st by making a circuitous attack upon them in
boats that had rams. Some perished, but the majority though drunk managed
to save themselves. The reason was that the sea showed itself extremely
smooth and tranquil both while the bridge was being put together and
while the other events were taking place. This, too, caused the emperor
some elation, and he said that even Neptune was afraid of him. As for
Darius and Xerxes, he made all manner of fun of them, inasmuch as he had
bridged over a far vaster expanse of sea than they.

[-18-] The final episode in the career of that bridge, which I shall now
relate, proved another source of death to many. Inasmuch as the emperor
had exhausted his revenues in the construction he fell to plotting against
many more persons because of their property. He presided at trials both
privately and in company with the entire senate. That body also tried
some cases by itself, yet it had not full powers and there were many
appeals from its decisions. The decisions of the senate were merely
made public, but when any men were condemned by Gaius their names were
bulletined, as though he feared they might not learn their fate. These
met their punishment some in prison and others by being hurled from the
Capitoline. Still others killed themselves beforehand. There was no
safety even for such as left the country, but many of them, too, lost
their lives either on the road or while in banishment It is not worth
while to burden my readers unduly by going into the details of most of
these cases, but I may stop to notice Calvisius Sabinus, one of the
foremost men in the senate. He had recently come from governing Pannonia,
and he and his wife Cornelia were both indicted. The charge against
her was that she had visited some military posts and had watched some
soldiers practicing. These two did not stand trial but despatched
themselves before the time set. The same is to be recorded of Titius
Rufus, against whom a complaint was lodged that he had said the senate
had one thing in their minds but uttered something different. Also one
Junius Priscus, a praetor, was accused on various charges, but his death
was really due to the supposition that he was wealthy. Gaius, on learning
that he possessed nothing worth causing his death for, made this
remarkable statement: "He fooled me and perished uselessly when he might
as well have lived."

[-19-] Among these men put on trial at this time Domitius Afer
encountered da