for in so dooing industrie would decay and idlenes increase if men had not a feare and a hope in them And if all men should careleslie expect reliefe from others they would be to themselues vnprofitable and to vs burdensome These the like speeches although they were heard with the approbation of such whose custome is to applaude all the Princes actions be they honest or dishonest yet manie held their toong or secretly muttered which Tiberius perceiued and hauing paused a little saide that he had answered Hortalus Neuerthelesse if it so seemed good vnto the Lords of the Senat he would giue euerie one of his male children * two hundred thousand sesterces The rest gaue him thankes Hortalus helde his toong either for feare or as retaining somewhat of the nobilitie of his auncestors euen in extremitie of fortune Yet Tiberius had no compassion afterward on him although the Hortensian familie fell into shamefull pouertie IX Clemens a bondslaue counterfeiteth himselfe to be Agrippa and his bold answere THe same yeere an audacious part of a bondslaue had shaken the whole state with ciuill wars and discord had it not beene preuented in good time A bondman of Agrippas called Clemens vnderstanding of Augustus death with a courage more then seruile purposed to go to the Iland Planasia and by fraud or force bring away Agrippa to the German campe But his enterprise was hindered by the slownes of a ship of burden and in the meane season Agrippa being murdered bending his mind to greater and dangerouser attempts stealeth away his ashes and being come to Coram a promontorie of Ethruria in vnknowen places hideth himselfe vntill his beard and haire were growen out being in fauour and yeeres not vnlike his Lord. This done he whispereth it abroad by fit companions of his secrets first as in things forbidden commonly it is wont to be by priuie rumors that Agrippa was yet aliue then openly in the credulous eares of the weaker sort or busie headed and turbulent and therefore most desirous of nouelties His manner was towards night to go to small townes shewing himselfe abroad but seldome nor stay long in a place And bicause time and the eie trie out truth and falshood winneth credit on a sudden and by vncertainties he either left some speech of him where he had beene or preuented it before any was begun In the mean time it was commonly reported throughout Italy and beleeued at Rome that Agrippa by the goodnes of the gods was preserued aliue In so much that being arriued at Hostia there great multitudes and in the citie secret assemblies shewed signes of ioy Tiberius being doubtfull and perplexed whether he should make away his bondman by souldiers or suffer that vaine credulousnes to vanish away with time Thus wauereing betwixt shame and feare sometimes thinking it no policie to make light of any thing and sometime lesse to feare all things in the end committed the matter to Sallustius Crispus He chuseth two of his followers or as some saie souldiers and perswadeth them as though they had fled for some offence to goe to him offer him money promise him loyaltie and that they would stand to him in all dangers They fulfilling his commaundement espieng a night when he had no guarde with aide sufficient bound him stopped his mouth and drew him to the pallace And when Caesar asked him How he was made Agrippa it is reported hee answered As thou wast made Caesar He could not bee brought by any meanes to disclose his confederates Neither durst Tiberius punish him openly but in a secret part of the pallace commaunded him to be murdered and his bodie priuily to be conueied away And although many of the Princes own house Senators and gentlemen were reported to haue sustained him with their goods aided him with their counsell yet there was no further enquirie made In the end of this yeere a triumphall arch was erected neere to Saturnus Temple for the recouerie of the ensignes lost with Varus vnder the conduct of Germanicus and Caesars good fortune And a Temple built also of strong fortune neere Tyber in the gardens which Caesar the Dictator had bequeathed to the people of Rome and a Chappell dedicated to the Iulian familie and an image to Augustus at Bouilles IX Germanicus triumpheth is sent to the East The death of Archelaus King of Cappadocia C. Coelius and L. Pomponius being Consuls the seuenth Kalends of Iune Germanicus Caesar triumphed for the victories gotten against the Cherusci Chatti and Angriuari and all other nations inhabiting to the riuer of Albis In which triumph were caried the spoiles and captiues and counterfeit of the mountaines riuers and battels and so the warre was taken as ended because he was forbidden to prosecute it any further The comlines of his person and triumphall chariot loaden with fiue of his children made the shew more gallant But when they thought with themselues how vnluckie the peoples fauour was in his father Drusus that his vncle Marcellus was taken from them in the flowre of his youth heate of the peoples loue that the affection of the people of Rome was vnfortunate and of small continuance they were all secretly striken into a feare And although Tiberius gaue in Germanicus name to euery one of the people * three hundred sesterces a man and made him his copartner in the Consulship yet could neuer be accompted a sincere friend but that he went about to remoue the yong man vnder colour of honor and forged pretences or greedily taking hold of such as were offered by chaunce King Archelaus had now fiftie yeares enioyed Cappadocia greatly disliked of Tiberius