well knowing that, among mankind, titles produce a respect, which enforces authority. 18. Upon entering into his tenth consulship, the senate, by oath, approved of all his acts, and set him wholly above the power of the laws. They, some time after, offered to swear not only to all the laws he had made, but such as he should make for the future. 19. It was customary with fathers upon their death-beds to command their children to carry oblations to the Capitol, with an inscription, that at the day of their deaths they left Augustus in health. It was determined that no man should be put to death on such days as the emperor entered the city. Upon a dearth of provisions, the people entreated him to accept of the dictatorship; but he would by no means assume the title of dictator, which had been abolished by law. 20. An accumulation of titles and employments did not in the least diminish his assiduity in fulfilling the duties of each. Several very wholesome edicts were passed by his command, tending to suppress corruption in the senate, and licentiousness in the people. 21. He ordained that none should exhibit a show of gladiators without an order from the senate, and then not oftener than twice a year; nor with more than a hundred and twenty at a time. This law was extremely necessary at so corrupt a period of the empire, when armies of these unfortunate men were brought at once upon the stage, and compelled to fight, often till half of them were slain. 22. It had been usual also with the knights, and women of the first distinction, to exhibit themselves as dancers upon the theatre: he ordered that not only these, but their children and grandchildren, should be restrained from such exercises for the future. 23. He fined many that had refused to marry at a certain age; and rewarded such as had many children. He ordained, that virgins should not be married till twelve years of age. He permitted any person to kill an adul terer, if taken in the fact. He enacted that the senators should be held in great reverence; adding to their dignity what he had taken from their power. 24. He made a law, that no man should have the freedom of the city without a previous examination into his merit and character. He appointed new rules and limits to the manumission of slaves; and was himself very strict in the observance of them. With regard to dramatic performers, of whom he was very fond, he severely examined their morals, not allowing licentiousness in their lives, nor indecency in their actions. Though he encouraged the athletic exercises, he would not permit women to be present at them, holding it unbecoming the modesty of the sex to be spectators of these sports, which were performed by naked men. 25. In order to prevent bribery in suing for offices, he took considerable sums of money from the candidates, by way of pledge, and if any indirect practices were proved against them, they were obliged to forfeit all. 26. Slaves had been hitherto disallowed to confess any thing against their own masters; but he abolished the practice, and first sold the slave to another, which altering the property, his examination became free. 27. These, and other laws, all tending to extirpate vice, or deter from crimes, gave the manners of the people another complexion; and the rough character of the Roman soldier was now softened into that of the refined citizen 1. Several statues were erected to his honour by the grateful people; we insert a representation of one that has escaped the ravages of time, in which he appears clothed in the robes of peace, and addressing some public assembly, probably the senate. Questions for Examination. 1. What was the consequence of the death of Antony? 4. What was the first care of Augustus? 5. In what way did he propose to govern? 6. What were the consequences of this conduct? 1 In his sixth consulship, Augustus commanded a census to be made, when there was found the astonishing number of 4,060,000 inhabitants in Rome, which was fifty miles in circumference. 7. What advantages did the Romans fancy they enjoyed? 8. Was this observation correct? 9. What conflicting passions agitated the mind of Augustus? 10. Whose advice did he adopt, and what was that advice? 11. What artifice did he employ to confirm his power? 12. How did he make his intentions known? 13. What effect was produced by this proposal? 14. What was their conduct on this occasion? 15. What farther artifices did he employ? 16. What were the consequences of this affected moderation? 17. Was he imposed on by these arts? 18. What farther instances of abject servility did the senate display? 19. What else was done to his honour? 20. Did these honours render him remiss? 21. What salutary law did he enact? 22. What next? 23. What regulations concerning marriage, and respect to senators, did he enforce? 24. How did he improve the morals of the people? 25. How did he prevent bribery? 26. By what means did he promote justice? 27. What was the consequence of these regulations? The death of those distinguish'd by their station, 1. Condescen'sion, s. affability from Prox'y, s. a substitute, a person 6. Impe'rious, a. haughty, fond of command. YOUNG. 8. Noctur'nal, a. nightly. 10. Contemporaries, s. persons living in the same age. 14. Porten'd, v. to foretoken, foreshow. 18. Adula'tion, s. flattery. 20. Erad'icated, part. rooted out, destroyed. 