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23 - Works of Tacitus by Thomas Gordon, Publius Cornelius Tacitus · Works of Tacitus

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  Speaker 1: Section twenty two of the Complete Works of Tacitus, edited
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  Speaker 1: by Thomas Gordon. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
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  Speaker 1: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
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  Speaker 1: to volunteer, visit LibriVox dot org. Recorded by Claude Banta.
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  Speaker 1: The Complete Works of Tacitus, to which are prefixed political
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  Speaker 1: discourses upon that author, Edited and translated by Thomas Gordon,
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  Speaker 1: Volume one, The Annals, Book two, Part four. Various rebellions
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  Speaker 1: the same year, the boldness of a single bondman had,
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  Speaker 1: but for early prevention, borne the state with great combustions
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  Speaker 1: and civil arms. A slave of posthumous Agrippa, his name Clemens,
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  Speaker 1: having learnt the death of Augustus, conceived a design to
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  Speaker 1: sail to Planacia, and then releasing Agrippa by art or force,
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  Speaker 1: to carry him to the armies in Germany. No slavish design,
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  Speaker 1: But the slowness of the laden vessel defeated his bold purpose,
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  Speaker 1: for Agrippa was already murdered. Hence he conceived views still
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  Speaker 1: higher and more daring. He stole the funeral ashes and
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  Speaker 1: sailing to Cosa, a promontory of Victuria, hid himself in
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  Speaker 1: desert places till his hair and beard were grown long
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  Speaker 1: for an age and person he was not unlike his master.
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  Speaker 1: Then a report spread by trusty emissaries and the associates
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  Speaker 1: of the plot that Agrippa lived began to thicken. It
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  Speaker 1: first crept abroad in dark whispers, as usual in matters
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  Speaker 1: of dangerous tendency, but becoming soon a prevailing rumour. It
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  Speaker 1: filled the greedy ears of the credulous, or was encouraged
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  Speaker 1: by turbulent minds, such as are ever fawn of public
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  Speaker 1: agitations and changes. He himself, when he entered the neighboring towns,
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  Speaker 1: did it in the gloom of the day, never to
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  Speaker 1: be seen publicly, nor long in the same place. But
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  Speaker 1: as truth is strengthened by observation and time lies by
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  Speaker 1: haste and uncertainty, he outran fame here he stayed, not
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  Speaker 1: to be known there. He arrived before his name arrived.
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  Speaker 1: It flew through Italy in the meantime that by the
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  Speaker 1: bounty of the gods, Agrippa was preserved. It was even
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  Speaker 1: believed at Rome. His supposed arrival at Ostia was celebrated
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  Speaker 1: by great multitudes abroad and in the city by clandestine cabals,
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  Speaker 1: whilst divided cares distracted Tiberius whether he should suppress his
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  Speaker 1: slave by the power of the sword, or suffered the
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  Speaker 1: empty credulity of the public to vanish with time. Now
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  Speaker 1: he thought that nothing was to be slighted, now that
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  Speaker 1: every thing was not to be dreaded. Wavering between shame
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  Speaker 1: and fear, at last he committed the affair to Celestius Crispus.
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  Speaker 1: Crispus chose two of his creatures, some say two soldiers,
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  Speaker 1: and directed them to go directly to him, to feign
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  Speaker 1: themselves his adherents, men who were conscious that he was
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  Speaker 1: the genuine Agrippa, to present him with money and to
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  Speaker 1: promise him without reserve their faith and fortunes. They instantly
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  Speaker 1: executed these orders, and afterwards, spying him one night without guards,
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  Speaker 1: and being themselves furnished with a proper band of men,
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  Speaker 1: they carried him to the palace, gagged and bound. To Tiberius.
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  Speaker 1: When he asked him how he was become Agrippa, he
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  Speaker 1: is said to have answered, just as you became Caesar.
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  Speaker 1: But to discover his accomplices he could never be constrained.
