of courage was called the false Philip. How after that they had sent their power against Antiochus Perses Aristonicus and howe they succoured Antonie in the wars against the pyrats calling to minde likewise that which they offered Sylla or Lucullus or Pompey then the late good turnes seruices done to the Caesars when they came into those parts where there is a most conuenient passage both by land and by sea for the captaines and armies with al carriages of necessarie prouisiōs For the Greeks sited Byzance in the vtmost part of Europe in a very narrow streight which diuideth Europe from Asia for hauing consulted with Pythius Apollo in what territory they should build their citie the oracle answered them that they should seeke out a seate which was opposite to the lande of Blind-men By that darke speech the Chalcedonians were pointed at bicause that hauing first arriued in that place not iudging aright of the commodiousnes of it made choise of the woorst for Byzance is seated in a fertile soile and a plentifull sea bicause great abundance of fish going out of Pontus and frighted with the rockes and stones vnder the water forsaking the creekes of the other shore is brought all to these hauens Whereby first all the citie became rich and wealthie but then oppressed with charges and impositions and therefore intreated they might either haue an end or a meane of so heauie a burden The Prince was readie to do them good alleaging that they were to be helped as people wearied with late wars against the Thracians and Bosphorans and therupon they were exempted from tributes for fiue yeeres space 13. Why Agrippina seeketh Claudius death the Emperour dieth empoisoned by the Phisition Xenophon WHen M. Asinius and M. Acilius were Consuls a change of state to the woorse was portended and foreknowne by many prodigious signes For the ensignes and souldiers tents were burnt with fire from heauen A swarme of Bees lighted on the top of the Capitol monsters and children borne with two shapes and a Sowe brought foorth a Pigge with talons of a hauke It was accounted a prodigious matter that the number of magistrates was so small a Questor Aedill Tribune Pretor and Consull dying but a fewe monethes before But Agrippina of all others was most afeard by reason of a word which Claudius cast foorth being drunke which was that it was fatall vnto him first to beare the lewdnes of his wiues then to punish them Thereupon she bestirreth hir-selfe and that with all speed but first hauing made away Domitia for light cause and womens quarrels For Domitia Lepida being daughter to the yoonger Antonia and neece to Augustus cosen germane to Agrippina and sister to Gn. Agrippinaes first husband thought hir-selfe to be of as great nobilitie as Agrippina and as well descended neither was there any great difference betweene them in beautie age and wealth And being both vnchaste infamous peremptory proud they no lesse hated one the other for their vices then for the graces gifts of fortune The ground of this bitter and deadly hate was which should haue more credite and greater interest in Nero the aunt or the mother For Lepida had woone the yoong mans hart by gifts and faire words Agrippina contrariwise cruell and threatning coulde giue hir sonne the Empire but not indure that he shoulde rule The crimes imputed to hir were that she went about to destroy the princes wife by incantatious and deuilish inuocations and that by not brideling and punishng hir swarmes of slaues in Calabria she had disturbed the quietnes of Italie for these causes she was commanded to die Narcissus mightily repining and grudging at it who began more and more to suspect Agrippina and was said to haue vttered vnto his neerest friends that he was sure to die whether Britannicus or Nero came to be Emperour Yet he had receiued so much good at Caesars handes that he esteemed more of the princes safetie then his owne life Messallina and Silius had beene conuicted the like occasions of accusations will be offered againe if Nero shoulde raigne If Britannicus should succeede he had deserued no fauour of him and the whole house woulde bee shaken and vtterlie ouerthrowne with the diuelish deuises of his stepmother and with more wicked practises then if he had concealed the impudicitie and vncleane life of his other wife although the house be as shamefully defiled by Pallas adulterie as then it was because no man should doubt what small accompt she made of her credit reputation shame bodie and all whatsoeuer so as she might rule and commaund After he had vttered these or the like speeches he embraced Britannicus wished he were come to ripe yeeres lifteth vp his hands sometimes to the gods sometimes to him praying that he might grow in yeeres driue out his fathers enemies reuenge on the murtherers of his mother Claudius in this great heape of cares was stroken with sicknes and to recouer his strength with the temperatenes of the citie wholesomnes of the waters went to Sinuessa Then Agrippina long before resolued in her villanous deseignments and desirous to hasten the occasion offered wanting no ministers began to thinke with her selfe what kinde of poison she were