and more, to the point of drawing aside at his approach and leaving him
alone,--and that openly, without pretence of concealment. When Tiberius
learned of it, his courage revived: he felt that he should have the
coöperation of the people and the senate, and accordingly began an attack
upon his enemy. First, in order to take him off his guard to the fullest
possible extent, be spread a report that he would give him the office of
tribune. Then he despatched a communication against him to the senate by
the hands of Nævius Sertorius Macro, whom he had privately appointed to
command the body-guards and had instructed as to precisely what must be
done. The latter came by night into Rome as if on some different errand
and made known his message to Memmius Regulus, then consul (his colleague
sided with Sejanus), and to Græcinius Laco, commander of the night watch.
At dawn Macro ascended the Palatine, where there was to be a session of
the senate in the temple of Apollo. Encountering Sejanus, who had not yet
gone in, he saw that he was troubled at Tiberius's having sent him no
message, and encouraged him, telling him aside and in confidence that he
was bringing him the tribunician authority. Sejanus, overjoyed at
this, hastened to the senate-chamber. Macro sent away to the camp the
Pretorians that commonly surrounded the minister and the senate, after
revealing to them his right as leader to do so and declaring that he
brought documents from Tiberius that bestowed gifts upon them. Around
the temple he stationed the night watch in their stead, went in himself,
delivered his letter to the consuls, and went out before a word was read.
He then put Laco in charge of guard duty at that point, and himself
hurried to the camp to prevent any uprising.
[-10-] Meanwhile the letter was read. It was a long one and contained
no wholesale denunciations of Sejanus but first some indifferent
matters, then a slight censure of his conduct, then something else, and
after that some further objection to him. At the close it said that two
senators that were very intimate with him must be punished and that
he himself must be kept guarded. Tiberius did not give them orders
outright to put him to death, not because such was not his desire, but
because he feared that some disturbance might be the result of it. But
since, as he said, he could not take the journey safely, he had sent for
one of the consuls.
This was all that the composition disclosed. During the reading many
diverse utterances and expressions of countenance were observable. First,
before the people heard the letter, they were engaged in lauding the
man, whom they supposed to be on the point of receiving the tribunician
authority. They shouted their approval realizing in anticipation all
their hopes and making a demonstration to show that they would concur in
granting him honor. When, however, nothing of the sort was discovered,
but they kept hearing just the reverse of what they expected, they fell
into confusion and subsequently into deep dejection. Some of those seated
near him even withdrew. They now no longer cared to share the same seat
with the man whom previously they were anxious to claim as friend. Then
prætors and tribunes began to surround him to prevent his causing any
uproar by rushing out,--which he certainly would have done, if he had
been startled at the outset by any general tirade. As it was, he paid no
great heed to what was read from time to time, thinking it a slight
matter, a single charge, and hoping that nothing further, or at any rate
nothing serious in regard to him had been made a matter of comment. So
he let the time slip by and remained where he was.
Meantime Regulus called him forward, but he paid no attention, not out
of contempt,--for he had already been humbled,--but because he was
unaccustomed to hearing any command given him. But when the consul
shouted at him a second and a third time, at the same time stretching out
his arm and saying: "Sejanus, come here!" he enquired blankly: "Are you
calling _me_?" So at last he stood up, and Laco, who had entered,
took his stand beside him. When finally the reading of the letter was
finished, all with one voice both denounced him and uttered threats, some
because they had been wronged, others through fear, some to disguise
their friendship for him and others out of joy at his downfall. Regulus
did not give all of them, however, a chance to vote, nor did he put the
question to any one regarding the man's death, for fear there should be
come opposition and a consequent disturbance; for Sejanus had numerous
relatives and friends. Hence, after asking one person's opinion and
obtaining a supporting vote in favor of imprisonment, he conducted
the former favorite out of the senate-chamber, and in company with the
other officials and with Laco led him down to the prison.
[-11-] Then might one have obtained a clear and searching
insight into the weakness of man, so that self-conceit would have been
never again, under any conditions possible. Him whom at dawn they had
escorted to the senate-halls as one superior to themselves they were now
dragging to a cell as if no better than the worst. On him whom they once
deemed worthy of crowns they now heaped bonds. Him whom they were wont to
protect as a master they now guarded like a runaway slave, and
uncovered while he wore a headdress. Him whom they had adorned with the
purple-bordered toga they struck in the face. Whom they were wont to
adore and sacrifice to as to a god they were now leading to execution.
