erstand what was said, he took away
his citizenship, saying that it was not proper for a person to be a Roman
who had no knowledge of Roman speech. A great many other persons unworthy
of citizenship were excluded from its privileges, whereas he granted it
to some quite without restrictions, either individuals or large bodies of
men. And inasmuch as practically everywhere Romans were esteemed above
foreigners, many sought the franchise by personal application to the
emperor and many bought it from Messalina and the Caesarians. For this
reason, though the right was at first bartered only for great sums, it
later was so cheapened by the facility with which it could be obtained
that it came to be said that if a person only gave a man some broken
glassware he might become a citizen.

This behavior, then, subjected the emperor to no end of jests, but he
received praise for such actions as the following. Many persons were all
the time becoming objects of blackmail, some because they did not use
Claudius's proper title and others because they were going to leave him
nothing when they died,--the blackmailers asserting that it was necessary
for those who obtained citizenship from him to do both of these things.
The emperor now stepped in and forbade that any one should be called
to account for such negligence.--Now Messalina and his freedmen kept
offering for sale and peddling out not merely the franchise, and military
posts, and positions as procurator, and governmental offices, but
everything in general to such an extent that all necessaries grew
scarce[7]; and Claudius was forced to muster the populace on the Campus
Martius and there from a platform to ordain what the prices of wares
should be.

Claudius himself wearing a chlamys gave a contest of armed men at the
camp. His son's birthday was observed voluntarily by the praetors with
a kind of spectacle that they produced and with dinners. This was once
afterward repeated, too,--at least by all of them that chose.

[-18-] Meanwhile Messalina was exhibiting her own licentious tendencies
and was forcing the other women of her circle to show themselves equally
unchaste. Many of them she caused to commit adultery in the very palace,
while their husbands were present and observed what took place. Such men
she loved and cherished, and crowned with honors and offices: but others,
who would not submit to this humiliation, she hated and brought to
destruction in every possible way. T