same did not hold true, however, of the years
immediately following, but the number remained twelve for a long period.
Besides these proceedings the seers were forbidden to prophesy in private
to any one, or regarding death even if there should be others with
them. Yet in this matter Augustus had no personal feeling, so that by a
bulletin he even published to all the conjunction of stars under which
he had been born. In addition to forbidding the above he proclaimed to
subject states that they should grant no honors to any one assigned to
govern them either during his term of office or within sixty days after
he had departed. For some governors by arranging for testimonials and
eulogies from their subjects were doing much harm. Three senators, as
before, transacted business with the embassies, and the knights,--a fact
which might cause surprise,--were allowed to fight as gladiators. The
reason was that some persisted in disregarding the disenfranchisement
stated as a penalty for such conduct. And as there proved to be no use in
forbidding it and the participants seemed to require a greater punishment
before they would be turned aside from this course, they were given
permission to do as they liked. In this way they incurred death instead
of disenfranchisement, for they fought more than ever, and especially
because their contests were centers of attraction, so that even Augustus
became a spectator in company with the praetors who superintended games.

[A.D. 12 (_a. u._ 765)]

[-26-] Germanicus soon after received the office of consul, though he had
not even been praetor, and held it actually throughout the whole year, not
because of fitness but as a number of others held office at that time.
The consul did nothing worthy of note save that at this time, too, he
acted as advocate in suits, since his colleague Gaius Capito counted as
a mere figurehead. Augustus, because he was growing old, wrote a letter
commending Germanicus to the senate and the latter to Tiberius: the
manuscript was not read by him in person, for he was unable to make
himself heard, but by Germanicus, as usual. After that he asked them,
making the Celtic war his excuse, not to come to greet him at home nor to
be angry if he did not continue to eat with them. For generally, as often
as they had a sitting, in the Forum and sometimes in the senate-house
itself, they saluted him when he entered and again when he left; and it
had already happened that, when h