The crowd also assailed him, reproaching him violently for the lives he
had destroyed and jeering loudly at what had been hoped of him. All of
his images they hurled down, beat down, and pulled down, seeming to
feel that they were maltreating the man himself, and he thus became a
spectator of what he was destined to suffer. For the moment he was merely
cast into prison; but not much later,--that very day, in fact,--the
senate assembled in the temple of Concord not far from his cell, and
seeing the attitude of the populace and that none of the Pretorians was
near by it condemned him to death. On these orders he was executed and
his body cast down the Scalæ Gemoniæ, where the rabble abused it for
three whole days and afterward threw it into the river. His children
were put to death by special decree, the girl (whom he had betrothed
to the son of Claudius) having been first outraged by the public
executioner on the principle that it was unlawful for a virgin to meet
death in prison. His wife Apicata was not condemned, to be sure, but
on learning that her children were dead and after seeing their bodies
on the Stairs she withdrew and composed a statement regarding the
death of Drusus, directed against Livilla, the latter's wife, who had
been the cause of a quarrel between herself and her husband, resulting
in their separation. This document she forwarded to Tiberius and then
committed suicide. Thus the statement came to the hands of Tiberius,
and when he had obtained proof of the information he put to death
Livilla and all others therein mentioned. I have, indeed, heard that he
spared her out of regard for her mother Antonia, and that Antonia
herself voluntarily destroyed her daughter by starving her. At any
rate, that was later.
[-12-] At this time a great uproar ensued in the City. The
populace slew any one it saw of those who had possessed great influence
with Sejanus and relying on him had committed acts of insolence.
The soldiers, too, in irritation because they had been suspected of
friendliness toward Sejanus and because the nightwatchmen had been
preferred before them in the confidence of the emperor, proceeded to
burn and plunder,--and this in spite of the fact that all officials were
guarding the entire city in accordance with the injunction of Tiberius.
Not even the senate was quiet, but such members of it as had paid court
to Sejanus were greatly disturbed by dread of reprisals; and those who
had accused or borne witness against any persons were filled with fear
by the prevailing suspicion that they had destroyed their victims out of
regard for the minister instead of for Tiberius. Very small indeed
was the courageous element, which was unhampered by these terrors and
expected that Tiberius would become milder. For as usually happens, they
laid the responsibility for their previous misfortunes upon the dead man
and charged the emperor with few or none of them. Of the most of this
unjust treatment, they said, he had been ignorant, and he had been forced
into the rest against his will. Privately this was the disposition of
the various classes; publicly they voted, as if they had cast off some
tyranny, not to hold any mourning over the deceased and to have a statue
of Liberty erected in the Forum; also a festival was to be celebrated
under the auspices of all the magistrates and priests,--as had never
before occurred; and the day on which he died was to be made renowned
by annual horse-races and slaughters of wild beasts, directed by those
appointed to the four priesthoods and by the members of the Sodality of
Augustus. This, too, had never before been done. To celebrate the ruin of
the man whom they by the excess and novelty of their honors had led to
destruction they voted solemnities that were not customary even for the
gods. They comprehended so clearly that it was chiefly these honors
which had bereft him of his senses that they at once forbade explicitly
the giving of excessive marks of esteem to any one, as also the taking
of oaths in the name of any one other than the emperor. Yet though
they passed such votes, as if under a divine inspiration, they began
shortly after to fawn upon Macro and Laco. They gave them great sums
of money and to Laco the honors of ex-quaestors, while to Macro they
extended the honors of ex-prætors. Similarly[6] they allowed them
also to view spectacles in their company and to wear the toga
praetextata at the ludi votivi. The men did not accept these privileges,
however, for the recent example served as a deterrent. Nor would
Tiberius take any honor bestowed, though many were voted him, chief
among them being that he should begin from this time to be termed Father
of his Country and that his birthday should be marked by ten equestrian
contests and a senatorial banquet. Indeed, he gave notice anew that no
one should introduce any such motion.--These were the events happening in
the capital.
[-13-] Tiberius for a time had certainly been in great fear
that Sejanus would occupy the City and sail against him, and so he had
prepared boats, to the end that, if anything of the sort should come to
pass, he might escape. He had commanded Macro,--or so some say,--if there
should be any uprising to bring Drusus before the senate and the people
and appoint him emperor.
When he learned that his enemy was dead, he rejoiced, as was natural, yet
would not receive the embassy sent to congratulate him, though many
members of the senate and many of the knights and of the populace had
been despatched, as before. Indeed he even rebuffed the consul Regulus,
who had always been devoted to his interests and had come in accordance
with the emperor's own commands to see about his being conveyed in
safety to the City.
[-14-] Thus perished Sejanus, who had attained greater power
than those who obtained his office before or after him (save Plautianus).
