to him. Nay, he did not so much as write the senate anything about what
had been accomplished. As a result subsequent conquerors, taking his
method as a law, no longer sent any word themselves to the legislative
body and did not accept the celebration of a triumph. For this reason no
one else among his peers (so I am inclined to think) was permitted to do
this, but they enjoyed merely the ornament of triumphal honors.

[-25-] Augustus finally finished ordering everything in the Gauls, the
Germanias, and the Hispaniae: upon special districts he spent a great
deal, and levied a great deal upon others, and to some he gave freedom
and citizenship, whereas from others he took them away.

[B.C. 13 (_a. u._ 741)]

He then left Drusus in Germania and himself returned to Rome in the
consulship of Tiberius and of Quintilius Varus. It chanced that the news
of his coming reached the city during those days when Cornelius
Balbus after dedicating the theatre now called by his name was giving
spectacles. At this he assumed great importance as if it were he that was
to bring Augustus back, though because of a flooding of the Tiber there
was so great a quantity of water in the theatre that no one could enter
it save in a boat; and Tiberius put the vote to Balbus first, as an
honor for his building the theatre. The senate convened and among other
decisions resolved to place an altar in the senate-chamber itself, to
commemorate the return of Augustus, and that criminals who approached
him as suppliants within the pomerium should be exempt from punishment.
However, he accepted neither of these honors and even escaped a reception
by the people on this occasion by being brought into the city under the
cover of night. This he did almost always whenever he had to go out to
the suburbs or anywhere else, both on his way out and on his way back, so
that nobody should annoy him. The following day he greeted the people on
the Palatine, ascended the Capitol, and taking off the laurel from
around his rods he placed it upon the knees of Jupiter. For that day he
furnished the people with baths and barbers free of charge. After this he
convened the senate and made no address himself by reason of hoarseness,
but gave the book to the quaestor to read which enumerated his
achievements and promulgated rules as to how many years the citizens
should serve in the army and how much money they should receive at the
end of their services in place of the land for