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Notes Display Latin text | Tiberius Chapter 25: Tiberius feels threatened | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
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The cause of his hesitation was fear of the dangers which threatened him on every hand, and often led him to say that he was holding a wolf by the ears. For a slave of Agrippa, Clemens by name had collected a band of no mean size to avenge his master; Lucius Scribonius Libo, one of the nobles was secretly plotting a revolution; and a mutiny of the soldiers places, broke out in two places, Illyricum and Germania. Both armies demanded numerous special privileges - above all, that they should receive the same pay as the praetorians. The army in Germania was, besides, reluctant to accept an emperor who was not its own choice, and with the greatest urgency besought Germanicus, their commander at the time, to assume the purple, in spite of his positive refusal. Fear of this possibility in particular led Tiberius to ask the Senate for any part in the administration that it might please them to assign him, saying that no one man could bear the whole burden without a colleague, or even several colleagues. He also feigned ill-health, to induce Germanicus to wait with more patience for a speedy succession, or at least for a share in the sovereignty. The mutinies were put down, and he also got Clemens into his power, outwitting him by stratagem. Not until his second year did he finally arraign Libo in the Senate, fearing to take any severe measures before his power was secure, and satisfied in the meantime merely to be on his guard. Thus, when Libo was offering sacrifice with him among the pontiffs, he had a leaden knife substituted for the usual one, and when he asked for a private interview, Tiberius would not grant it except with his son Drusus present, and as long as the conference lasted he held fast to Libo's right arm, under pretence of leaning on it as they walked together. Events: Revolt in Pannonia, Revolt in Germania |