manner described. After this, during the second consulship of Gaius
Crispus and the first of Titus Statilius, Claudius came to Rome at the
end of a six months' absence from the city (of which time he had spent
only sixteen days in Britain) and celebrated his triumph. In this he
followed the well-established precedents, even to the extent of ascending
the steps of the Capitol on his knees, with his sons-in-law supporting
him on each side. He granted to the senators taking part with him in the
procession triumphal honors, and this not merely to the ex-consuls ...
for he was accustomed to do that most lavishly on other occasions and
with the slightest excuse. Upon Rufrius Pollio the prefect he bestowed an
image and a seat in the senatorial body as often as he would enter that
assembly with him. And to avoid having it thought that he was making any
innovation, he declared that Augustus had done this in the case of a
certain Valerius, a Ligurian. He also increased the dignity of Laco
(formerly præfectus vigilum but now procurator of the Gauls) by this same
mark of esteem and in addition by the honors belonging to ex-consuls.
Having finished this business he held the festival following the triumph
and assumed for the occasion some of the consular authority. It took
place in both the theatres at once. In the course of the spectacle he
would frequently absent himself while others superintended it in his
place. He had announced as many horse-races as could find place in a
day, but they amounted to not more than ten altogether. For between the
separate courses bears were slaughtered and athletes struggled. Boys sent
for from Asia also executed the Pyrrhic dance. The performers in the
theatre gave, with the consent of the senate, another festival likewise
intended to commemorate the victory. All this was done on account of
the successes in Britain, and to the end that other nations might more
readily capitulate it was voted that all the agreements which Claudius or
the lieutenants representing him should make with any peoples should be
binding, the same as if sanctioned by the senate and the people.
[-24-] Achæa and Macedonia, which ever since Tiberius became emperor had
belonged to elected governors, Claudius now returned to the choice by
lot. And abolishing the office of "prætor charged with the administration
of funds" he put the business in the hands of quæstors as it had been of
old; and these were not annual magistrates, as was the case with them
previously and with the prætors subsequently, but the same two men
attended to their duties for three entire years. Some of these secured a
prætorship immediately afterward and others drew a salary the amount of
which depended on the impression of efficiency they had created while in
office.
The quæstors, then, were given charge of the treasury in place of
governorships in Italy outside of the City; for he did away with all of
the latter. To compensate the prætors he entrusted to their care several
kinds of judicial cases which the consuls were previously accustomed to
try. Those serving as soldiers, since by law they could not have wives,
were granted the privileges of married men. Marcus Julius Cottius
received an increase in his ancestral domain (which included the Alps
named after him) and was now for the first time called king. The Rhodians
were deprived of their liberty because they had impaled certain Romans.
And Umbonius Silio, governor of Bætica, was summoned and ejected from the
senate because he had sent so little grain to the soldiers then serving
in Mauretania. At least, this was the accusation brought against him. In
reality it was not so at all, but his treatment was due to his having
offended some of the freedmen. So he brought together all his furniture,
considerable in amount and very beautiful, in the auction room as if he
were going to call for bids on all of it: but he sold only his senatorial
dress. By this he showed that he had received no deadly blow and could
enjoy life as a private citizen.--Beside these events of the time
the weekly market was transferred to a different day because of some
religious rites. That happened, too, on many other occasions.
[A.D. 45 _(a. u._ 798)]
[-25-] following year Marcus Vinicius for the second and Statilius
Corvinus for the first time entered upon the office of consul. Claudius
himself took all the customary oaths in detail, but prevented the rest
from taking oath separately. Accordingly, as in earlier times, one man
who was a prætor and second who was a tribune and one each of the other
officials repeated the oaths for those of the same grade. This custom was
followed for several years.
Now since the City was becoming filled with numbers of images,--for those
who wished might without restrictions appear in public in a painting or
in bronze or stone,--he had most of those already existing set somewhere
else and for the future forbade that any private citizen be allowed to
follow the practice, unless the senate should grant permission or except
he had built or repaired some public work. Such persons and their
relatives might have their likenesses set up in the places in question.