because that during his being at Rhodes he had vsed no shew of dutie towards him which Archelaus did not omit through pride but because he was so admonished by Augustus familiarest friends For whilest C. Caesar yet flourished and managed the affaires of the East Tiberius friendship was suspected as dangerous The house of the Caesars was no sooner extinguished and that himselfe was in possession of the Empire but he tolleth Archelaus by his mothers letters to Rome who not dissembling her sonnes displeasure offered him all gentle intreatie if he would come to him with submission He then ignorant of the trechery or misdoubting violence if he seemed to perceiue it maketh haste to the citie where being churlishly receiued and anon after accused in Senate not for the crimes which were pretended but by anguish of minde or feeblenes of age and because not only base but also things indifferent are strange and vnusuall to kings he either willingly or naturally ended his life The kingdome was afterward reduced into a prouince and Caesar declaring that with the reuenews thereof the tribute of one in the hundred might be eased made a decree that from thence forward one should be leuied in two hundred At the same time Antiochus king of the Comageni and Philopater king of the Cilicians being dead those nations
on foote by which it is prouided of old that for pleading of causes no man should take either money or gift Then they whom that iniurie seemed to touch making a noise Silius was eager and earnest against Suilius and contradicted him alleaging the example of Orators in times past Which esteemed fame with posteritie to be the fairest rewarde of eloquence otherwise that the princesse of good arts should be distained with the seruitude of base lucre and that no faith could be sincere and inuiolate where excesse of gaine is regarded And if causes shoulde be defended without rewarde there would be fewer of them where as now enmities accusations hatred and iniuries are fostered and that as the multitude of diseases brought the Phisitions gaine so the pestilent infection of the bar serueth now to inrich the lawiers Let them call to minde C. Asinius and Messalla and of later memorie Arruntius and Eserninus which were lifted vp to the highest degree of dignitie by their vpright life and vncorrupted eloquence The Consull elect vttering these speeches the others approouing the same they went about to giue iudgement that such shoulde be condemned vnto the like punishment as they were who had by briberie and extortion polled and oppressed the commons When as Suilius and Cossutianus and others which perceiued that there should be no generall decree set downe but a punishment for those which had beene openly conuicted came about Caesar and besought him pardon of that which was past And after a little silence nodding with his head vnto them they began as followeth Who was he so puft vp with pride that would presume or hope for eternitie of fame that it was expedient men should prouide for necessarie maintenance least through the want of aduocates the poore be oppressed by the rich and mightie Neither did eloquence come by chance and gratis vnto any without paine and labor the care of a mans owne familie was neglected if he were occupied in another mans busines many maintained their life by warre some by tilling the earth no man laboured to attaine to any knowledge vnlesse he had seene some commoditie in it It was an easie matter for Asinius and Messalla which were inriched with great rewards betweene Antonies and Augustus wars to shew a gallant and braue minde and for Eserninus and Aruntius heires of rich houses to do the like Examples were as readie for them to shew for what great rewards P. Claudius and C. Curio were woont to plead As for themselues they were but meane Senators which expected no gaine of the common-wealth but such as grew of peace The meanest of the people endeuored what he could to better his estate the rewarde of studies being taken away studies do also decay as hauing neither glory nor honor The Prince thinking that this was not spoken without ground of reason moderated the sum which they should take vnto ten thousand sesterces and that they which passed this summe should be condemned of extorsion III. Mithradates recouereth his kingdome Warres betweene Gotarzes and Bardanes for the kingdome of Parthia ABout the same time Mithradates who as I haue shewed gouerned Armenia and was brought to Caesar returned into his kingdome at Claudius perswasion trusting in the power of Pharasmanes King of the Hiberi and Mithradates brother who told him that the Parthians were at variance among themselues doubtfull what would become of the Kingdome and matters of smaller importance vtterly neglected For whilest Gotarzes practised great cruelties going about to kill his brother Artabanus his wife and his sonne whereby the rest were afeard they called in Bardanes who being a man of action and able to go thorow great enterprises in two daies inuaded three thousand stadia and chased out Gotarzes all amazed and dismayed not once dreaming of his comming and without any lingring seased on the next gouernments the Seleucians onely refusing to obey him Whereupon inflamed with greater anger then the present occasion ministred cause bicause they had reuolted from his father he besieged their citie which was strong and well fortified with a wall inuironed with a riuer and furnished with victuals and munition In the meane time Gotarzes strengthened with the Daharian and Hyrcanian power renueth the