ne of their talk. Rather, have regard to your own pleasure and
safety solely, since that has the most just claim. In this way you
will suffer no harm and will enjoy all supremest pleasures. You will,
moreover, be honored by them whether they so desire or not. If you follow
a different course, it will be useless, and beyond an empty reputation
you will gain no advantage, but become the victim of plots and perish
ingloriously. No man living is ruled of his own free will, but the
element which is kept in fear, whatever its size, waits upon the stronger
element, whereas if it attains to courage, it always wreaks vengeance
upon the other, which has now become the weaker."

At the close of this address Gaius reintroduced the complaints for
maiestas, ordered his commands to be inscribed upon a bronze tablet and
rushing hastily from the senate-house proceeded the same day to the
suburbs of the capital. The senate and the people were filled with great
fear as they thought of the denunciations against Tiberius, which they
had often uttered, and of the many surprises his speech had had in store
for them. Temporarily their alarm and dejection prevented them from
saying a word or transacting any business. Next day they assembled again,
praised Gaius unstintedly as a most sincere and pious ruler, and thanked
him profusely that they had not perished like others. Accordingly,
they voted annually to sacrifice cattle to the Spirit of Kindness that
animated him both on the anniversary of the day he had read this matter
just mentioned and on those belonging to the Palatium[12]: on such
occasions his image in gold was to be conducted to the Capitol and hymns
sung in its honor by the boys of noblest birth. They granted him also
the right to celebrate a lesser triumph, as though he had defeated some
enemies. This was what they voted at that meeting: later they added to it
extensively on almost every pretext.

[-17-] Gaius took no heed of the celebration mentioned; it seemed to him
to be no great thing to drive a horse on land: but he had a desire to
ride horseback through the sea in a way, by bridging over the water
between Puteoli and Bauli. This locality is opposite the City, twenty-six
stades distant. Boats for the bridge were partly brought together and
partly built new for the purpose. For the number it had proved possible
to collect in a brief space of time was insufficient, although all
feasible vessels had been gathered, and it was pr