Having banished the governor of a certain province for venality the
emperor confiscated to public uses all the extra funds that the man had
gathered in office. Again, to prevent these persons eluding those who
wished to bring them to trial, he would give to nobody one office
immediately after another. This had been the custom in earlier days also,
to the end that any one without difficulty might institute a suit against
them in the intervening period; indeed, those whose terms had expired and
who were granted leave of absence from the City might not even take these
absences in succession, since it was intended that, if officials should
be guilty of any irregularity, they should not gain the further benefit
of escaping investigation by either continuous office or continuous
absence. The custom had, however, fallen out of use. So carefully did
Claudius guard against both possibilities that he would not without out
some delay allow even an official who was his colleague to be chosen by
lot for the governorship of a province that would naturally belong to
him. Still, he allowed some of them to govern for two years and sometimes
he would send elected magistrates. Persons who preferred a request to
leave Italy for a time were given permission by Claudius himself without
action of the senate; yet, in order to appear to be doing it under some
form of law, he ordered that a decree to the effect be issued. Votes
of this sort were also passed the following year. At the time under
consideration he arranged the votive festival which he had promised in
commemoration of his campaign. To the populace supported by public dole
he gave seventy-five denarii in every case and in some cases more, so
that for a few it amounted to three hundred twelve and a half. He did
not, however, distribute all of it in person, but his sons-in-law also
took part, because the distribution lasted several days and he was
anxious to use them in holding court.
In the case of the Saturnalia he put back the fifth day which had been
appointed by Gaius but was later abolished. [-26-] and inasmuch as the
sun was to undergo an eclipse on his birthday, he feared that some
disturbance might result,--for already certain other portents had
occurred,--and therefore he gave notice beforehand not only that there
would be an eclipse and when and for how long, but also the reasons for
which this would necessarily take place. They are as follows:
The moon, which revolves lower down than the sun (or so it is believed),
either directly below him or perhaps with Mercury and likewise Venus
intervening, has a longitudinal movement just like him, and a higher and
lower movement just like him, but furthermore a latitudinal movement such
as nowhere belongs to the sun under any circumstances. When, therefore,
she gets in a direct line with him over our heads and passes under his
blaze, then she obscures his beams that extend toward the earth, for
some to a greater, for some to a less degree, but does not conceal his
presence for even the briefest moment. For since the sun has a light of
his own he can never surrender it, and consequently, when the moon is
not directly in people's way so as to throw a shadow over him, he always
appears entire.
This, then, is what happens to the sun and it was made public by Claudius
at the time mentioned. With regard to the moon, however,--for it is not
irrelevant to speak of lunar phenomena also, since once I have broached
this subject,--as often as she gets directly opposite the sun (and she
only takes such a position with reference to him at full moon, whereas
he takes it with reference to her at the season of new moon), a conical
shadow falls upon the earth. This occurs whenever in her motion to and
from us her revolution takes her between the sun and the earth; then she
is deprived of the sun's light and appears by herself just as she really
is. Such are the conditions of the case.
[A.D. 46 (a. u. 799)]
[-27-] At the close of that year Valerius Asiaticus for the second time
and also Marcus Silanus became consuls. The latter held office for the
period for which he was elected. Asiaticus, however, though elected to
serve for the whole year (as was done in other cases), failed to do so
and resigned voluntarily. Some others had done this, though mostly by
reason of poverty. The expenses connected with the horse-races had
greatly increased, for generally there was a series of twenty-four
contests. But Asiaticus withdrew simply by reason of his wealth, which
also proved his destruction. Inasmuch as he was extremely well-to-do and
by being consul a second time had aroused the dislike and jealousy of
many, he desired in a way to overthrow himself, feeling that by so
doing he would be less likely to encounter danger. Still he was
deceived.--Vinicius, on the other hand, suffered no harm from Claudius,
for though he was an illustrious man he managed by keeping quiet and
minding his own business to preserve his life; but he perished by poison
administered by Messalina. She suspected that he had killed his wife
Julia and was angry because he refused to have intercourse with her. He
was duly accorded a public funeral and eulogies,--an honor which had been
granted to many.
