen is of
417쪽
TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS DRUSUS CAESAR. 4O3
Ianuary, and to hill himself in the beginning of the year folio ing, upon the very day when Claudius and Agrip-Pina were married. He condemned to death five and thirty Senators, and above three hundred Roman linighis, with so litile attention to what he did, that when a Centurion bi ought him word of the execution os a man OfConsular rank, who was one of the number, and toldhim that he had executed his order, he declared, he had ordered no such thing, but that he approved of it because his freedman, it seerias, had Did, the soldi ursilid nothing more than their duty, in running of their
it is beyond ali belles, that he himself, at, the marriage of Messalina with the adulterous Silius, si1Οuid sigia thewritings relative to her dowry; induced, as is seid, by a
Preteiace, that the transaction was m cant only to divertand transfer Upon another that danger, whicli, from illinboding omens, see med to threaten himself. XXX. Elther standing or sitiing, but especialty Whenhe lay asseep, he had a majestic and gracesul CarariCe ;for he was tali, but not siender. His grey locKs becam ei hina well, and he had a fat neck. But his- hanas merefeeble, and falled hi in in walhing ; and his action, whether in mirili or business, was very ungraces i. His laughter was unbeco ming, and his passion yet more so ;sor then he would froth at the mouth, and his nos e would drop. He had bessides a stam mering in his speech, and a tremulo us motion of the head, at ali times, but particu larly When he was engaged in adlion, were it ever solitile. XXXI. Though in the former part of his life he was Valetudinary, yet, aster his ad vancement to the empire, he
418쪽
subjecto to a patia ol the stomach. In a fit of this complaint, he s id, he had thoughts of killing himselfXXXII. Ili his conviviat entertain ments he was nolese frequent than splendid, and commonly gave them in places very si actous, that it was usual with him Iohave si x hundred guest s at his table. Upon his feastingclose by the trench made for draining the Fucine Lahe, he narrowly cscaped being drowned ; the water at iis disclismge russaing out with such violence, that it over-Bowed the canat. At supper, he had always his ownchildren, with those of severat of the nobility, who, ac-
Cording to an ancient custom, sat at the stet of thedouches. One of his guests having been suspected offlea ling y gold cup, he invited hi in again the nexi day, but served hi in mitti an earthen jug. It is seid too thathe intended to publisti a proclamation, allowing to alipeopte the liberty of giving vent to any distention stomflatu lence, at table, upon hearing of a person, whose modest y, in a rς stra int of that nature, had like to have/ cost him his life . XXXIII. He would cat and drinh very heartily at any time, Or in any place. As he was sitiing for thetriat os causes in the Fortim of Augustus, upon sinetlingthe ditarier which was preparing for the Salii ', in the
temple η History blusti es in recording a necdotes offensive to delicacy : but truth and j iistice require that the names of those . princes suo uid be stigmatig ed through ali ages, who have degraded the throne by their folly, as much as they have polluned it by their Crimes.l The Salii vie e the pricsts of Mars, tinetve in number,
419쪽
TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS DRUSUS CAESAR. Os
libidinous, but ne ver belrayed any unnatural passion sorthe other kX. He was sonit of gam in g, and publi1hed a book upon the subject. He even.used to play as he rodein his chariot: having the tables so fited, that the gamewas not distiirbed by the motion of the carringe.
XXXIV. The lavage cruci ty of his disposition was
and institu ted by Numa. Their dress was an embro id erediunt c, bound with a girdie ornamented with brasse. Theyhad on their head a conical cap, of a considerable height ; a mord by their side ; in their right hand, a spear or rod, and in their test, one of the Ancilia, or Pields of Mars. On solemn occasions, they used to go to the Capitol, through the Forum and other public paris of the city, data cing and sing
ing sacred songs, salii to have been composed by Numa ;whicli, in the time of Horace, could hardly be understood by any one, eVen the prie sis them selves. The most solemn procession of the Salii vias ora the first of Μarch, in commemoration of the time when the sacred shield was belleved toliave fallen Dom heaven, in the rei gn os Numa. Aster their procession, they had a splendid entertainment, ille luxury of vhich was proverbial.
420쪽
evident upon many occasions, both of great anil sinali conssideration. When any siispected person was to heput to the torture, or any Criminal punished for parricide, he was impatient for the execution, and would have it performed besore his eyes. When he was at Tibur, being destro us of seeing an eXample of the old way of puttingmalefactors to death, some were immediately lied to asta ke sor the pui pose ; but there being no executioner tobe had at the place, he sent for one from Rome, and
and the combatanis that performed their paris at noOn.
os encounter he forced one of his nomenclators, and , what was an aggravation of the crueity, in the incommodious
habit of the toga. XXXV. But the chara fieris i cs most predorisnant in
him were star and dis frust. In the beginning of his re ign, though he much affected a modest and humbio