His relatives, his associates, and all the rest who had paid court to
him and had moved that honors be granted him were brought to trial. The
majority of them were convicted for the acts that had previously made
them objects of envy; and their fellow-citizens condemned them for the
measures which they themselves had previously voted. Numbers of men who
had been tried on various charges and acquitted were again accused and
convicted on the ground that they had been saved the first time as a
favor to the deceased. Accordingly, if no other complaint could be
brought against a person, the statement that he had been a friend of
Sejanus served to convict him,--as if, forsooth, Tiberius himself had not
been friendly with him, and caused others to become interested for his
sake. Among those who laid information in this way were the men who were
wont to pay court to Sejanus. Inasmuch as they knew thoroughly those who
were in the same position, they had no great trouble either in finding
them out or securing their conviction. So they, expecting to save
themselves by doing this, and to obtain honors and money besides,
accused others or else bore witness against them. But it proved that none
of their hopes was realized. They found themselves liable to the same
charges on which they had prosecuted others, and partly as a result of
them and partly on account of the general detestation of traitors perished
along with their companions. [-15-] Of those against whom charges were
brought many were present in person to hear their accusation and make
their defence, and some employed great frankness in so doing. Still, the
majority made away with themselves prior to their conviction. They did
this chiefly to avoid suffering insult and outrage. (For all who had
incurred any such charge, senators as well as knights, women as well as
men, were crowded together into the prison. After their condemnation
some underwent the penalty there and others were hurled from the
Capitol by the tribunes or the consuls. The bodies of all of them were
cast into the Forum and subsequently were thrown into the river.) But
their object was partly that their children might inherit their property.
Very few estates of such as voluntarily took themselves off before their
trial were confiscated, Tiberius in this way inviting men to become their
own murderers, that he might avoid the reputation of having killed
them; as if it were not far more fearful to compel a man to die by his
own hand than to deliver him to the executioner. [-16-] Most of the
estates of such as failed to die in this way were confiscated, only a
little or nothing at all even being given to their accusers. For he was
now giving far more[7] accurate attention to money. After this Tiberius
increased to one per cent. a tax which was already one-half of one
per cent. and proceeded to accept every inheritance left to him. And
in fact nearly every one left him something,--even those who made
away with themselves,--as they had to Sejanus while the latter lived.
Also, with that same intention which had led him not to take possession
of the wealth of those who perished voluntarily, he made the senate
sponsor for every official summons, to the end that he might be free
from blame himself (for so he thought) and the senate pass sentence upon
itself as a wrongdoer.[8] By this means people came to be thoroughly
aware, during the time that they were being destroyed through one
another's agency, that their former troubles had emanated no more from
Sejanus than from Tiberius. For not only were the accusers of various
persons brought to trial, but those who had condemned them were in turn
sentenced. So it was that Tiberius spared no one, but kept using up
all the citizens one against another; no firm friendships existed any
longer[9]; but the unjust and the guiltless, the fearful and the fearless
stood on the same footing as regarded the investigation made into the
complaints about Sejanus. At length he saw fit to propose a kind of
amnesty for the sufferers, and so he gave permission to those who wished
to go into mourning for the deceased; and in addition he forbade that any
one should in any way be hindered from showing this respect to the memory
of any person,--for such prohibitory votes were frequently passed. Yet he
did not in fact confirm this edict, but after a brief space he punished
numbers on account of Sejanus and on other complaints: they were
generally charged with having outraged and murdered their nearest female
relatives.
[A.D. 32(_a. u._ 785)]
[-17-] Such was the state of affairs at this time, and there was not a
soul that could deny that he would be glad to feast on the emperor's
flesh. Now the next year, when Gnæus Domitius and Camillus Scribonianus
became consuls, a very laughable thing happened. It had now long been the
custom for the members of the senate on the first of the year to take the
oath not man by man, but for one (as I have stated)[10] to take the oath
for them and the rest to express their acquiescence. This time, however,
they did not do so, but of their own motion, without any compulsion, they
were separately and individually pledged, as though this would make them
any more regardful of their oath. Previously for many years the emperor
had allowed matters to go on without a single person's swearing
allegiance to his acts of government: this I have mentioned. [11]--At
this time also there occurred something else still more laughable.