war And Bardanes enforced to abandon Leleucia remooued his campe to the champion countrey of the Bracteri Then the forces of the Orient being deuided and vncertaine which way to leane Mithradates had oportunitie offered him by chance to sease vpon Armenia and with the force of the Roman souldier rase and beat downe the strong fortresses the Hiberian campe at once wasting and spoiling the champion Neither did the Armenians make heade at all against them Demonactes their gouernour being slaine who onely durst haue waged battell against them Cotys King of lesser Armenia did somewhat hinder them some of the nobles ioyning with him But afterward being rebuked by Caesars letters all turned vnto Mithradates side more cruell then was expedient in a kingdome newly gotten But the Parthian Emperours making preparation to fight suddenly conclude a peace hauing discouered the treacherie of their subiects which Gotarzes bewraied vnto his brother At the first meeting they had a ielous conceit the one of the other then taking one another by the right hand before the altars of the gods they promised and couenanted to reuenge the treason of their enimies and agree and helpe one another Bardanes seemed most meete to possesse the kingdome And Gotarzes because there should remaine no sparkle of emulation went to Hyrcania And Bardanes returning againe Seleucia yeeldeth the seuenth yeere after her reuolt not without discredit to the Parthians whom one bare citie had so long deluded Then he inuadeth the strongest Prouinces and began to recouer Armenia if Vibius Marsus Lieuetenant of Syria had not hindered him by threatning to warre against him In the meane time Gotarzes repenting that he had yeelded the kingdome and the nobilitie vnto whom obedience in peace seemeth hardest calling him backe againe assembleth his forces togither whom Bardanes met at the riuer Erindes where skirmishing long on both parts for the passages Bardanes had the vpper hand and with prosperous battels subdued all the middle countries vnto the riuer Gindes which diuideth the Dahas from the Arij There his fortunate successes had an end for the Parthians although they were conquerers yet liked not to make warre so far off Wherefore building monuments in token of his wealth and power and that none of the Arsacides had euer before leuied any tribute of those nations he returned with great glorie and therefore so much the more fierce and intollerable to his subiects who hauing long before laide a snare to intrap him killed him at vnawares as he was a hunting in the Prime of his youth fewe of the old Kings to be matched in renowne with him if he had as well sought the loue of his subiects as to be feared of his enimies By the death of Bardanes the Parthian
bondmen L. Varius somtimes Consull was restored to his dignitie remoued before for couetous dealing and extortion And Pomponia Graecina a noble woman and wife to Plautius who returned with a small triumph out of Britannia and accused of strange superstition was remitted to the iudgement of her husband and he according to the auncient custome in the presence of her neerest kindred heard her cause of life and death and pronounced her innocent This Pomponia liued long and in continuall sorrow for after that Iulia Drusus daughter was murdered by Messallinaes trecherie she was not seene for forty yeers but in mourning apparel and very sad doleful Which she might lawfully do whilest Claudius raigned afterward turned to her glory Many citizens were accused that yeere of which number P Celer being one at the information of the inhabitants of Asia because Caesar could not acquit him he prolonged his cause till he died of age For Celer as I haue alreadie sayd hauing besturred himselfe in the murdering of Silanus the Proconsull cloaked all other villanies vnder the greatnes of that lewd action The Cilicians accused Cossutianus Capito criminally noted and discredited with many vices thinking he had had the same priuilege of vsing insolent behauiour in the prouince as he had done in the citie But turmoiled and molested with an ouerthwart accusation in the end letting fall his defence was condemned of extorsion Great suings preuailed so much for Eprius Marcellus of whom the Lycians demaunded restitution that some of the accusers were banished as though they had indangered an innocent man VIII A liberalitie of Nero towards certaine decaied gentlemen The warre of Armenia renewed Tiridates departeth the countrey WHen Nero was the third time Consull Valerius Messalla entered the same office whose great grandfather Coruinus an orator some old men remember to haue beene companion in office with Augustus of famous memorie Neroes great grandfathers father But the honor of this noble familie was bettered by giuing Messalla by yeare fiue hundred thousand sesterces to relieue his harmelesse pouertie To Aurelius Cotta likewise and Haterius Antoninus the Prince graunted that an annuall sum of money should be giuen although they had wasted riotously the wealth their ancestors had left them In the beginning of that yeere the warre which was drawne at length with soft and milde beginnings vntill then betweene the Parthians and the Romans for obtaining of Armenia was nowe hotly pursued because Vologeses would neither suffer his brother Tiridates to be depriued of the kingdome in which he had inuested him nor that he should enioy it as a gift from another Lord and Corbulo thought it woorthie of the greatnes of the people of Rome to recouer that which by Lucullus and Pompey had beene once gotten