Asinius Gallus, half-brother of Drusus by the same mother, conspired
against Claudius but instead of being put to death was banished. The
reason perhaps was that he made ready no army and collected no funds in
advance but was emboldened merely by his extreme folly, which led him to
think that the Romans would submit to having him rule them on account
of his family. But the chief cause was that he was a very small and
unshapely person and was therefore held in contempt, incurring ridicule
rather than danger.
[-28-]The people were truly loud in praise of Claudius for his
moderation, and also, by Jupiter, at the fact that he showed displeasure
when a certain man sought the aid of the tribunes against the person who
had freed him, asking and securing thus a helper in his cause. Both the
man in question and those associated with him in the proceedings were
punished; and the emperor further forbade rendering assistance to persons
in this way against their former masters, on pain of being deprived of
the right to bring suit against others. Per contra, people were vexed at
seeing him so much the slave of his wife and freedmen. This feeling was
especially marked on an occasion when Claudius himself and all the rest
were anxious to kill Sabinus (former governor of the Celtæ in the reign
of Gains) in a gladiatorial fight, but the latter approached Messalina
and she saved him. They were also irritated at her having withdrawn
Mnester from the theatre and keeping him with her. But whenever any talk
about his not dancing sprang up among the people, Claudius would appear
surprised and make various apologies, taking oath that he was not at his
house. The populace, believing him to be really ignorant of what was
going on, was grieved to think that he alone was not cognizant of what
was being done in the imperial apartments,--behavior so conspicuous
that news of it had already traveled to the enemy. They were unwilling,
however, to reveal to him the state of affairs, partly through awe of
Messalina and partly to spare Mnester. For he pleased the people as much
by his skill as he did the empress by his beauty. With his abilities in
dancing he combined great cleverness of repartee, so that once when the
crowd with mighty enthusiasm begged him to perform a famous pantomime, he
dared to come to the front of the stage and say:
"To do this, friends, I may not try;
Orestes' bedfellow am I."
This, then, was the relation of Claudius to these matters.
As the number of lawsuits was now beyond reckoning and persons summoned
would now no longer put in an appearance because they expected to be
defeated, he gave written notice that by a given day he should decide the
case against them, by default, so that they would lose it even if absent.
And there was no deviation from this rule.
Mithridates king of the Iberians[8] undertook to rebel and was engaged
in preparations for a war against the Romans. His mother,
however, opposed him and since she could not win him over by persuasion,
determined to take to flight: he then became anxious to conceal
his project, and so, while himself continuing preparations, he sent
his brother Cotys on an embassy to convey a friendly message to
Claudius. But Cotys proved a treacherous ambassador and told the
emperor all, and he was made king of Iberia in place of Mithridates.
[A.D. 47, (a. u. 800)]
[-29-]The following year, the eight hundredth anniversary of the founding
of the city of Rome, Claudius became consul for the fourth and Lucius
Vitellius for the third time. Claudius now ejected some members of
the senate, the majority of whom were not sorry to be driven out but
willingly stood aside on account of their poverty. Likewise he brought
in a number to fill their places. Among these he summoned with haste
one Surdinius Gallus, qualified to be a senator, who had emigrated to
Carthage, and said to him: "I will bind you with golden fetters." Gallus,
therefore, fettered by his rank, remained at home.
Although Claudius visited dire punishment upon the freedmen of others, in
case he caught them in any crime, he was very lenient with his own. One
day an actor in the theatre uttered this well-worn saying:
"A knave who prospers scarce can be endured,"[9]
whereupon the whole assemblage looked at Polybius, the emperor's
freedman. He, undismayed, shouted out: "The same poet, however, says:--
'Who once were goatherds now have royal power.'" [9]
and suffered no harm for his behavior.
