dragged away to instant death. His head was muffled in his robe, and his throat pinched with a halter; but, as far as he could exert his voice, he cried, "that these were the solemnities with which the year began! such were the victims slain to Sejanus!" Whichever way he cast his eyes, whithersoever he directed his words, naught appeared but flight and solitude; the streets and public places deserted: there were some who having fled, returned, and again exhibited themselves; terrified at this very thing, that they had discovered dread. "What day," they cried, "will be free from executions? when even in the midst of vows and sacrifices-a time when custom has established a forbearance even from profane words-fetters and halters are introduced. That Tiberius knew what he was about in thus incurring so much odium: that it was a studied and preconcerted artifice, that it might be considered that there was nothing to prevent the new magistrates from opening the prisons as well as the temples and the altars." There followed upon this a letter of thanks "for having punished an enemy to the commonwealth :" and he added, "that he lived a life of fear and solicitude; in constant apprehensions of the snares of his enemies;" but named none: however, it was not doubted that Agrippina and Nero were meant. 71. Were it not my purpose to refer the several incidents to their proper year, my spirit longs to anticipate, and instantly to relate the fate of Latiaris,1 Opsius, and the other contrivers of this atrocity, not only after Caligula came to the empire, but even while Tiberius yet reigned,—who, though he would not suffer the ministers of his cruelties to be crushed by others, yet, as he generally became surfeited with their infamy, and as fresh ones ever presented themselves for the same services, was himself wont to strike down the old and overgrown: but I shall at the proper time relate the punishments of these and other culprits. Now, Asinius Gallus, to whose children Agrippina was aunt,2 moved, "that In what remains of Tacitus, we find the punishment of Latiaris only. See Annals, book vi. 4. The rest suffered under Caligula. 2 Asinius Gallus married Vipsania Agrippina, the daughter of M. Agrippa by Pomponia, the grand-daughter of Atticus, after she was divorced from Tiberius. Agrippina, the wife of Germanicus, was also the daughter of Agrippa by Julia, the daughter of Augustus; and, being half-sister to the wife of Asinius Gallus, she was, of course, aunt to his children. c. 73.] REVOLT OF THE FRISIANS. 203 the prince should be desired to explain his fears to the senate, and allow them to be removed." Tiberius was fonder of his dissimulation than of all his other virtues; for such he conceived it: he was, therefore, the more pained to find his secret purposes laid bare; but Sejanus soothed him, not from any love to Gallus, but to wait the lingering gradations of the prince's vengeance; for he knew him to be slow in maturing his resolutions, but that when he once broke out he would link sanguinary deeds to expressions of severity. About the same time died Julia, grand-daughter to Augustus; by him condemned for adultery,' and banished to the island of Trimetus, not far from the coast of Apulia. She there suffered exile twenty years, sustained by relief from Augusta, who, having by secret devices overthrown her step-children in their prosperity, made an open show of compassion toward them in their adversity. 72. The same year the Frisians, a people beyond the Rhine, rebelled, rather from our rapacity than their unwillingness to submit. The tribute laid on them by Drusus2 was easy, and suited to their contracted means, namely, "to furnish certain hides for military purposes." No one thought to insist on the particular size or thickness, till Olennius, the first centurion of a legion, being sent to govern them, picked out the hides of some wild bulls as a standard size to be accepted—a hard task even upon other nations, and to the Germans the more intolerable, as their forests abound in beasts of mighty bulk, and their domestic cattle are small. First they parted with their herds themselves, next with their lands, and last of all they surrendered their wives and children to bondage, Hence their indignation and complaints; but as these brought no relaxation, they sought relief by war. They seized the soldiers appointed over the tribute, and hanged them on gibbets: Olennius by flight prevented their vengeance, and found sanctuary in a neighboring castle, its name Flevum, and garrisoned by a stout band of soldiers, Romans and auxiliaries, for the defense of the sea-coast. 73. Lucius Apronius, proprætor of Lower Germany, as soon as he was apprised of the insurrection, summoned from the upper province some of the legionary veterans, with a 1 She was guilty of adultery with Silanus. See book iii. 24. 2 Drusus, the father of Germanicus, and brother of Tiberius. chosen band of auxiliary foot and horse; and, sailing down the Rhine with both forces, made a descent on the Frisians; the revolters having now abandoned the siege of the castle, and marched back to cover their own country. He therefore, by bridges and causeways laid over the neighboring estuaries, rendered them passable for the heavier forces; and the mean while, having discovered certain fordable places, he commanded the cavalry of the Caninefates,1 and all the German foot in our pay, to move round to the rear of the enemy; who, being already drawn up for battle, repulsed the allied troops, and even some legionary horse sent to support them. A fresh aid of three cohorts was then sent; and then two more, and, after some space, the whole squadron of cavalry: forces sufficiently strong, had they attacked them in a body; but as they advanced by