The Armenians being doubtfull and faithfull to neither side inuited both yet by the site of their countrey and conformitie of conditions being more neere vnto the Parthians and intermingled with them by mariages and not knowing what libertie was inclined rather to that seruitude But Corbulo had more adoe with the slothfulnes of the souldiers then perfidiousnes of the enimies for the legions remoued from Syria by a long peace grown lazie and idle could hardly endure the labor and paines of the Roman discipline Certaine it was there were old souldiers in that campe which had neuer kept watch nor ward a rampire or trench they gazed at as at a new and strange deuise without head-peeces without curasses neate and fine hunting after gaine hauing spent all their seruice in townes Whereupon the olde and feeble being dismissed he desired a supplie which was had out of Galatia and Cappadocia And to them was added a legion out of Germanie with wings of horsemen and all the armie kept in campe although the winter were so hard and the earth so couered with yce that they could not pitch their tents vnlesse they had first digged the ground Manie of their limmes grew starcke with extremitie of cold and many died in keeping the watch And there was a souldier noted carriyng a faggot whose hands were so stiffe frozen that sticking to his burden they fell from him as though they had beene cut from his armes Corbulo slightly apparailed bare headed was with them when they marched when they laboured praised the stout comforted the feeble and gaue example vnto them all Then bicause many refusing to endure the hardnes of the season such rigor of discipline forsooke him he sought a redresse by seueritie for he did not pardon the first and second fault as in other armies but he suffered death presently who forsooke his ensigne which by experience proued more profitable then clemencie For fewer forsooke that campe then where there was much mercie shewen In the meane season Corbulo hauing kept the legions in campe vntill the spring and disposed the aydcohorts in conuenient places charged them not to giue the onset The charge of the garrisons he committed to Pactius Ophitus once Captaine of the first ensigne who although he wrote to Corbulo that the Barbarians were carelesse and disordered and a fit occasion offered of atchieuing some exploite yet he was commaunded to keepe within his garrison and expect greater power But breaking his commandement when he saw a few troupes of horsemen issue out of a castle hard by and vnskilfully demaund battell he encountered the enimie and went away with the losse And those which should haue seconded them terrified with that discomfiture fled as fast as they could euerie man to his hold which to Corbulo was an exceeding griefe Who rebuking Pactius and the Captaines and the souldiers commaunded them all to pitch their tents out of the campe and there kept them in that disgrace vntil they were deliuered by the intercession sute of the whole armie But Tiridates besides his own followers succoured by his brother Vologeses not now by stelth but with open warre molesteth Armenia spoiling all such he thought faithfull to vs and if any forces were brought against him he deluded them by flying hither and thither terrifiyng more by fame then fight Corbulo therefore seeking occasion to ioyne battell but in vaine and constrained to make war now in one place now in another as the enimy did seuered his forces to the end that the Lieutenants Captaines might inuade diuers places at once Withall he aduertised King Antiochus to set on the gouernment next adioyning to him For Pharasmanes his sonne Rhadamistus being slaine as a traitor towardes him to testifie his loyaltie towards vs shewed more willingly his inueterate hatred against the Armenians Then the Isichians a nation neuer before confederate with vs being nowe brought to our side inuaded the hardest passages of Armenia whereby all Tiridates deseignments were crossed He sent Embassadors to expostulate in his owne and the Parthians name Why hauing of late giuen hostages and renewed amitie which opened the way to new benefites he should be driuen from the auncient possession of Armenia therefore
for matter committed in the Proconsulship of Asia in which he augmented the displeasure the Prince bare him for iustice and industrie and because he had beene very carefull in opening the hauen of the Ephesians and had left vnpunished the violence of the citie Pergamena which hindring Acratus Caesars freed man to carry away their images and pictures But the fault indeede laid to his charge was his friendship with Plautus and ambition in alluring the prouince to new hopes The time chosen to condemne him was when Tiridates came to take the kingdome of Armenia that domesticall wickednes might be obscured and hidden with the rumors of the strangers arriuing or else that he might shew the greatnes of an Emperour by the death of worthie men as a royall act Whereupon all the citie being run out to receiue the Prince and behold the King Thrasea forbidden to go to meete him lost not courage therefore but wrote to Nero demaunding his accusations boldly affirming that he would purge himselfe if he might haue knowledge of the crimes and licence to cleere them These writings Nero receiued very greedily in hope that Thrasea being terrified and deiected would haue written somewhat sounding to the magnificencie and excellencie of the Prince and discredit of his owne reputation which falling out otherwise fearing the countenance and courage