A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

TJ IBERIUS. TIBERIUS. 1121
death of Germanicus, and again when his mother death of Sejanus. (Tacit. Ann. iv. 57.) A great
Livia died. Tiberius allowed the cities of Asia to accident happened at Fidenae in the following
erect a temple to himself and his mother at Smyrna, year: a man named Atilius built a temporary amphithe first instance of this flattery which he had theatre, for the exhibition of a show of gladiators,
permitted. But when the province of Hispania but being ill-constructed, it fell down during the
Ulterior asked permission to do the same thing, the games, and twenty thousand people, it is said, were
emperor refused, and stated his reason in an oration killed (Tacit. Ann. iv. 62; compare Sueton. Tiber.
to the senate, which is characterised by modesty 40). Atilius was banished. About this time a
and good sense. This singular man had a sound great conflagration destroyed all the buildings on the
judgment, and if we formed our opinion of him Mons Caelius, and the emperor liberally relieved
from his words only, we should place him among the sufferers in proportion to their losses, a measure
the wisest and best of the Roman emperors. His which procured him the good-will of the people.
measures too were often prudent and beneficial; His dislike of publicity was shown during his reand yet such was his insincerity, that we can sidence in Campania, by an edict which commanded
hardly know when to give him credit even for a the people not to disturb his retirement, and he
good action. prevented all assemblages of people by placing
Tacfarinas, who had given the Romans so much soldiers in various posts. In order, however, to setrouble, was at last defeated and killed by the cure the retirement which he loved, he went (A. D.
proconsul P. Cornelius Dolabella (A. D. 24); but 27) to the island of Capri (Capreae), which is about
Dolabella did not obtain the triumphal honours, three miles from the promontory of Surrento. This
though with inferior forces he had accomplished retreat was further recommended by having an
that which his predecessors had in vain attempted: almost inaccessible coast. A poor fisherman, who
this was owing to the influence of Sejanus, who had caught a large mullet, with difficulty made his
was unwilling that the glories of his uncle Blaesus way up the rocks to present it to the emperor, who
should be eclipsed by honours conferred on Dola- rewarded him by ordering his face to be well rubbed
bella. The system of delations was now in full with the fish. (Sueton. Tiber. c. 60.)
activity, and Rome witnessed the scandalous spec- The new year (A. D. 28) was opened with the
tacle of a son accusing his father, Q. Vibius Sere- death of Titus Sabinus, a friend of Germanicus,
snus, of a conspiracy against the emperor, without whom Latinius Latiaris had inveigled into very
being able to prove ally thing against him. The strong expressions against Sejanus and Tiberius,
abject senate condemned Serenus to death, but while he had placed persons in secret to be witTiberius used his tribunitian power to prevent the nesses. The villains informed Tiberius of the
execution of the capital sentence, and the man words of Sabinus, and at the same time of their
against whom nothing could be proved even by own treachery. The emperor let the senate know
putting his slaves to the torture, was banished to his wishes, and this servile body immediately put
the island of Amorgus. Caecilius Cornutus, who Sabinus to death, for which they received the
had been charged with being an accomplice of Se- thanks of Tiberius. (Tacit. Ann. iv. 68.) In this
renus, committed suicide. On this occasion a year Tiberius married Agrippina, a daughter of
motion was made in the senate for giving no reward Germanicus, to Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus, and
to informers, if the person accused of treason should the result of this union was the emperor Nero
die by his own hand before sentence was pro- [NERO]. The death of Livia (A. D. 29), the emnounced; but Tiberius, seeing that this would peror's mother, released Tiberius from one cause of
weaken one of his engines of state-craft, in harsh anxiety. He had long been tired of her, because
terms, and contrary to his practice, openly main- she wished to exercise authority, and one object in
tained the cause of the informers; such a measure leaving Rome was to be out of her way. He did
as the senate proposed would, he said, render the not visit her in her last illness, nor come to the
laws ineffectual and put the state in jeopardy; funeral, being, as he said, overwhelmed with public
they had better subvert all law than deprive the affairs, he who neglected all important affairs, and
law of its guardians. Tiberius, always fearing devoted himself to his solitary pleasures. (Tacit.
enemies, thought his safety consisted in encouraging Ann. v. 2; Dion Cass. lviii. 2.) Livia's death
informers; here he spoke out fairly, and revealed gave Sejanus and Tiberius free scope, for Tiberius
one of his secrets of governing. Cremutius Cordus never entirely released himself from a kind of subhad written Annals, in which he had commended jection to his mother, and Sejanus did not venture
Brutus and Cassius: he was accused, and as he to attempt the overthrow of Livia's influence.
had made up his mind to die, he spoke boldly in The destruction of Agrippina and her children was
his defence. After going out of the senate house now the chief purpose of Sejanus, who had his
he starved himself to death; the senate ordered own ambitious projects to serve, as it is shown in
the aediles to search for his works and burn them, his life [SEJANUS; AGRrPPINA]; he finally got
but all the copies were not discovered, and his from the tyrant the reward that was his just deAnnals were extant when Tacitus wrote (Ann. iv. sert, an ignominious death.
35). In A. D. 32 Latinius Latiaris, the infamous
In the year A. D. 26 Tiberius left Rome, and accuser of Sabinus, was executed. Cotta Messanever returned, though he came sometimes close to linus, a notorious scoundrel, was accused before
the walls of the city. He left on the pretext of the senate, but Tiberius wrote to them in his
dedicating temples in Campania, but his real favour. This memorable letter (Tacit. Ann. iv. 6)
motives were his dislike to Rome, where he heard began with an admission, the truth of which will
a great deal that was disagreeable to him, and his not surprise any one; but it is somewhat singular,
wish to indulge his sensual propensities in private. that so profound a dissembler as Tiberius could
Sejanus may have contributed to this resolution of not keep to himself the consciousness of his own
leaving Rome, as it is said, but Tiberius still con- wretchedness: f' What to write to you, P. C., or
tinued to reside out of Rome for six years after the how to write, I know not; and what not to write at
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