be unable to punish him."
For this he was commended because it was expected that _he_ at all events
would speak the truth; by reason of his youth it was not thought possible
that he could be guilty of duplicity in thought or speech. And he still
further increased their hopes by ordering that the celebration of the
Saturnalia extend over five days, and by taking from each of those
enjoying an allowance of grain only an as instead of the denarius which
they were wont to give an emperor for the manufacture of images.

It was voted that he should at once become consul by the removal of
Proculus and Nigrinus, who were holding office at the time, and that he
should thereafter be consul annually. However, he did not accept the
offer, but instead waited until the two officials completed the six
months' term for which they had been appointed, and then became consul
himself, taking his uncle Claudius as a colleague. The latter, who had
previously been ranked among the knights and after the death of Tiberius
had been sent as an envoy to Gaius in behalf of that order, now for the
first time after living forty-six years became both consul and senator at
once. The behavior of Gaius in these matters appeared satisfactory and
to his actions corresponded the speech which he delivered in the
senate-house on entering upon his consulship. In it he denounced Tiberius
for each of the crimes of which he was commonly accused and made many
announcements about his own line of conduct; and the senate, fearing
that he might change, issued a decree that his statements should be read
annually.

[-7-] Soon after, clad in the triumphal garb, he dedicated the herouem of
Augustus. Boys of the noblest families, both of whose parents had to be
living, together with maidens similarly circumstanced, sang the hymn,
and the senators with their wives as well as the people were banqueted.
Entertainments of all sorts were given. There were exhibitions involving
music, and horseraces took place on two days,--twenty heats the first
day and forty [1] more the second, because the former was the emperor's
birthday and the latter that of Augustus. He had a similar number of
events on many other occasions, as seemed good to him. Hitherto not more
than ten[2] events had been usual, but this time he finished four hundred
bears together with an equal number of beasts from Libya. The boys of
noble birth performed "Troy" on horseback, and six horses drew the
triumphal car