and libertie of the innocent commaunded the Lords of the Senate to be assembled Then Thrasea consulted with his friends whether he should aduenture his purgation or let it passe Those which thought it best he should enter into the Senat house said they were assured of his constancie and that he would say nothing but what should augment his glory Cowardly and timorous men did shut themselues in secret places at the time of their death The people should see a man offering himselfe to death the Senate should heare words more then humane as it were of some diuine power that Nero himselfe might also be moued with the miracle but if his crueltie should continue certes the memorie of an honorable death should be distinguished with posteritie from the cowardlines of such as perished with silence Contrarywise such as thought it conuenient to expect within dores what might happen said the same of Thrasea But yet that skoffes and iniuries were at hand he should therefore withdraw his eares from checks and reprochfull speeches not only Cossutianus and Eprius are prompt to naughtines some there are which peraduenture would let their hand walke and strike through the crueltie * of Augustus yea the good do the like for feare That he would rather deliuer the Senat whom he had alwaies honored of the infamie of so great a villanie and leaue it doubtfull what hauing seene Thrasea the Lordes of the Senate would determine That Nero should be ashamed of his wickednes was to trouble himselfe with a vaine hope and that it was much more to be feared least he should grow cruell against his wife his familie and the rest of his children Therefore that vndefiled and vncorrupted whose steps and studies he had imitated in his life theirs also he should follow in the honor of his death There was present at this consultation Rusticus Arulenus Tribune of the people a hot yongman who for desire of praise offered to oppose himselfe to the decree of Senate Thrasea coold his courage Least he should begin a vaine enterprise vnprofitable to the criminall and dangerous to the opposer As for himselfe he had ended his yeeres and that he ought not forsake the manner of his life so many yeeres continued but he entred now into offices and was in his choise to accept or refuse such as are behind That he should waigh well and ponder with himselfe what course of gouerning he should enter into of taking charge in the common wealth in such a time as this Whether it were fit for him to come into the Senate or not he would haue it rest in his owne consideration VI. Thraseas accusation and death THe next day two armed Pretorian cohorts beset the Temple of Venus the mother the waies to the Senate a companie of gownd-men had filled not hiding their weapons and a thicke aray of souldiers dispersed in the place of assemblies and Temples amidst whose lookes and threats the Senators went into the court where the Princes oration was heard by his Quaestors mouth None noted by name he blamed the Senators That they neglected publicke duties and that by their example the gentlemen of Rome were become lazie For what maruell was it if from Prouinces farre off they came not to Rome when as the most part hauing obtained the Consulship and priestly dignities gaue themselues rather to passe the time withall pleasures in their gardens Which the accusers tooke hold of as it were of a weapon And Cossutianus leading the daunce and Marcellus with greater vehemencie Cried that this touched the whole state that through the disobedience of the inferiours the lenitie of the commaunder was made lesser The Lords of the Senate vntill that day had beene too milde in suffering Thrasea to forsake their side his sonne in law Heluidius Priscus in the same madnes Paconius Agrippinus heire of his fathers hatred against Princes and Curtius Montanus composing destable verses to scoffe and abuse men without punishment He found a lacke of a Consull in the Senate of a priest in vowes in an oath a citizen but against the ordinances and ceremonies of our auncestors Thrasea had openly put on the person of a traitour and an enemie Finally that he should come and play the Senator and as he was wont protect the backbiters of the Prince and giue his censure what he would haue amended or chaunged for they could more easilie endure one finding fault with all things then endure his silence now condemning all things Doth peace throughout the world displease him or victories without losse of the armies That they would not suffer him haue the desire of his ouerthwart ambition who grieued at the common prosperitie thought the place of assemblies the Theater and Temples solitarie places and threatned his owne banishment These things vnto him seemed not decrees not magistrates nor this the citie of Rome that he would abandon and separate his life from that citie whose loue in time past and now whose sight he had cast off When with these and the like speeches Marcellus had inueighed grim and threatning in voice countenance and eies kindled with rage not that knowen and by often vse of daungers vsuall heauines but a new and a deeper feare seased the Lords of the Senate beholding the hands and weapons of the souldiers Besides that the reuerent representation of Thrasea came to their imagination and some there were which had compassion that Heluidius should suffer punishment in regard of harmelesse affinitie What was obiected against Agrippinus but the lamentable fortune of his father When as he innocent also was ruined by Tiberius crueltie Montanus a vertuous yoong man was