onger
obey him. Then in terror he fled from them, and coming to the island Issa
he there met a voluntary death. Claudius for a time was quite cowed
with fear and was ready at a demand from Camillus to withdraw from his
sovereignty voluntarily. Later he recovered courage and rewarded his
soldiers among other methods by having the citizen legions (the seventh
and the eleventh) named the Claudian, and the Faithful, and the Pious,
by the senate itself. Then he made reprisals upon those who had plotted
against him and on this charge put many to death, among them a praetor,
who first had to resign his office. Numbers, of whom Vinicianus was one,
committed suicide, for Messalina and Narcissus and all the latter's
fellow freedmen seized this opportunity to wreak their direst vengeance.
They employed slaves and liberti, for instance, and informers against
their own masters. These masters and others of undoubted nobility,
foreigners and citizens alike, not only plebeians, but some of the
knights and senators, were put to the torture in spite of the fact that
Claudius at the very beginning of his reign had sworn not to torture any
free citizen.

[-16-] Many men therefore at this time and many women incurred
punishment. Some of the latter met their fate right in the prison, and
when they were to die were actually led in chains upon a scaffold, like
captives, and their bodies like those of others were thrown down the
Scalae Gemoniae. Of those who were executed outside the prison only
the heads were exhibited in that place. Some of the most guilty,
nevertheless, either through favoritism or by the use of money saved
their necks with the help of Messalina and of the Caesarians following
Narcissus. All the children of those who perished were granted immunity
and some received money. Trials were held in the senate-house in the
presence of Claudius, his prefects, and his freedmen. With a consul on
each side he made his report to the senators while seated upon a chair
of state or on a bench. Next he himself went to his accustomed seat and
chairs were set for his escort. This same program was followed also at
the other most important functions.

It was at this time that a certain Galaesus, a freedman of Camillus, was
brought into the senate and talked with the utmost frankness on a variety
of subjects. The following remark of his is worth instancing. Narcissus
had taken the floor and said to him: "What would you have done, Galaesus,
if C