LXXI.
Ni mihi destinatum foret suum quaeque in annum referre, avebat animus antire statimque memorare exitus quos Latinus atque Opsius ceterique flagitii eius repertores habuere, non modo postquam Gaius Caesar rerum potitus est sed incolumi Tiberio, qui scelerum ministros ut perverti ab aliis nolebat, ita plerumque satiatus et oblatis in eandem operam recentibus veteres et praegravis adflixit: verum has atque alias sontium poenas in tempore trademus. tum censuit Asinius Gallus, cuius liberorum Agrippina matertera erat, petendum a principe ut metus suos senatui fateretur amoverique sineret. nullam aeque Tiberius, ut rebatur, ex virtutibus suis quam dissimulationem diligebat: eo aegrius accepit recludi quae premeret. sed mitigavit Seianus, non Galli amore verum ut cunctationes principis opperiretur, gnarus lentum in meditando, ubi prorupisset, tristibus dictis atrocia facta coniungere. Per idem tempus Iulia mortem obiit, quam neptem Augustus convictam adulterii damnaverat proieceratque in insulam Trimerum, haud procul Apulis litoribus. illic viginti annis exilium toleravit Augustae ope sustentata, quae florentis privignos cum per occultum subvertisset, misericordiam erga adflictos palam ostentabat.
71.
If it were not my firm intention to record events in the year they occur, it would have been my deep desire to mention immediately the end that was met by Latinius, Opsius, and the other perpetrators of this unspeakable villainy not only after Caligula’s rise to power but also while Tiberius lived. While he did not like to have the executors of his infamies destroyed by others, Tiberius often became tired of them and if new ones offered their services, he eliminated the old ones as so much useless weight. Yet, I shall, when the proper time comes, relate the ways in which these and other men were requited for their crimes. To resume, Asinius Gallus, whose children had Agrippina for aunt, proposed that the prince be asked to reveal his fears and to authorize the senate to allay them. Now, if there was one good quality – as he saw it – among those Tiberius attributed to himself and valued the most, undoubtedly it was his ability to dissemble. Nothing then irritated him as much as Gallus’ request to reveal what he wanted to hide. Sejanus managed to assuage him, not out of love for Gallus, but to give Tiberius’ vacillations time to mature, knowing that he, slow though he was to come to a decision, once his anger exploded, brutal action followed angry words. At the same time, Julia, Augustus’ granddaughter, died. Guilty of adultery and condemned to exile, her grandfather had her deported to the island of Trimerus off the Apulian coast. For twenty years she bore her punishment supported by the help of Augusta, who, working in secret, had ruined her step-children when they were flourishing, then made a show of her compassion after they were brought to their knees.
LXXII.
Eodem anno Frisii, transrhenanus popolus, pacem exuere, nostra magis avaritia quam obsequii impatientes. tributum iis Drusus iusserat modicum pro angustia rerum, ut in usus militaris coria boum penderent, non intenta cuiusquam cura quae firmitudo, quae mensura, donec Olennius e primipilaribus regendis Frisiis impositus terga urorum delegit quorum ad formam acciperentur. id aliis quoque nationibus arduum apud Germanos difficilius tolerabatur, quis ingentium beluarum feraces saltus, modica domi armenta sunt. ac primo boves ipsos, mox agros, postremo corpora coniugum aut liberorum servitio tradebant. hinc ira et questus et postquam non subveniebatur remedium ex bello. rapti qui tributo aderant milites et patibulo adfixi: Olennius infensos fuga praevenit receptus castello cui nomen Flevum; et haud spernenda illic civium sociorumque manus litora Oceani praesidebat.
72.
In the same year, the peace was broken by the Frisii, a nation on the other side of the Rhine. Roman greed more than their unwillingness to submit was to blame. In view of the modesty of their means, Drusus had imposed a mild tribute, namely the supply of ox hides for the Roman army. No attention was ever paid to the thickness and size of the hides, until a certain Olennius, a senior centurion assigned to preside over the Frisii, chose the hides of wild oxen as the standard that they were required to meet. This was difficult to comply with for any nation but worse for Germans, whose forests teem with huge animals, whereas their domestic cattle are of modest size. In consequence, they were forced to give up first their herds, then their land as security, and finally to surrender their wives and children to bondage. This provoked anger and protests, and since no alleviation was offered, war was the only remedy that was left. The soldiers who came to collect the tribute were taken captive and hanged. Olennius headed off a similar fate by finding refuge in a fortress called Flevum, where a sizable Roman and allied force protected the coast.
LXIII.
Quod ubi L. Apronio inferioris Germaniae pro praetore cognitum, vexilla legionum e superiore provincia peditumque et equitum auxiliarium delectos accivit ac simul utrumque exercitum Rheno devectum Frisiis intulit, soluto iam castelli obsidio et ad sua tutanda degressis rebellibus. igitur proxima aestuaria aggeribus et pontibus traducendo graviori agmini firmat, atque interim repertis vadis alam Canninefatem et quod peditum Germanorum inter nostros merebat circumgredi terga hostium iubet, qui iam acie compositi pellunt turmas socialis equitesque legionum subsidio missos. tum tres leves cohortes ac rursum duae, dein tempore interiecto alarius eques immissus: satis validi si simul incubuissent, per intervallum adventantes neque constantiam addiderant turbatis et pavore fugientium auferebantur. Cethego Labeoni legato quintae legionis quod reliquum auxiliorum tradit. atque ille dubia suorum re in anceps tractus missis nuntiis vim legionum implorabat. prorumpunt quintani ante alios et acri pugna hoste pulso recipiunt cohortis alasque fessas vulneribus. neque dux Romanus ultum iit aut corpora humavit, quamquam multi tribunorum praefectorumque et insignes centuriones cecidissent. mox compertum a transfugis nongentos Romanorum apud lucum quem Baduhennae vocant pugna in posterum extracta confectos, et aliam quadringentorum manum occupata Cruptorigis quondam stipendiarii villa, postquam proditio metuebatur, mutuis ictibus procubuisse.