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  Speaker 1: Neither dared Tiberius venture to excite him publicly, But ordered
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  Speaker 1: him to be dispatched in a secret part of the
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  Speaker 1: palace and his body to be carried privately away, And
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  Speaker 1: though many of the prince's household, many knights and senators
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  Speaker 1: were said to have supported him with money and assisted
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  Speaker 1: him with their councils, no enquiry followed. At the end
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  Speaker 1: of the year, a triumphal arch was raised near the
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  Speaker 1: Temple of Saturn as a monument for the recovery of
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  Speaker 1: the variant eagles under the conduct of Germanicus and the
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  Speaker 1: auspices of Tiberius. A temple was directed to happy Fortune
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  Speaker 1: near the Tiber in the gardens bequeathed to the Roman
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  Speaker 1: people by Caesar the Dictator, A chapel was consecrated to
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  Speaker 1: the Julian family, and statues to the deified Augustus in
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  Speaker 1: the suburbs called Bovila. In the consulship of Caius Celius
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  Speaker 1: and Lucius Pomponius the sixth and twentieth of May, Germanicus
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  Speaker 1: Caesar triumphed over the Shruscans, the Katians, the Angrivarians and
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  Speaker 1: the other nations as far as the Elbe and the
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  Speaker 1: triumph were carried all the spoils and captives with the
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  Speaker 1: representations of mountains, of rivers, and of battles, so that
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  Speaker 1: his conquests, because he was restrained from completing them, were
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  Speaker 1: taken for complete his own graceful person, and his chariot
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  Speaker 1: filled with his five children, heightened the shoe and the
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  Speaker 1: delight of the beholders. Yet they were checked with secret fears,
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  Speaker 1: as they remembered that popular favor had proved malignant to
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  Speaker 1: his father Drusus, that his uncle Marcellus was snatched in
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  Speaker 1: his youth from the burning affections of the populace, and
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  Speaker 1: that ever short lived and unfortunate were the favorites of
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  Speaker 1: the Roman people. Tiberius distributed to the people in the
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  Speaker 1: name of Germanicus three hundred sester second man, and named
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  Speaker 1: himself his colleague in the consulship. Nor even thus did
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  Speaker 1: he gain the opinion of tenderness and sincerity. In effect,
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  Speaker 1: on pretense of investing the young prince with fresh preferment
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  Speaker 1: and honors, he resolved to alienate him from Rome, and
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  Speaker 1: to accomplish it craftily framed an occasion, or snatched such
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  Speaker 1: a one as chance presented. Archelaus had enjoyed the kingdom
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  Speaker 1: of Cappadocia, now fifty years a prince under the deep
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  Speaker 1: displeasure of Tiberius, because in his retirement at Rhodes, the
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  Speaker 1: king had paid him no sort of court nor distinction,
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  Speaker 1: an omission which proceeded from no disdain, but from the
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  Speaker 1: warnings given him by the confidants of Augustus. For that
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  Speaker 1: the young Caius Caesar, the presumptive heir to the sovereignty,
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  Speaker 1: then lived and was sent to compose and administer the
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  Speaker 1: affairs of the east. Hence the friendship of Tiberius was reckoned,
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  Speaker 1: then dangerous. But when by the utter fall of the
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  Speaker 1: family of the Caesars, he had gained the empire, he
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  Speaker 1: enticed Archelaus to Rome by means of letters from his mother, who,
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  Speaker 1: without assembling her son's resentment, offered the king his mercy
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  Speaker 1: provided he came and in person implored it. He, who
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  Speaker 1: was either ignorant of the snare or dreaded violence if
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  Speaker 1: he had appeared to perceive it, hastened to the city,
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  Speaker 1: where he was received by Tiberius with great sternness and wrath,
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  Speaker 1: and soon after accused as a criminal in the Senate.
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  Speaker 1: The crimes alleged against him were mere fictions. Yet as
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  Speaker 1: equal treatment is unusual to kings and to be treated
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  Speaker 1: like malefactors intolerable Archelaus, who was broken with grief as
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  Speaker 1: well as age by choice or fate, and in his
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  Speaker 1: life his kingdom was reduced into a province and by
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  Speaker 1: its revenues. Tiberius declared the tax of the hundredth penny
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  Speaker 1: would be a baby it and reduced it for the
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  Speaker 1: future to the two hundredth. At the same time died Antiochus,
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  Speaker 1: king of Commagena, as also Philopater, king of Cilicia, and
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  Speaker 1: great combustions shook these nations. Whilst many of the people
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  Speaker 1: desired the Roman government, and many were addicted to domestic monarchy.