best to vse for by a speedie and quick working poison she feared least her wickednes should be discouered yet if she should choose a lingering slow working one least Claudius drawing by little and little to his end and vnderstanding the treacherie should turne his minde and shew loue and affection to his owne sonne in the end she resolued to thinke on some singular thing which should trouble his braines and not worke his death ouer-hastely A schoolemistris of such practises was chosen of purpose called Locusta of late condemned for empoisoning and long reserued among other instruments of state The poison was prepared by this womans skill and the minister to giue it was Halotus an Eunuch one accustomed to carrie in and taste his meate all came afterward so cleerely to light that the writers of those times haue affirmed that the poison was infused into a Mushrome which Claudius tooke pleasure to eate of which then he perceiued not either by reason of his blockishnes or ouer-much quaffing of wine and hauing a solublenes of bodie withall it was thought the receipt would not worke his effect Whereupon Agrippina greatly astonied and fearing her vtter destruction nothing regarding what enuie she might presently incurre conferreth with Xenophon the Phisition whose conscience before-hand she had wrought to serue her turne He as though he would help the Prince endeuoring to vomit was thought to haue put down his throte a feather dipped in a strong and speedie poison knowing well that foule attempts are begun with danger and accomplished with reward In the meane time the Senate was assembled and the Consuls and Priests made vowes for the health of the Prince and being alreadie dead he was couered and cherished with cloathes whilest things
Germaine host was entering Gallia And if Agrippina had not hindered the pulling downe of the bridge ouer Rhene some through feare would haue ventured so lewde an action Who being a woman of a great courage tooke vpon hir for some daies the office of a Captaine relieued the soldiers as they had most need with apparell and medicine C. Plinius a writer of the Germaine warres recounteth that she went to the ende of the bridge and there staied praising and thanking the legions as they returned A matter which entered deepely into Tiberius minde imagining with himselfe that it was not for nought that she vsed such care and curtesie that she sought not the fauour of the soldier against the stranger That there was nothing left for the Emperors to do if a woman tooke once vpon hir to visit the bands go to the ensignes and seeke meanes to corrupt the soldier As though it had beene but a small point of ambition to carrie her sonne about the campe in the attire of a common soldier and call him Caesar Caligula That Agrippina was now of greater credite with the armie than the Lieutenants and Captaines and that a woman had suppressed a sedition which Caesars name and power could not do All this was aggrauated by Seianus well acquainted with Tiberius humour and who had long before sowen seedes of hatred which for the time he smoothered bicause they should burst out the greater in the end But Germanicus gaue P. Vitellius charge of the second fowerteenth legion which he had brought by sea to conduct by land to the ende the shippes might in the lowe water saile more easilie or in the ebbing lie a ground more lightly Vitellius had a quiet beginning of his iourney a drie shore and small flote but by and by through a gale of northren winde the aequinoxe falling out the same time and the sea swelling extraordinarily his armie was tossed hither and thither the face of the earth was couered with waters the sea the shore the fields were all but one The vncertaine sands coulde not be discerned from firme lande nor the shelues from the deepe seas their horses and cariages were drawen vnder water and swallowed in the gulfes dead bodies flotted and met one another the soldiers disorderly mingled now breast now chin high in water and sometimes loosing footing either drowned or scattered Encouragments tooke no place being thus tossed with waues the valiant man was not distinguished from the coward the wise not knowen from the foole nor no difference betwixt counsell and chance but all wrapped vp in like violence In the end Vitellius hauing gotten the higher ground brought the rest of his companie thither where they passed all that night without vtensiles or fire the greatest part either naked or moiled in no lesse miserable a taking then the besiged by the enimie for the end of those is glorious and the death of these without honour The day shewed them land and they passed to the riuer Visurgis where Caesar was arriued with the whole fleet into which he receiued the legions reported to haue beene drowned and neuer beleeued to be aliue vntill they sawe Caesar and the armie returned Now Stertinius sent before to receiue Segestes brother Segimerus who had yeelded himselfe brought him and his sonne to Colen and both pardoned though Segimerus easlier then his sonne because it was layd to his charge that he had skoffed at Quinctilius Varus body But to supplie these losses which the armie had