ar. When somebody
thereupon as a compliment voted that he be given a guard, as if he had
none, he saw through the man's flattery and answered: "The soldiers are
not mine but the public's." Besides doing this he administered in fact
all the business of the empire, meanwhile declaring that he wanted none
of it. At first he said he should give it all up on account of his
age,--fifty-six,--and his near-sightedness (although he saw extremely
well in the dark, his eyes in the daylight were very weak). Later he
asked for some associates and colleagues, though not to take charge of
the whole domain at once, as in an oligarchy, but he divided it into
three parts, one of which he should retain himself and yield the
remaining two to others. One of these portions consisted of Rome and
the rest of Italy, the second of the legions, the third of the subject
peoples outside. Though he became very urgent, most of the senators
still opposed him and begged him to govern the entire realm. But Asinius
Gallus, who employed the frank speech of old days more than was good for
him, replied: "Choose whichever part you wish." Tiberius rejoined: "How
is it feasible for the same man both to make the division and to choose?"
Gallus, perceiving into what a plight he had fallen, framed his words to
flatter him, interrupting to the effect that: "I not setting before you
the idea of your having a third but the impossibility of the empire's
being divided." In fact, however, he did not mollify Tiberius, but after
first undergoing many dire sufferings was subsequently murdered. For
Gallus had married the former wife of the new ruler and claimed Drusus as
his son, and consequently there had been hatred between them before this.

[-3-] Tiberius acted in this way at that time chiefly because it was his
nature and he had determined upon that policy, but partly also because
he was suspicious of the Pannonian and Germanic legions and feared
Germanicus, the ruler of the Germany of that day and a favorite of
theirs. He had previously made sure of the soldiers in Italy by means of
the oaths established by Augustus; but as he was suspicious of the others
he waited for either possible outcome, intending to save himself by
retiring to private life in case the legions should revolt and prevail.
For this reason he often feigned sickness and remained at home, so as not
to be compelled to say or do anything definite. I have even heard that
when it began to be said that Liv