Tiberius | Page 3

consul, with Lucius Munatius
Plancus [301], after the battle of Philippi; for so it is registered in the
calendar, and the public acts. According to some, however, he was born
the preceding year, in the consulship of Hirtius and Pansa; and others
say, in the year following, during the consulship of Servilius Isauricus
and Antony.
VI. His infancy and childhood were spent in the midst of danger and
trouble; for he accompanied his parents everywhere in their flight, and
twice at Naples nearly betrayed them by his crying, when they were
privately hastening to a ship, as the enemy rushed into the town; once,
when he was snatched from his nurse's breast, and again, from his
mother's bosom, by some of the company, who on the sudden
emergency wished to relieve the women of their burden. Being carried
through Sicily and Achaia, and entrusted for some time to the care of
the Lacedaemonians, who were under the protection of the Claudian
family, upon his departure thence when travelling by night, he ran the
hazard of his life, by a fire which, suddenly bursting out of a wood on

all sides, surrounded the whole party so closely, that part of Livia's
dress and hair was burnt. The presents which were made him (197) by
Pompeia, sister to Sextus Pompey, in Sicily, namely, a cloak, with a
clasp, and bullae of gold, are still in existence, and shewn at Baiae to
this day. After his return to the city, being adopted by Marcus Gallius, a
senator, in his will, he took possession of the estate; but soon
afterwards declined the use of his name, because Gallius had been of
the party opposed to Augustus. When only nine years of age, he
pronounced a funeral oration in praise of his father upon the rostra; and
afterwards, when he had nearly attained the age of manhood, he
attended the chariot of Augustus, in his triumph for the victory at
Actium, riding on the left-hand horse, whilst Marcellus, Octavia's son,
rode that on the right. He likewise presided at the games celebrated on
account of that victory; and in the Trojan games intermixed with the
Circensian, he commanded a troop of the biggest boys.
VII. After assuming the manly habit, he spent his youth, and the rest of
his life until he succeeded to the government, in the following manner:
he gave the people an entertainment of gladiators, in memory of his
father, and another for his grandfather Drusus, at different times and in
different places: the first in the forum, the second in the amphitheatre;
some gladiators who had been honourably discharged, being induced to
engage again, by a reward of a hundred thousand sesterces. He likewise
exhibited public sports, at which he was not present himself. All these
he performed with great magnificence, at the expense of his mother and
father-in-law. He married Agrippina, the daughter of Marcus Agrippa,
and grand-daughter of Caecilius Atticus, a Roman knight, the same
person to whom Cicero has addressed so many epistles. After having
by her his son Drusus, he was obliged to part with her [302], though
she retained his affection, and was again pregnant, to make way for
marrying Augustus's daughter Julia. But this he did with extreme
reluctance; for, besides having the warmest attachment to Agrippina, he
was disgusted with the conduct of Julia, who had made indecent
advances to him during the lifetime of her former husband; and that she
was a woman of loose character, was the general opinion. At divorcing
Agrippina he felt the deepest regret; and upon meeting her afterwards,
(198) he looked after her with eyes so passionately expressive of
affection, that care was taken she should never again come in his sight.

At first, however, he lived quietly and happily with Julia; but a rupture
soon ensued, which became so violent, that after the loss of their son,
the pledge of their union, who was born at Aquileia and died in infancy
[303], he never would sleep with her more. He lost his brother Drusus
in Germany, and brought his body to Rome, travelling all the way on
foot before it.
VIII. When he first applied himself to civil affairs, he defended the
several causes of king Archelaus, the Trallians, and the Thessalians,
before Augustus, who sat as judge at the trials. He addressed the senate
on behalf of the Laodiceans, the Thyatireans, and Chians, who had
suffered greatly by an earthquake, and implored relief from Rome. He
prosecuted Fannius Caepio, who had been engaged in a conspiracy with
Varro Muraena against Augustus, and procured sentence of
condemnation against him. Amidst all this, he had besides to
superintend two departments of the administration, that of supplying
the city with corn, which was then very scarce, and that of clearing the