[-18-] They voted that he should select as many of their number as he
liked and should employ twenty of them,--whomsoever the lot should
designate,--as guards with daggers as often as he entered the
senate-chamber. Of course, as the exterior of the building was watched by
the soldiers and no private citizen could come inside, their resolution
that a guard be given him amounted to a precaution against no one but
themselves, thus indicating that they were hostile. Naturally Tiberius
expressed his obligations to them and thanked them for their good
intentions, but he rejected their offer as being too much out of the
ordinary. He was not so simple as to give swords to the very men whom he
hated and by whom he was hated. Yet, as a result of this very measure
he began to grow suspicious of them,--for every act in contravention
of sincerity which one undertakes for the purpose of flattery breeds
suspicion,--and bidding a long adieu to their decrees he began to
honor the Pretorians both by addresses and with money, in spite of his
knowledge that they had been on the side of Sejanus, so that he might
find them more disposed to be employed against the senators. On occasion,
to be sure, he in turn commended the latter, when they voted that
funds from the public treasury be bestowed on the guardsmen. He kept
alternately deceiving the one party by his talk and winning over the
other party by his acts in a most effective way. For instance, Junius
Gallic had moved that a spectacle be provided in the meeting place of
the knights for those of the body-guard who had finished their term of
service: Tiberius did not merely banish him when the man was brought up
on this very charge of giving an impression that he was persuading the
soldiers to show good-will to the government rather than to the emperor;
no, but when he found that Junius was setting sail for Lesbos he deprived
him of a safe and comfortable existence there and delivered him to the
custody of the magistrates, as he had once done with Gallus. And in order
to assure the two classes still more fully how he felt toward both of
them he not long after asked the senate that Macro and some military
tribunes be deemed sufficient to conduct him to the senate-chamber. He
had no need of those persons, for he had no idea of ever entering the
city again, but what he wanted was to display his hatred of the senators
and show the latter the friendliness of the soldiers. The senators
actually granted this request. However, they attached to the decree a
clause that the escort should be searched on entering to make sure that
no one had a dagger hidden beneath his arm.--This resolution was passed
in the following year.
[-19-] At this time he spared among some others who had been intimate
with Sejanus Lucius Cæsianus,[12] a prætor, and Marcus Terentius, a
knight. He overlooked the behavior of the former, who at the Floralia to
ridicule Tiberius had had everything up to midnight done by baldheaded
men (because the emperor himself was also baldheaded) and had furnished
light to those leaving the theatre by the hands of five thousand boys
with shaven pates. Tiberius was so far from becoming angry at him that
he pretended not to have heard about it at all, though all baldheaded
persons were from then on called Caesiani, after this man. Terentius he
spared because when on trial for his friendship with Sejanus he not only
did not deny it but affirmed that he had worked for him and paid court to
him to the greatest possible extent for the reason that the minister was
so highly honored by Tiberius himself. "Consequently," he said, "if the
emperor did rightly in having such a friend, neither have I done any
wrong: and if my sovereign, who knows all things accurately, erred, what
wonder is it that I shared his deception? Our duty is to cherish all whom
he honors without concerning ourselves overmuch about the kind of men
they are, but making one thing determine our friendship for them,--the
fact that they please the emperor." The senate for these reasons
acquitted him and in addition rebuked his accusers. Tiberius concurred
with them. When Piso, the praefectus urbi, died, he honored him with a
public funeral,--a distinction granted also to others. In his place he
chose Lucius Lamia, whom he had long ago put in charge of Syria[13] and
was keeping at Rome. He took similar action, too, in the case of many
others, really caring nothing at all for them, but making an outward show
of honoring them.--Meantime Vitrasius Pollio, governor of Egypt died, and
he entrusted the province for a time to one Hiberus, a Cæsarian.
[A.D. 33 (_a. u._ 786)]
[-20-] Now of the consuls Domitius held office the whole year
through,--for he was husband of Agrippina, the daughter of
Germanicus,--but the rest adapted themselves to the whims of Tiberius.
Some he elevated for a longer time and some for a shorter: some he
stopped before the end of their appointed term and others he allowed
to hold office beyond the limits designated. Not infrequently he would
appoint a man for an entire year and then depose him, setting up another
and still another in his place. Sometimes, after choosing certain
substitutes for third place, he would then have others become consuls
before them in the place of still others. These irregularities in the
case of the consuls occurred through practically his entire reign. Of the
candidates for the other offices he selected as many as he wished and
sent their names to the senate, recommending some to that body,--and
these were chosen, by acclamation,--but making others depend upon their
own claims or the assent of the senate or the decision of the lot. After
that, in order to follow out ancient precedent, such as belonged to
the people and the plebs went before one of these two bodies and were
announced: this is the same practice that is followed at present,
intended to produce at least an appearance of valid election. In case
there was ever a deficiency of candidates or they became involved in
irreconcilable strife, a smaller number was chosen.--The following year,
in which Servius Galba (that later became emperor) and Lucius Cornelius
held the consular title, fifteen prætors held office. This went on for
many years, so that sometimes sixteen and sometimes one or two less were
chosen.