Information was laid that some persons were plotting against Claudius,
but in the majority of instances he paid no attention, saying: "It
doesn't do to adopt the same defensive tactics against a flea as against
a beast of prey." Asiaticus, however, was tried before him and came very
near being acquitted. He entered a general denial, declaring: "I have
no knowledge of nor acquaintance with any of these persons who are
testifying against me." Then the soldier who stated he had been an
associate of his, being asked which one Asiaticus was, pointed out a
baldheaded man that happened to be standing near him. Baldness was the
only thing of which he was sure about Asiaticus. This event occasioned
much laughter and Claudius was on the point of freeing him, when
Vitellius to please Messalina made the statement that he had been sent
for by the prisoner, who requested the privilege of deciding the manner
of death to be visited upon him. Hearing this, Claudius believed that on
account of a guilty conscience Asiaticus had really condemned himself and
accordingly had him executed.
Among many others who were calumniated by Messalina he put to death
Asiaticus and likewise Magnus, his son-in-law. Asiaticus had property,
and the family of Magnus as well as his close relationship were irksome.
Of course, they were nominally convicted on different charges from these.
This year a new island, not large, made its appearance by the side of the
island Thera.
Claudius, monarch of the Romans, published a law to the effect that no
senator might journey above seven mile-posts from the City without the
monarch's express orders.[10]
Moreover, since many persons would afford their sick slaves no care,
but drove them out of their houses, a law was passed that all slaves
surviving such an experience should be free.
He also prohibited anybody's driving through the City [sic] seated in a
vehicle.[11]
[-30-]Vespasian in Britain had been hemmed in by the barbarians and was
in danger of annihilation, but his son Titus becoming alarmed about his
father managed by unusual daring to break through the enclosing line; he
then pursued and destroyed the fleeing enemy. Plautius for his skillful
handling of the war with Britain and his successes in it both received
praise from Claudius and obtained an ovation. [In the course of the armed
combat of gladiators many foreign freedmen and British captives fought.
The number of men receiving their finishing blow in this part of the
spectacle was large, and he took pride in the fact.]
Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo as prætor in Celtica organized the forces and
damaged among other barbarians the Cauchi, as they are commonly called.
While in the midst of the enemy's country he was recalled by Claudius,
who on ascertaining his valor and his discipline would not allow him to
climb to any greater heights. Corbulo learning this turned back, giving
vent only to the following exclamation:--"How fortunate were those who
became prætors in the days of old!" He implied that the latter had been
permitted to exhibit their prowess without danger whereas his progress
had been blocked by the emperor on account of jealousy. Yet even so he
obtained a triumph. Being again entrusted with an army he trained it no
less thoroughly, and as the nations were at peace he had the men dig
a trench all the way across from the Rhine to the Meuse, as much as a
hundred and seventy stadia long, the purpose of which was to prevent the
rivers flowing back and causing inundations at the flood tide of the
ocean.
[A.D. 48 (a. u. 801)]
When a grandson was borne to him by his daughter Antonia (whom, after the
death of Magnus, he had given in marriage to Cornelius Faustus Sulla,
brother of Messalina), he had the good sense not to allow any decree to
be passed in honor of the occasion.
Messalina and her freedmen swelled with importance. There were three of
the latter in particular who divided the ruling power among themselves:
Callistus, who had been given charge of the records of value; Narcissus,
who presided over the letters and hence wore a dagger at his belt; and
Pallas, to whom the administration of funds had been entrusted.
[-31-] Messalina, as if it did not satisfy her to play the adulteress and
harlot,--for besides her usual shameful behavior she sometimes carried
on a regular brothel in the palace, serving as a prostitute herself and
compelling women of highest rank to do the same,--now conceived a desire
to have many husbands, that is, with the legal title. [And she would have
entered upon a legal contract with all those who enjoyed her favors, had
she not been detected and destroyed in her very first attempt. For a time
all the Cæesarians were on good terms with her and everything they did
was with one mind. But when she slandered and killed Polybius, after
herself making repeated advances to him, they no longer trusted her. As a
result, deserted by their good-will, she perished.] She registered Gaius
Silius [son of the Silius slain by Tiberius] as her husband, celebrated
the marriage in costly fashion, bestowed a royal residence upon him, and
gathered in it all the most valuable of Claudius's heirlooms. Finally she
declared him consul. Now all this though [even previously] heard and seen
by everybody [else] continued to escape the notice of Claudius. So when
he went down to Ostia to inspect the grain supply, and she was left
behind in Rome on the pretext of being ill, she got up a banquet of no
little renown and carried on a most licentious revel. Then Narcissus,
having got Claudius alone, conveyed to him through the medium of
concubines information of all that was taking place. [And by frightening
him with the idea that Messalina was going to kill him also and set up
Silius as emperor in his place, he persuaded him to arrest and torture
several persons.] The moment this was done the emperor hastened back in
person to the city; and entering just as he was he put to death Mnester
with many others and then slew Messalina [after she had retreated into
the gardens of Asiaticus, which more than anything else were the cause of
her ruin.]