intervals, they did not inspire fresh courage in those who were disordered, but were themselves carried away in the panic of the retreating troops. To Cethegus Labeo, who commanded the fifth legion, he committed the rest of the auxiliaries; but he too, being hard pressed, and his men in danger of giving way, dispatched messages to implore the entire force of the legions: those of the fifth ran before the rest to his relief, and, in a sharp encounter, repulsing the foe, protected our cohorts and cavalry, much enfeebled with wounds. The Roman general neither pursued his vengeance, nor even buried the dead, though many tribunes, many præfects, and many centurions of the first rank, were slain. It was afterward learned from deserters, that nine hundred Romans, having the whole night long defended themselves in the wood called Baduhenna, were every man cut off; and that another band of four hundred, having possessed themselves of the villa of Cruptorix, who formerly served in the Roman army, apprehending that they must surrender to the enemy, had fallen by the hands of each other. 74. Hence the name of the Frisians became renowned among the Germans; while Tiberius dissembled the loss, that he might trust no man with the conduct of the war. As There were three different establishments of cavalry in the Roman armies: namely, the troops of horse belonging to each legion; the cavalry that formed a separate corps, as Ala Petrina, Syllana, Scribonia; and the cavalry of the allies, as Ala Batavorum, Treverorum, etc. c. 75.] AGRIPPINA MARRIED TO DOMITIUS. 205 for the senate, it was no part of their anxiety what disgraces were incurred in the extremities of the empire: domestic terror had possessed their souls-a malady for which they sought a cure from flattery; insomuch that, though they met to deliberate upon far different matters, they decreed "an altar to Clemency, an altar to Friendship, and round them the statues of Tiberius and Sejanus ;" and, with repeated supplications, importuned both "that they would deign to show themselves to the citizens." They, however, neither visited Rome nor the neighborhood: to them it seemed sufficient to leave the island, and suffer themselves to be seen on the shore of Campania. Thither crowded the senators, the knights, and great part of the people, all solicitous for admission to Sejanus, who was harder of access than the emperor, and therefore it was sought by means of intrigue or participation in his counsels. It was abundantly apparent that his arrogance was augmented, when one looked upon that disgraceful crowd of slaves exposed to open view; for, at Rome, the continual hurrying to and fro is a familiar sight; and, from the greatness of the city, it was a matter of uncertainty what was the business they were going upon. But here they appeared lying along on the fields and shores, day and night, without distinction of rank, and bore with equal patience the favor and insolence of his porters; till at length even that was forbidden: and those whom he condescended not to see, others whom he deigned not to speak to, returned to the city in alarm; but some with ill-starred joy, for a dreadful issue of his disastrous friendship overhung them. 75. For the rest, Tiberius, having in person betrothed to Cneius Domitius the younger Agrippina, his grand-daughter and daughter of Germanicus, ordered the nuptials to be celebrated at Rome. In Domitius he preferred, besides the antiquity of his family, his near kindred to the Cæsars; for he had the honor of having Octavia for his grandmother, and, through her, Augustus for his great uncle. BOOK V. 1. In the consulship of Rubellius and Fusius, each surnamed Geminus, died Julia Augusta, in extreme old age. She belonged to a family of the highest nobility, being a member of the Claudian house; and adopted through her father into the Livian family; into the Julian by Augustus. Her first marriage was with Tiberius Nero; by whom she had children: her husband, at the time of the Perusian war, became a fugitive; but, upon peace concluded between Sextus Pompeius and the triumvirate, returned to Rome. Afterward, Octavius Cæsar, enamored of her beauty, took her from her husband; whether against her inclination, is uncertain; but with such precipitation, that, without staying for her delivery, he brought her home while pregnant. She had no further issue; but, united in blood to Augustus by the marriage of Germanicus and Agrippina, her grandchildren stood in the same relation to him. In her domestic deportment she was formed after the model of primitive sanctity; but with more affability than was allowed by ladies of old: as a mother, zealous and determined; as a wife, kind and indulgent; well adapted to the fastidious and complex character of her husband, and the subtle nature of her son: her funeral was plain, and her last will was long unfulfilled: her encomium was pronounced in public by Caligula, her grandson, afterward emperor. 2. Tiberius excused himself to the senate by letter, for not having in person paid the last offices to his mother, on the score of the pressure of business; but suffered not the event to Augustus, by his last will, adopted her into the Julian family, under the additional name of Augusta. (Annals, book i. 8.) Tacitus, after that time, calls her Julia, Julia Augusta, and frequently Augusta only. Julia died, according to Pliny, lib. xiv. s. 6, at the age of eightytwo. Her father was of the Claudian family, and, being adopted into the house of Livius, took the name of Livius Drusus Claudianus. fought on the side of liberty at the battle of Philippi; and, seeing the day lost, died by his own hand. He 2 Germanicus, the son of Drusus, was grandson to Livia; and Agrippina, his wife, was grand-daughter to Augustus. |