1. AUGUSTUS, by his own example, tended greatly to humanize his fellow-citizens; for being placed above all equality, he had nothing to fear from condescension. He was familiar with all, and suffered himself to be reprimanded with the most patient humility. Though, by his sole authority, he could condemn or acquit whomsoever he thought proper, he gave the laws their proper course; and even pleaded for persons he desired to protect. 2. When the advocate for Primus1 desired to know with an insolent 1 M. Primus, while governor of Macedon, had made an irruption into the country of the Odrysians; for this he was prosecuted, and pleaded that it was by the emperor's orders. Augustus denying this, L. Murens put the impudent question to him mentioned in the text. air, what brought Augustus into court, the emperor calmly replied, "The public good." When one of his veteran soldiers entreated his protection, Augustus bid him apply to an advocate. "Ah!" replied the soldier, "it was not by proxy that I served you at the battle of Ac'tium." Augustus was so pleased, that he pleaded his cause and gained it for him. One day a petition was presented to him with so much awe as to displease him. "Friend," cried he, "you seem as if you were offering something to an elephant rather than to a man; be bolder." 3. Once, as he was sitting in judgment, Mæce'nas, perceiving that he was inclined to be severe, and not being able to get to him through the crowd, he threw a paper into his lap, on which was written, "Arise, executioner!" Augustus read it without displeasure, and immediately rising, pardoned those whom he was disposed to condemn. 4. But what most of all showed a total alteration, was his treatment of Corne'lius Cinna, Pompey's grandson. This nobleman had entered into a conspiracy against him: Augustus sent for the other conspirators, reprimanded them, and dismissed them. But resolving to mortify Cinna by the greatness of his generosity; "I have twice," says he, "given you your life, as an enemy and as a conspirator; I now give you the consulship: let us therefore be friends for the future; let us contend only in showing, whether my confidence or your fidelity shall be victorious." 5. In the practice of such virtues he passed a long reign. In fact, he seemed the first Roman who aimed at gaining a character by the arts of peace; and who obtained the affections of the soldiers, without any military talents of his own: nevertheless, the Roman arms, under his lieutenants, were crowned with success. 6. But he had uneasiness of a domestic nature that distressed him. He had married Liv'ia, the wife of Tiberius Nero, by the consent of her husband, when she was six months advanced in her pregnancy. She was an imperious woman; and, conscious of being beloved, controlled him at her pleasure. 7. She had two sons, Tibe'rius the elder, and Cru'sus, who was born three months after she had been married to Augustus, and who was thought to be his own son. The elder of these, Tibe'rius, whom he afterwards adopted, and who succeeded him in the empire, was a good general, but of a suspicious and obstinate temper, and of a conduct so turbulent and restless, that he was, at last, exiled for five years to the island of Rhodes, where he chiefly spent his time in a retired manner, conversing with the Greeks, and addicting himself to literature, of which, bowever, he afterwards made but a bad use. 8. But the greatest affliction that Augustus experienced was from the conduct of his daughter, Julia, whom he had by Scribo'nia, his former wife. Julia, whom he married to his general Agrippa, and afterwards to Tibe'rius, set no bounds to her lewdness. Not contented with enjoying her pleasures, she seemed also earnest in publishing the infamy of her prostitutions. She was arrived at that excess of wantonness, that she had her nocturnal appointments in the most public parts of the city: the very court where her father presided was not exempt from her debaucheries. 9. Augustus, at first, had thoughts of putting her to death, but, after consideration, he banished her to Pandata'tria', forbidding her the use of wine, and all inflammatory delicacies. He ordered that no person should come near her without his permission; and sent her mother Scribo'nia along with her to bear her company. When any one attempted to intercede for Julia, his answer was, "that fire and water should sooner unite than he with her." 10. Augustus, having survived most of his contemporaries, at length, in the seventy-fourth year of his age, began to think of retiring from the fatigues of state, and of constituting Tiberius his partner in the throne. He desired the senate to salute him no longer at the palace; nor take it amiss, if, for the future, he U.C. could not converse with them as formerly. 11. 762. From that time Tiberius was joined in the government of the provinces with him, and invested with nearly the same authority. However, Augustus could not entirely forsake the administration, which habit had rendered a source of pleasure; and he still continued a watchful guardian, and showed himself, to the last, a lover of his people. 12. Finding it now, therefore, very inconvenient to come to the senate, by reason of his age, he desired to have twenty privy-counsellors assigned him for a year; and it was decreed, that whatever measures were resolved upon by them, and the consuls, should have entirely the force of a law. 13. He seemed apprehensive of his approaching end, for he made his will, and An island on the coast of Lucania, in Italy: now called Santa Mario. |