[A.D. 48-54]
After her Claudius destroyed also his own slave for insulting one of the
prominent men.
[A.D. 49 (a. u. 802)]
After a little he married his niece Agrippina, mother of Domitius, who
was surnamed Nero. She had beauty and had been in the habit of consulting
him constantly and being in his company alone because he was her uncle,
though she was rather more free in her conduct toward him than would
properly become a niece. [And for this reason he executed Silanus,
feeling that he was plotting against him.] [Yet Silanus was regarded as
an upright man and was honored by Claudius to the extent of receiving
triumphal honors while still a boy, being betrothed to the emperor's
daughter Octavia, and becoming prætor long before the age ordained. He
was allowed to give the festival that fell to his lot at the expense of
Claudius, and during it the latter asked some favors of him as if he were
himself the mere head of some party[12] and uttered any shouts that he
saw other people wished him to utter. Yet in spite of all this Claudius
had become such a slave to the women that on their account he killed both
his sons-in-law.]
On the heels of this occurrence Vitellius came forward in the senate with
a declaration that the good of the State required Claudius to marry. He
indicated Agrippina as a suitable person in this emergency and suggested
that they force him to the marriage. Then the senators rose and came
to Claudius and "compelled" him to marry. They also passed a decree
permitting Romans to wed their nieces, a union formerly prohibited.
[-32-] As soon as Agrippina had become settled in the palace, she gained
complete control of Claudius; for she possessed in an unusual degree the
quality of _savoir faire_. Likewise she won the devotion of all those who
were at all fond of him, partly by fear and partly by benefits conferred.
[At length she caused his son Britannicus to be brought up as if he
were no relation of the emperor. The other child, who had betrothed the
daughter of Sejanus, was dead. She made Domitius at this time son-in-law
of Claudius and later actually had him adopted. She accomplished these
ends partly by causing the freedmen to persuade Claudius and partly by
seeing to it beforehand that the senate, the populace, and the soldiers
should always concur to favor her demands. This son Agrippina] was
training for the assumption of imperial office and was having educated
under Seneca. She gathered for him an inconceivable amount of wealth,
omitting not one of the most humble and least influential citizens in her
search for money, paying court to every one who was in the least degree
well-off and murdering many for this very reason. In addition, she
destroyed out of jealousy some of the foremost women and put to death
Lollia Paulina because the latter had cherished some hope of being
married to Claudius. As she did not recognize the woman's head when it
was brought to her, she opened with her own hand the mouth and inspected
the teeth, which had certain peculiarities.
Mithridates, king of the Iberians; was defeated in a conflict with
a Roman army. Despairing of his life he begged that a hearing be
granted him to show cause why he should not be summarily executed
or led in the procession of triumph. This right having been accorded
him Claudius received him in Rome, standing on a tribunal, and addressed
threatening language to him. The king throughout replied
in an unabashed manner and concluded his remarks with "I was not
carried to you, but made the journey: if you doubt it, release me and
try to find me."
[-33-] She [sc. Agrippina] quickly became a second Messalina, and chiefly
because she obtained from the senate among other honors the right to use
the carpentum at festivals.
[A.D. 50 (a. u. 803)]
Subsequently Claudius applied to Agrippina the additional title of
_Augusta_.
When Claudius had adopted her son Nero and had made him his son-in-law
(by disowning his daughter and introducing her into another family so
that he might not have the name of uniting brother and sister), a mighty
portent occurred. All that day the sky seemed to be on fire.