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  Speaker 1: The princes too of Syria and Judea, as they were
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  Speaker 1: oppressed with impositions, prayed an abatement of tribute. These affairs,
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  Speaker 1: and such as I have above related concerning Armenia, Tiberius
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  Speaker 1: represented to the fathers and that the commotions of the
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  Speaker 1: East could only be settled by the wisdom and abilities
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  Speaker 1: of Germanicus. For himself his age now declined, and that
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  Speaker 1: of Jusus was not yet sufficiently ripe. The provinces beyond
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  Speaker 1: the sea were thence decreed to Germanicus with authority superior
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  Speaker 1: to all those who obtained provinces by lot or the
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  Speaker 1: nomineation of the prince. But Tiberius had already taken care
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  Speaker 1: to remove from the government of Syria Creticus Silanus one
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  Speaker 1: united to germanicus domestic alliance by having betrothed his daughter
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  Speaker 1: to Nero, the eldest son of Germanicus. In his room,
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  Speaker 1: he had preferred Neus Piso, a man of violent temper,
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  Speaker 1: incapable of subjection, and heir to all the ferocity and
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  Speaker 1: haughtiness of his father Piso, the same who in the
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  Speaker 1: civil war assisted the reviving party against Caesar in Africa
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  Speaker 1: with vehement efforts, then followed Brutus and Cassius, but had
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  Speaker 1: at last leave to come home, yet disdained to sue
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  Speaker 1: for any public offices. Nay was even courted by Augustus
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  Speaker 1: to accept the consulship. His son, besides his hereditary pride
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  Speaker 1: and impetuosity, was elevated with the nobility and wealth of Plancina.
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  Speaker 1: His wife scarce yielded he to Tiberius, and as men
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  Speaker 1: far beneath him despised the sons of Tiberius, neither did
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  Speaker 1: he doubt, but he was set over Syria on purpose
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  Speaker 1: to defeat all the views of Germanicus. Some even believed
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  Speaker 1: that he had to this purpose secret orders from Tiberius,
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  Speaker 1: as it was certain that Livia directed Plancina to exert
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  Speaker 1: the spirit of the sex, and by constant emulation and indignities,
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  Speaker 1: to persecute Agrippina. For the whole court was rent and
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  Speaker 1: their affections secretly divided between Drusus and Germanicus. Tiberius was
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  Speaker 1: partial to Drusus as his own son by generation. Others
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  Speaker 1: loved Germanicus the more for the aversion of his uncle
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  Speaker 1: and for being by his mother of more illustrious descent,
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  Speaker 1: as mark Antony was his grandfather, and Augustus his great uncle.
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  Speaker 1: On the other side, Pomponius Atticus, a Roman knight, by
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  Speaker 1: being the great grandfather of Drusus, seemed thence to have
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  Speaker 1: derived a stain upon the images of the Claudian house. Besides, Agrippina,
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  Speaker 1: the wife of Germanicus, did, in the fruitfulness of her
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  Speaker 1: body and the reputation of her virtue, far Excelivia, the
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  Speaker 1: wife of Drusus. Yet the two brothers lived in amiable
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  Speaker 1: dearness and concord. No wife shaken or estranged by the
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  Speaker 1: reigning contention amongst their separate friends and adherents. Drusus was
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  Speaker 1: soon after sent into a lyricum in order to inure
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  Speaker 1: him to war and gain him the affections of the army. Besides,
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  Speaker 1: Tiberius thought that the youth who lived wantoning in the
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  Speaker 1: luxuries of Rome would be reformed in the camp, and
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  Speaker 1: that his own security would be enlarged when both his
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  Speaker 1: sons were at the head of the legions. But the
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  Speaker 1: pretense for sending him was the protection of the Swatheians,
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  Speaker 1: who were then imploring assistants against the power of the Scheruscans.