sustained Gallia Spaine and Italie stroue who should furnish most offering armour horses gold and such things as they had most in a readinesse Germanicus commending their loue and affection accepted only their armour and horses and furnished the rest with his owne charges And to comfort and mitigate the remembrance of their ouerthrow with some courteous vsage he went about to visite the wounded praising in particular euery ones valiantnes and looking on their wounds fed one with hope and an other with praise woon all by good words and care and made them constant to himselfe and resolute to fight The same yeare by decree of Senate the markes of triumph were ordained for A. Caecina L. Apronius C. Silius for their noble exploites atchieued vnder Germanicus And Tiberius refused the Title of father of his countrey which the people had often cast vpon him Nor would not suffer any to sweare to the obseruation of his ordinances although the Senate were thereto consenting affirming that all mortall things were mutable and vncertaine and the higher he should clime the slipperer his estate should be Notwithstanding all this they could not be perswaded that he meant well to the citizens because he had put on foote againe the law of treason knowen to the ancients by the same name But by vertue of that law other things were brought into question as if any had betrayed the armie stirred the people to sedition badly managed the affaires of the common-wealth impaired and weakened the maiestie of the people of Rome But then deedes only were punished words went scotfree Augustus was the first who vnder colour of this law comprehended the examination of infamous libels moued thereto by the insolent behauiour of Cassius Seuerus who had defamed honorable persons both men and women with scandalous writings Tiberius also when Pompeius Macro the Pretor asked whether iudgement should be giuen touching the said crime made answere that the lawes were to be obserued Tiberius was the more exasperated through certaine verses cast abroad by an vncertaine author against his crueltie pride and disagreeing with his mother It shall not be amisse if I rehearse with what pretended crimes Falanius and Rubrius both meane Gentlemen of Rome were charged to make it knowne by what beginnings what sleights of Tiberius an vtter ruine of the common-wealth was intended then suppressed afterward reuiued againe and in the end ouermastered all Falanius accuser obiected against him that amongst other worshippers of Augustus for such fellowships there were almost in euery house as it had beene Colleges he had receiued one Cassius a stage-player and infamous of his bodie and that with his gardens he had sould Augustus image Rubrius was accused to haue violated an oath made in Augustus name When these things were brought to Tiberius notice he answered That his father had not a place assigned him in heauen by decree of Senate because that honor should be conuerted to the ouerthrow of the citizens That Cassius the stage-player was wont to be admitted with others of the same trade to the playes which his mother had consecrated to Augustus memorie That there was nothing done against religion if his image was sould as the counterfets of other gods were in the sale of their gardens and houses And as for Rubrius oath it was to be held in the same accompt as if he had deceiued Iupiter himselfe and that the iniuries done vnto the gods ought to be referred to the care of the
the heauen and all the sea gaue place to the southwind which more and more preuailing through the mountaines of Germanie deepe riuers and huge clouds and growing more violent and boisterous through the cold of the North neer which it is tossed and scattered the shipping into the wilde Ocean or rockie Ilands or dangerous and vnknowen quicksands Which being a little but with much a doe escaped by the changing of the sea they went whither the wind droue them They could neither cast anchor nor pumpe out the water which came in on them Horses of seruice and cariage bag and baggage yea their armour they threw into the sea that the ships might be lightened which leaked at the sides the billowes swelling more and more By how much the Ocean is more violent then any other sea and Germany exceedeth other countries in roughnes and sharpnes of aire by so much that misfortune exceeded others in strangenes and greatnes happening at the shores of the enimies land or in so deepe and wide a sea that it hath beene beleeued to be the last and beyond which there is no land Some of their ships were drowned many cast vpon Ilands far off the souldiers the countrey being vnhabited perished by famine vnlesse it were such as releeued themselues with the horses as were cast a land Germanicus gallie onely arriued at the Chauceans countrey who seeing himselfe all those daies and nights vpon rocks and points crying that he onely was guiltie of the casting away of so many persons could hardly be kept and staied by his friends from casting himselfe into the same sea At length the sea growing lower and the wind more fauourable the lame and vntackled shippes with a fewe oares or their garments spread in stead of