The Lives of the Caesars, Suetonius [best book club books for discussion .TXT] 📗

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To determine his province or the sphere of his duty. The reason for divorcing his wife is problematical. Evidently his marriage brought him some advantage which no longer existed after his province was determined. ↩

That is, the supporters and partisans of the rival actors; see Tacitus Annals 1.77. ↩

The members of the local senate. ↩

Taking refuge in temples and holy places, to avoid punishment for crimes; for its abuse see Tacitus Annals 3.60. ↩

The same proverb is mentioned by Cicero, Epistularum ad Atticum 13.12. The reference is to an Athenian actor of mimes, who imitated the movements of running but remained in the same spot. ↩

That is, to make some amends for his conduct. ↩

The divisions selected for jury duty. ↩

Biberius Caldius Mero: A name coined in jest after Tiberius Claudius Nero, from bibo, drink, cal(i)dus, hot, and merum, unmixed wine. ↩

Probably the emperor took a sip from the huge vessel and passed it to the man, who drained it to the dregs; cf. Virgil Aeneid 1.738. Since the amphora as a measure contained about seven gallons, the word is here probably used of a large tankard of that shape. ↩

See Tiberius, 56. ↩

See Augustus, 41.1; Tacitus Annals 2.37. ↩

This occurred twice, in 27 and 36; see Tacitus Annals 4.64 and 6.45. The second fire was on and near the Aventine. ↩

The decree is quoted by Tacitus Annals 6.17. The purpose was to put the money into circulation and at the same time to allow the debtors to pay in land. ↩

According to Tacitus (Annals 4.64) this was done by the senate, because the statue of Tiberius remained uninjured in the midst of the burned district. ↩

The standards had a sacred character; see, for example, Tacitus Annals 1.39.7; and the head of the reigning emperor was often placed under the eagle or other emblem. ↩

Since he would save the rewards to be paid on the completion of their term of service. ↩

Under pretence that they were hoarding money for revolutionary purposes. Caesar had limited the amount to be held by any one person in Italy to 60,000 sesterces; cf. Tacitus Annals 6.16; Dio, 41.38. ↩

But cf. Tiberius, 11.4, above. ↩

See note on Tiberius, 15.2. ↩

Sacrarium is really a shrine (perhaps to Augustus) in which the letters had been deposited. ↩

A sign that he was condemned to death; the noose was for strangling him and the hooks for dragging his body to the Tiber. ↩

With a play on the double mention of debitum. ↩

A knight must possess four hundred thousand sesterces; Tiberius, as the adopted son of Augustus, had no property. See Tiberius, 15.2. ↩

That is, not even a Roman citizen, since an exile lost his citizenship; still less a knight. ↩

Sulla adopted the surname Felix. ↩

Cf. Caligula, 30.1. ↩

If the text is correct, primae cohortes would seem to refer to the praetorians. ↩

Of Fortuna Primigenia. ↩

Cf. Tiberius, 26.2. ↩

Since Tiberius and Sejanus were consuls for the year, the reference is to consules suffecti, appointed to succeed to the honour for a part of the year, probably from July 1st. ↩

A somewhat similar method of telegraphy is mentioned at the beginning of the Agamemnon of Aeschylus as the means of sending the news of the fall of Troy to Mycenae. ↩

Where the senators sat at the theatre; cf. Augustus, 55. ↩

For this meaning of parricidium see note on Julius, 42.3. ↩

Quoted also by Tacitus Annals 6.6. ↩

That is, the change in his character and its consequences. ↩

One of the strongest arguments against the truth of the tales of his debauchery. ↩

See note on Augustus, 90. ↩

The grammaticus was a critic and teacher of literature, but “grammarian” has become conventional in this sense, as well as in its more restricted meaning. ↩

“Monopoly,” a Greek word transliterated into Latin; see note on Tiberius, 30. ↩

The Greek word for inlaid figures of metal riveted or soldered to cups. There is no exact equivalent in Latin, but Cicero twice uses the transliterated form emblema (In Verrem 4.49). ↩

See Julius, 39.4. ↩

This statue, which took its name from Temenos, a suburb of Syracuse, was a celebrated one; cf. Cicero In Verrem 2.4.119. ↩

Of Augustus, on the western slope of the Palatine Hill. ↩

Pharos, the lighthouse at Alexandria, became a general term. Cf. euripus, Julius, 39.2. ↩

The exact point is not clear. Perhaps an amphitheatre was chosen for the sake of ignominy, as well as to furnish accommodation for spectators, and that of Atella seems to have been the one nearest to Misenum. Or it may have been because of Tiberius’s failure to entertain the people with shows (see Tiberius, 47) that it