nati, eorum habentur liberi, à quibus primùm virgines quæque ductæ sunt. Equites hostium essedariique acriter prælio cum equitatu nostro in itinere conflixerunt; ità tamen, ut nostri omnibus partibus superiores fuerint, atque eos in silvas collesque compulerint. NARRATION LIX. Death of Cæsar, A. C. 43. CESAR, the vanquisher of the Gauls, no longer conceals his designs to assume the supreme power. The Senate have only Popey to oppose to him. The battle of Pharsalia decides this great dispute. Pompey being vanquished, escapes to Egypt, where he is assassinated. Asia, Africa and Spain become successively the theatres of Cæsar's victories. When with difficulty he had obtained the title of Perpetual Dictator, he is killed in the midst of the Senate. CONSPIRATUM est in Cæsarem à LX ampliùs, C. Cassio, Marcoque et D. Bruto principibus conspirationis. Qui primùm cunctati, utrùmne illum in campo per comitia tribus ad suffragia vocantem partibus divisis à ponte dejicerent, atque exceptum trucidarent: "an in Sacrâ viâ, vel in aditu theatri adorirentur: postquam senatus Idibus Martiis in Pompeii curiam edictus est, facilè tempus et locum prætulerunt. Sed Cæsari futura cædes evidentibus prodigiis denuntiata est. Eâ nocte cui illuxit dies cædis, et ipse sibi visus est per quietem interdùm supra nubes volitare, aliàs cum Jove dextram jungere. Et Calpurnia uxor imaginata est, collabi fastigium domûs, maritumque in gremio suo confodi: ac subitò cubiculi fores spontè patuerunt. Ob hæc simul et ob infirmam valetudinem diù cunctatus, an se contineret, et quæ apud senatum proposuerat, agere differret: tandem D. Bruto adhortante, ne frequentes ac jam dudùm opperientes destitueret, quintà ferè horâ progressus est: libellumque insidiarum indicem, ab obvio quodam porrectum, libellis cæteris quos sinistrâ manu tenebat, quasi mox lecturus, commiscuit. Dein pluribus hostiis cæsis, cum litare non posset, introiit curiam, spretâ religione: Spurinamque irridens, et ut falsum arguens, quòd sine ullâ noxâ idus Martiæ adessent : quamquam is venisse quidem eas diceret, sed non præteriisse. Assidentem conspicati, specie officii circumsteterunt: illicòque Cimber Tullius, qui primas partes susceperat, quasi aliquid rogaturus, propiùs accessit: renuentique et gestu in aliud tempus differenti, ab utroque humero togam apprehendit : deindè clamantem, ista quidem vis est, alter Cassius adversum vulnerat, paulùm infrà jugulum. Cæsar Cassii brachium arreptum graphio trajecit: conatusque prosilire, alio vulnere tardatus est. Utque animadvertit undiquè se strictis pugionibus peti, togâ caput obvolvit: simul sinistrâ manu sinum ad ima crura deduxit, quò honestiùs caderet, etiam inferiore corporis parte velatâ. Atque ita tribus et viginti plagis confossus est, uno, modò ad primum ictum, gemitu sine voce edito. Esti tradiderunt quidam, M. Bruto irruenti dixisse, Kas où réxvov? id est, et tu fili. Exanimis, diffugientibus cunctis, aliquandiù jacuit, donec lecticæ impositum, dependente brachio, tres servuli domum retulerunt. NARRATION LX. Augustus made Emperor-year of Rome 722, A. C. 31. Tiberius succeeds him A. D. 14. Arrival of Aggrippina at Brindici. (Rom. Hist. Tacitus, Annal. lib. 3) AFTER the death of Cæsar, Rome witnesses, under the triumvirate of Octavius, Anthony, and 1 Brindici-Brundusium, a maritime city of Ita ly, in the kingdom of Naples. Lepidus, all the horrors of the proscriptions of Sylla. But these three tyrants became divided: and Anthony, being vanquished in the battle of Actium, puts an end to his life; Lepidus becomes an object of contempt; whilst Octavianus, nephew to, and son by adoption of, Julius Cæsar, remains sole master of the empire. Octavianus, as emperor, causes them to forget the cruelties of the triumvirate. He establishes order; protects letters and the arts, and shows himself the constant friend of peace. His reign, which was both long and glorious, forms one of the first epochs of the history of the world. The greatness of his character has given him the name of Augustus. He was succeeded by Tiberius. Augustus, by his policy and wisdom of government, had insensibly accustomed the people to subordination. But, under Tiberius and his successors, the chief authority degenerates into a hideous despotism. As soon as the armies hear of the death of Augustus, they show a seditious spirit. The army of Parmonia gives the first signal of revolt-it is sup pressed by Drusus. Germanicus suppresses the army of Germany. Tiberius, becoming jealous of Germanicus, because of the love borne him by his soldiers, transfers him to a command in Syria-He is there poisoned by his lieutenant Pison. All the people mourn the loss of Germanicus-more particularly when his wife Agrippina arrives at Brindici, holding in her hands an urn, containing the ashes of her spouse. 2 NIHIL intermissâ navigatione Hiberni maris Agrippina Corcyram insulam advehitur, littora Calabriæ contrà sitam. Illic paucos dies componendo animo insumit, violenta luctu, et nescia tolerandi. Interìm adventu ejus audito, intimus quisque amicorum, et plerique militares, ut qui que sub Germanico stipendia fecerant, multique etiam ignoti vicinis è municipiis, pars officium in principem rati, plures illos secuti, ruere ad oppidum Brundisium, quod naviganti celerrimum fidissimumque adpulsu erat. Atquè ubi primùm ex alto visa classis, complentur non modò portus et proxima maris, sed moenia ac tecta, quàque longissimè prospectari poterat, mærentium turbâ, ac rogitantium inter se, silentio ne an voce aliquâ egredientem exciperent. Nequè satis constabat quid pro tempore foret, cùm classis paulatim successit, non alacri ut adsolet remigio, sed cunctis ad tristitiam compositis. Postquam duobus cum liberis feralem urnam tenens egressa navi, defixit oculos, idem omnium gemitus, nequè discerneres, proximos, alienos, virorum, feminarumve planctus, nisi quod comitatum Agrippinæ longo mærore fessum, obvii et recentes in dolore anteibant. 1 Corcyram-Corfu, an isle of the gulf of Ve nice. 2 Calabria-a province of Italy, divided into upper and lower Calabria. |