73.
On receiving news of this, Lucius Apronius, the praetorian governor of Lower Germany, called to his aid detachments of veterans and select auxiliary infantry and cavalry from Upper Germany. Using the Rhine to move downstream the forces of the two German provinces, he next marched them against the Frisii. The rebels had already abandoned the siege of the fortress and had retired to protect their own possession. So Apronius set his men to work to improve his position by means of causeways and bridges for the movement of heavy troops across the local estuaries. Fords having been found in the meantime, he had the cavalry of the Canninefates and all of the German infantry in our service attack from the rear the enemy, who is already in order of battle, were able to repel both the allied as well as the legionary cavalry sent to support the foot soldiers. Thereupon, three light auxiliary cohorts, then two more, were sent in, and after a while the entire available cavalry. They would have been strong enough if they had all engaged together, but by intervening separately they were unable to lend fresh energy to the hard-pressed Roman forces and were even pushed back by those fleeing in their panic. Apronius assigned the remaining auxiliary units to Cethegus Labeo, the legate of the Fifth legion, but he also, despairing of success in the face of his troops’ predicament and of the danger to himself, sent messages urging the legions’ intervention. The men of the Fifth burst forward ahead of the rest and in fierce hand-to-hand combat beat back the Frisii and rescued the cohorts and cavalry weakened by heavy losses. The Roman general chose neither to push his advantage and seek revenge, nor to bury the fallen, despite the fact that among them were tribunes, prefects, and senior centurions. It became soon known from deserters that nine hundred Romans had perished near the forest of Baduhenna, after a long battle that had lasted until the next day, and that a further four hundred who had occupied the estate of a certain Cruptorix, a former soldier in our army, had chosen to die by mutually inflicted wounds, driven to such extremity by the fear of deception and capture.
LXXIV.
Clarum inde inter Germanos Frisium nomen, dissimulante Tiberio damna ne cui bellum permitteret. neque senatus in eo cura an imperii extrema dehonestarentur: pavor internus occupaverat animos cui remedium adulatione quaerebatur. ita quamquam diversis super rebus consulerentur, aram clementiae, aram amicitiae effigiesque circum Caesaris ac Seiani censuere crebrisque precibus efflagitabant visendi sui copiam facerent. non illi tamen in urbem aut propinqua urbi degressi sunt: satis visum omittere insulam et in proximo Campaniae aspici. eo venire patres, eques, magna pars plebis, anxii erga Seianum cuius durior congressus atque eo per ambitum et societate consiliorum parabatur. satis constabat auctam ei adrogantiam foedum illud in propatulo servitium spectanti; quippe Romae sueti discursus et magnitudine urbis incertum quod quisque ad negotium pergat: ibi campo aut litore iacentes nullo discrimine noctem ac diem iuxta gratiam aut fastus ianitorum perpetiebantur donec id quoque vetitum: et revenere in urbem trepidi quos non sermone, non visu dignatus erat, quidam male alacres quibus infaustae amicitiae gravis exitus imminebat.
74.
The fame of the Frisii rose high among the Germans in recognition of their bravery. Tiberius did not reveal the losses, unwilling to choose a leader in charge of the war. The senate cared little whether the farthest frontiers of the empires suffered humiliation. Of much greater concern was the fear at home about the internal state of things and the remedy was sought in adulation. Thus, although thought should be given to problems of an altogether different nature, an altar was decreed to Clemency, another to Friendship, surrounded by statues of Tiberius and Sejanus. With petition after petition, both were begged to let themselves be seen. Neither the one nor the other came to Rome or even its vicinity. They thought sufficient to leave their island behind and offer themselves to view on the nearest shore of Campania, wither senators and knights hurried in droves, together with a good part of the populace, all apprehensive about Sejanus’ reception. He had made access to himself increasingly harder and could only be secured by devious means or by complicity in his schemes. Everyone saw that his arrogance had been magnified by this revoltingly open display of servility. In Rome comings and goings are habitual and because of the large spread of the city, it is not known in what business anyone is engaged. There, on the other hand, lying crowded in fields or on the beach, without distinction of day and night, they were exposed to the partiality or contempt of his servants, until even that privilege was removed. Those whom he had not deigned with a word or a look made their way back to the capital oppressed by anxiety and the few who were well pleased with themselves for the wrong reason, did not realize the dire consequences of that fatal friendliness.
LXXV.
Ceterum Tiberius neptem Agrippinam Germanico ortam cum coram Cn. Domitio tradidisset, in urbe celebrari nuptias iussit. in Domitio super vetustatem generis propinquum Caesaribus sanguinem delegerat; nam is aviam Octaviam et per eam Augustum avunculum praeferebat.
75.
On a different note, Tiberius ordered that the wedding of his granddaughter Agrippina, Germanicus’ daughter, be celebrated in Rome. He had personally given her in marriage to Gnaeus Domitius, chosen not only for the ancient origin of his family but also for being a blood relation of the Caesars, in that his grandmother was Octavia and through her, he had Augustus as his maternal great-uncle.