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  Speaker 1: For these nations, who since the departure of the Romans,
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  Speaker 1: saw themselves no longer threatened with terrors from abroad, and
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  Speaker 1: were then particularly engaged in a national competition for glory,
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  Speaker 1: had relapsed as usual into their old intestine feuds and
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  Speaker 1: turned their arms upon each other. These two people were
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  Speaker 1: equally powerful, their two leaders equally brave, but differently esteemed,
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  Speaker 1: as the title of king had drawn upon Marobodus the
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  Speaker 1: hate and aversion of their countrymen, whilst Arminius, as a champion,
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  Speaker 1: warring for the defense of liberty was the universal object
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  Speaker 1: of popular affection. Hence, not only the Sheruscans and their confederates,
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  Speaker 1: they who had been the ancient soldiery of Arminius, took arms,
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  Speaker 1: but to him too, revolted the Semnones and Langebards, both
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  Speaker 1: Swathy and Nasations, and even subjects of Marobodus. And by
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  Speaker 1: their accession he would have exceeded in poissants, but in Giomyris,
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  Speaker 1: with his band of followers, deserted to Marobodus for no
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  Speaker 1: other cause than disdain than an old man and an
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  Speaker 1: uncle like himself should obey Arminius, a young man his nephew.
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  Speaker 1: Both armies were drawn out with equal hopes, nor disjointed,
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  Speaker 1: like the old German battles, into scattered parties for loose
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  Speaker 1: and random attacks. For by long war with Us, they
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  Speaker 1: had learnt to follow their ensigns, to strengthen their main
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  Speaker 1: body with parties of reserve, and to observe the orders
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  Speaker 1: of their generals. Arminius was now on horseback, viewing all
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  Speaker 1: the ranks as he rode through them. He magnified their
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  Speaker 1: past feats, their liberty, recovered the slaughtered legions, the spoils
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  Speaker 1: of arms wrested from the Romans, monuments of victory still
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  Speaker 1: retained aimed in some of their hands. Upon Marobodis. He fell,
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  Speaker 1: with Contumelius names as a fugitive, one of no abilities
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  Speaker 1: in war, a coward who had sought defense from the
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  Speaker 1: gloomy coverts of the Hrcinian wood, and then, by gifts
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  Speaker 1: and solicitations, courted the alliance of Rome, a betrayer of
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  Speaker 1: his country, a lifeguard man of Caesar's worthy to be
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  Speaker 1: exterminated with no less hostile vengeance than in the slaughter
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  Speaker 1: of Quintilius Varus they had shewn. Let them only remember
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  Speaker 1: so many battles bravely fought, these events of which particularly
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  Speaker 1: the utter expulsion of the Romans, were sufficient proofs with
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  Speaker 1: whom remained the glory of the war. Neither did Marobodus
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  Speaker 1: fail to boast himself and depreciate the foe in the
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  Speaker 1: person of in Giomarus, he said, holding him by the hand,
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  Speaker 1: rested the whole renown of the Shruscans, and from his
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  Speaker 1: councils began all their exploits that ended in success. Arminius,
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  Speaker 1: a man of frantic spirit and a novice in affairs,
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  Speaker 1: assumed to himself the glory of another, for having by
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  Speaker 1: treachery surprised three legions which expected no foe and their leader,
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  Speaker 1: who feared no fraud. A base surprise revenged since on
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  Speaker 1: Germany with heavy slaughters, and on Arminius himself with domestic infamy,
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  Speaker 1: while his wife and his son still bore the bonds
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  Speaker 1: of captivity for himself. When attacked formerly by Tiberius at
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  Speaker 1: the head of twelve legions, he had preserved, unstained the
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  Speaker 1: glory of Germany and on equal terms ended the war.
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  Speaker 1: Nor did he repent of the treaty, since it was
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  Speaker 1: still in their hands to wage a new equal war
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  Speaker 1: with the Romans or save blood and maintain peace. The armies,
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  Speaker 1: besides the incitements from these speeches, were animated by national
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  Speaker 1: stimulations of their own. The Shruscans fought for their ancient renowned,
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  Speaker 1: the Languebards for their recent liberty, and the Swavians and
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  Speaker 1: their king, on the contrary, were struggling for the augmentation
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  Speaker 1: of their monarchy. Never did armies make a fiercer onset.
