beasts were slain. So things went
on for a number of years.

At this time, too, Crete, its governor being dead, was attached to the
quaestorship and to the quaestor's assistant for the future. Since, also,
many of those to whom the provinces had been allotted lingered in Rome
and in the remainder of Italy for a long time, so that those who had held
the office before them delayed, contrary to precedent, Tiberius commanded
that they should take their departure by the first day of June. Meanwhile
his grandson by Drusus died, but he neglected none of his customary
duties; it was his settled conviction that a governor of men ought not to
give up care of the common weal by reason of private misfortunes, and he
confirmed the rest in their purpose not to jeopardize the interests of
the living because of the dead.

The river Tiber now proceeded to occupy a large portion of the City,
so that there was an inundation. Most people regarded this also as a
prodigy, like the great earthquakes which shook down a portion of the
wall, and like the frequent fall of thunderbolts, which made wine leak
even from pails that were sound. The emperor, however, thinking that it
was due to the great number of springs, appointed five senators, chosen
by lot, to constitute a permanent board to look after the river, to the
end that it should not give out in summer nor become over full in winter,
but flow evenly so far as possible all the time. These were the measures
of Tiberius.

As for Drusus, he performed the duties pertaining to the consulship along
with his colleague as any private citizen might have done. Being left
heir to someone's estate he assisted in carrying out the funeral. Yet
he was so prone to anger that he inflicted blows upon a distinguished
knight, and for this exploit he obtained the surname of Castor. [2] And
he showed himself such a hard drinker that one night, when he was forced
to lend aid with the Pretorians to some people whose property was on
fire, he commanded, at their request for water, to pour it out hot for
them. He was so fond of dancers that this class raised a tumult and would
not be brought to order by the laws which Tiberius had introduced to
apply to them.

[A.D. 16 (_a. u._ 769)]

[-15-] These were the events of that period. Now when Statilius Taurus
was consul with Lucius Libo, Tiberius forbade any man to wear silk
clothing and likewise to use gold ornaments, except for sacred
ceremonies. As some were at