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appearing, with feigned madness, in the arena. But the trick of feigned madness, successfully carried out by Brutus, the Liberator of Rome from the Tarquins (Livy i. 56), was of no avail against Domitian.

71. Crispinus, a native of Egypt, made an eques and perhaps praetorian prefect by Domitian. Juvenal (i. 26 ff.) says that it is hard not to write satire when Crispinus, a native of Canopus, goes about hitching up a mantle of Tyrian purple, and wearing a specially light ring in summer to keep his fingers cool.

74. Cornelius Fuscus, praetorian prefect under Domitian (Suet. Dom. 6), conducted the war against the Dacian Decebalus which began in A. D. 86. The following year he pursued the Dacians across the Danube and was killed.

76. Fabricius Veiento was in A.D. 62 accused of making scurrilous comments on the Senate and the priests in a document which he was pleased to call his will. It was also asserted that he sold his influence with Nero to those who wished to obtain office (Tac. Ann. xiv. 50). He was exiled from Italy, and his book ordered to be burnt, which for a time greatly enhanced the interest with which it was read. Under Domitian he became prosperous as a delator (cf. Juv. iii. 185; B. III. iv. 31 in this book). We know from Pliny (Ep. iv. 22) that on one occasion when he was dining at Nerva's table during the Principate of the latter, Iunius Mauricus was asked by his host what would have happened to Catullus Messalinus (the blind delator mentioned with Veiento here), if he had lived. Mauricus answered, ' He would be dining with us.'

79. a ponte: the usual haunt of beggars. Cf. Juv. Sat. v. 8 (B. I. v. 8 in this book).

84. Cilicis: a gladiator dressed to represent a Cilician pirate. 90. Arviragus. Nothing is known of any British chieftain of that name; but Agricola's campaign in Britain lasted till A. D. 84, and some of the chiefs opposed to him may well have been known by name at Rome.

IOI. aliam famem: caused by the use of emetics.

IIO. The Chatti lived in the Taunus region (the high ground above the modern Wiesbaden). In A. D. 83 Domitian in person led the army against them, and celebrated his victory by a triumph and the assumption of the name Germanicus. Five years later, when L. Antonius Saturninus the governor of Upper Germany revolted, he counted on the support of the Chatti. This was rendered inoperative by the sudden thawing of the ice on the Rhine, which prevented them from crossing. The Sycambri dwelt to the west of the Chatti. The present passage, so far as it goes, is the only evidence we have of war against them under Domitian.

116. Domitian was murdered by the freedman Stephanus on Sept. 18, A.D. 96. The conspiracy against him was organized in concert with his wife Domitia, but the nobles who had suffered so much from Domitian's tyranny took no part in it. The Lamiae (1. 117) are taken as types of the nobility. We hear from Suetonius (Dom. 10) that Aelius Lamia was put to death for some harmless jokes at the expense of Domitian, who had carried off and married his wife.

iii. The Age of Tacitus

INITIVM mihi operis Servius Galba iterum Titus Vinius consules erunt. nam post conditam urbem octingentos et viginti prioris aevi annos multi auctores rettulerunt, dum res populi Romani memorabantur pari eloquentia ac libertate : postquam bellatum apud Actium atque omnem potentiam ad 5 unum conferri pacis interfuit, magna illa ingenia cessere; simul veritas pluribus modis infracta, primum inscitia rei publicae ut alienae, mox libidine adsentandi aut rursus odio adversus dominantis : ita neutris cura posteritatis inter infensos vel obnoxios. sed ambitionem scriptoris facile averse- 10 ris, obtrectatio et livor pronis auribus accipiuntur; quippe adulationi foedum crimen servitutis, malignitati falsa species libertatis inest. mihi Galba Otho Vitellius nec beneficio nec iniuria cogniti. dignitatem nostram a Vespasiano inchoatam, a Tito auctam, a Domitiano longius provectam non abnuerim: 15 sed incorruptam fidem professis neque amore quisquam et sine odio dicendus est. quod si vita suppeditet, principatum divi Nervae et imperium Traiani, uberiorem securioremque materiam, senectuti seposui, rara temporum felicitate ubi sentire quae velis et quae sentias dicere licet.

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Opus adgredior opimum casibus, atrox proeliis, discors seditionibus, ipsa etiam pace saevum. quattuor principes ferro interempti: trina bella civilia, plura externa ac plerumque permixta: prosperae in Oriente, adversae in Occidente res turbatum Illyricum, Galliae nutantes, perdomita 25 Britannia et statim omissa: coortae in nos Sarmatarum ac Sueborum gentes, nobilitatus cladibus mutuis Dacus, mota prope etiam Parthorum arma falsi Neronis ludibrio. iam vero Italia novis cladibus vel post longam saeculorum seriem

30 repetitis adflicta. haustae aut obrutae urbes, fecundissima Campaniae ora et urbs incendiis vastata, consumptis antiquissimis delubris, ipso Capitolio civium manibus incenso. pollutae caerimoniae, magna adulteria: plenum exiliis mare, infecti caedibus scopuli. atrocius in urbe saevitum: nobilitas, 35 opes, omissi gestique honores pro crimine et ob virtutes certissimum exitium. nec minus praemia delatorum invisa quam scelera, cum alii sacerdotia et consulatus ut spolia adepti, procurationes alii et interiorem potentiam, agerent verterent cuncta odio et terrore. corrupti in dominos servi, in patronos 40 liberti ; et quibus deerat inimicus per amicos oppressi.

Non tamen adeo virtutum sterile saeculum ut non et bona exempla prodiderit. comitatae profugos liberos matres, secutae maritos in exilia coniuges: propinqui audentes, constantes generi, contumax etiam adversus tormenta ser45 vorum fides; supremae clarorum virorum necessitates fortiter toleratae et laudatis antiquorum mortibus pares exitus. praeter multiplices rerum humanarum casus caelo terraque prodigia et fulminum monitus et futurorum praesagia, laeta tristia, ambigua manifesta; nec enim umquam atrocioribus populi 50 Romani cladibus magisve iustis indiciis adprobatum est non esse curae deis securitatem nostram, esse ultionem.

Ceterum antequam destinata componam, repetendum videtur qualis status urbis, quae mens exercituum, quis habitus provinciarum, quid in toto terrarum orbe validum, quid 55 aegrum fuerit, ut non modo casus eventusque rerum, qui plerumque fortuiti sunt, sed ratio etiam causaeque noscantur.

finis Neronis ut laetus primo gaudentium impetu fuerat, ita varios motus animorum non modo in urbe apud patres aut populum aut urbanum militem, sed omnis legiones ducesque 60 conciverat, evulgato imperii arcano posse principem alibi quam Romae fieri. sed patres laeti, usurpata statim libertate licentius ut erga principem novum et absentem; primores equitum proximi gaudio patrum; pars populi integra et ma

gnis domibus adnexa, clientes libertique damnatorum et exulum in spem erecti: plebs sordida et circo ac theatris sueta, 65 simul deterrimi servorum, aut qui adesis bonis per dedecus Neronis alebantur, maesti et rumorum avidi.

TAC. Hist. i. 1-4.

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