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  Speaker 1: Never had onset a more ambiguous event for both The
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  Speaker 1: right wings were routed, and hence a fresh encounter was
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  Speaker 1: certainly expected until Marobodis drew off his army and encamped
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  Speaker 1: upon the hills, a manifest sign that he was humbled.
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  Speaker 1: Frequent desertions too, leaving him at last naked of forces.
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  Speaker 1: He retired to the Marcomanians, and thence sent ambassadors to
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  Speaker 1: Tiberius to implore succors. They were answered that he had
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  Speaker 1: no right to invoke aid of the Roman arms against
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  Speaker 1: the Sheruscans, since to the Romans, while they were warring
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  Speaker 1: with the same foe, he had never administered any assistance.
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  Speaker 1: Drusus was, however, sent away, as I have said, with
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  Speaker 1: the character of a negotiator of peace. The same year,
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  Speaker 1: twelve noble cities of Asia were overturned by an earthquake.
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  Speaker 1: The ruin happened in the night, and the more dreadful
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  Speaker 1: as its warnings were unobserved. Neither availed the usual sanctuary
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  Speaker 1: against such calamities, namely a flight to the fields, Since
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  Speaker 1: those who fled the gaping earth devoured. It is reported
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  Speaker 1: that mighty mountains, subsided plains were heaved into high hills,
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  Speaker 1: and that with flashes and eruptions of fire, the mighty
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  Speaker 1: devastation was everywhere accompanied The Sardians felt most heavily the
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  Speaker 1: rage of the concussion and therefore most compassion. Tiberius promised
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  Speaker 1: them a hundred thousand great sester said, and remitted their
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  Speaker 1: taxes for five years. The inhabitants of Magnesia under Mount
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  Speaker 1: Sippolis were held next in sufferings and had proportionable relief.
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  Speaker 1: The Temnians, Philadelphians, the Aegatians, Apollonians, with those called the
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  Speaker 1: Mostenians or Macedonians of Rcania. The cities too of hero Caesarea, Myrnia,
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  Speaker 1: Cyme and Smolus, were all for the same term eased
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  Speaker 1: of tribute. It was likewise resolved to send one of
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  Speaker 1: the Senate to view the desolations and administer proper remedies.
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  Speaker 1: Marcus Aletus was therefore chosen one of praetorian rank, because
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  Speaker 1: a consular senator then governing Asia, had another of the
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  Speaker 1: like quality been sent. An emulation between equals was apprehended,
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  Speaker 1: and consequently opposition and delays. The credit of this noble
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  Speaker 1: bounty to the public he increased by private liberalities, which
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  Speaker 1: proved equally popular. The estate of the wealthy Emmilemusa claimed
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  Speaker 1: by the exchequer as she died into state, he surrendered
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  Speaker 1: to Emilius Lepidas, to whose family she seemed to belong,
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  Speaker 1: as also to Marcus Servilius, the inheritance of Poetelius, a
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  Speaker 1: rich Roman knight, though part of it he had bequeathed
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  Speaker 1: to himself. But he found Servilius named sohare in a
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  Speaker 1: former and well attested will. He said, such was the
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  Speaker 1: nobility of both, that they deserved to be supported. Nor
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  Speaker 1: did he ever accept to himself any man's inheritance. But
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  Speaker 1: where former friendship gave him a title, the wills of
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  Speaker 1: such as were strangers to him, and of such as,
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  Speaker 1: from hate and prejudice to others, had appointed the prince
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  Speaker 1: their heir. He utterly rejected. But as he relieved the
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  Speaker 1: honest poverty of the virtuous, so he degraded from the Senate,
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  Speaker 1: or suffered to quit it of their own accord. Vibidious
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  Speaker 1: Varro Marius, Nepos, Appius, Appianus, Cornelius, Cilla, and Quintius Vitellius,
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  Speaker 1: all prodigals, and only through debauchery indigent end of Section
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  Speaker 1: twenty two.