sailes or drawen at the taile of stronger returned Which Germanicus mending in haste sent to search the Ilands by which care many of the soldiers were gathered togither and recouered The Angriuarians lately receiued into protection deliuered some which they had redeemed of such as dwelt further in the land some were cast into Britany and sent backe by the petie Kings As euerie man returned from far countries he reported strange woonders tempestuous stormes birdes neuer before heard of sea-monsters doubtfull shapes whether of men or beasts which they had either seene or imagined through feare VI. Germanicus being returned wasteth the countrey of the Chatti and recouereth an ensigne lost with Varus BVt the fame of the nauie lost as it did put the Germans in a hope of beginning a new warre so did it giue Germanicus stomack to curbe them Wherupon he comanded C. Silius to goe against the Chatti with thirtie thousand footemen and three thousand horsmen and himselfe inuaded the Marsi with stronger forces Their Captaine called Malouendus who not long before had yeelded himselfe gaue notice how that not far off an ensigne of Varus legion was buried and kept but with a slender guarde A band of men was sent thither out of hand with direction that some should toll them out and assaile them in the front and others by inuironing them behind to open the earth and take out the ensigne fortune shewing hir-selfe fauourable to both the companies This made Caesar more forward and entereth further into the land wasteth forrageth rifleth the countrey the enimie not daring to encounter him or if at any time he did resist he was straight driuen back neuer as they vnderstood by certaine captiues fearing more in their liues For they gaue out that the Romans were inuincible and not to be daunted with any misfortune seeing that hauing lost their nauie and armor and after that the shores were couered with the carcasses of their men and horses they inuaded them a fresh with the same courage and like fiercnes yea as if they had increased their number From thence the souldiers were brought backe to their winter standing camps glad that they had recompensed their misfortune by sea with so prosperous a victorie Caesar vsed great largesse recompensing euerie man to the value of the losse he had sustained Little doubt but the enimie grew faint harted and began to consult how he might intreat a peace and that if the next sommer the wars should haue beene continued there would be an ende of all But Germanicus was sollicited by often letters from Tiberius to returne and receiue the triumphe which was ordained for him that he had passed through many chaunces and accidents that he had had prosperous successe in many battels that he should remēber what grieuous and cruell losses he had sustained not by any ouersight of the Captaine but by the winds waues of the sea that he had bin sent nine times into Germanie by Augustus of famous memorie where he had atchieued more noble exploites by counsel then force So he had receiued the submission of the Sigambri so the Sueuians and the King of the Maroboduans were inforced to make peace that the Cherusci and other rebellious nations seeing the Romans had had a sufficient reuenge on them might be left to war one against another But Germanicus intreating for one yeere longer to finish the enterprises he had begun Tiberius assaulted his modestie more earnestly offering him the consulship once more which he should execute in person He added further that if there were any more wars to be enterprised he should reserue that subiect for the glorie of his brother Drusus who no other enimy being left could not but by warring against the Germans get the title of Emperor or win the crowne of laurell Germanicus made no longer stay although he knew well that those were but colours sought through enuie to draw him from the glorie he had alreadie purchased VII Libo accused of treason killeth himselfe ABout the same time Libo Drusus one of the Scribonian familie was accused for practizing against the state The beginning the order and the end of that busines I will set downe because those things came then first to light which for so many yeares had consumed and eaten the common-wealth Firmius Cato a Senator and one of Liboes inward friends induced this vncircumspect yong man and easily led to vanities to giue credit to the Chaldeans promises Magicians ceremonies and interpreters of dreames vainely and boastingly putting him in minde that Pompey was his great grandfather Scribonia who had been Augustus wife his aunt the Caesars his cosen germans and that his house was full of images and monuments of his predecessors He incited him further to licentious riot to take vp and borrow money making himselfe a companion of his want on lusts and familiarities the better to wrap and conuince him with many euidences When he had found witnesses sufficient and such also of his seruants which were priuie to the whole matter he desired he might be admitted to the speech of the Prince and by meanes of Flaccus Vescularius a Gentleman of Rome and one of Tiberius familiars discouered the matter and the man Caesar was