norable thing to be guilty of falsehood before so
many witnesses, in points wherein he had with such alacrity forced
Agrippa to become a petitioner, and that it would look as if he had
already repented of what he had said, and because he greatly admired
Agrippa's virtue, in not desiring him at all to augment his own
dominions, either with larger revenues, or other authority, but took
care of the public tranquillity, of the laws, and of the Divinity
itself, he granted him what he had requested. He also wrote thus
to Petronius, commending him for his assembling his army, and then
consulting him about these affairs. "If therefore," said' he, "thou
hast already erected my statue, let it stand; but if thou hast not yet
dedicated it, do not trouble thyself further about it, but dismiss thy
army, go back, and take care of those affairs which I sent thee about at
first, for I have now no occasion for the erection of that statue.
This I have granted as a favor to Agrippa, a man whom I honor so very
greatly, that I am not able to contradict what he would have, or what he
desired me to do for him." And this was what Caius wrote to Petronius,
which was before he received his letter, informing him that the Jews
were very ready to revolt about the statue, and that they seemed
resolved to threaten war against the Romans, and nothing else. When
therefore Caius was much displeased that any attempt should be made
against his government as he was a slave to base and vicious actions on
all occasions, and had no regard to What was virtuous and honorable, and
against whomsoever he resolved to show his anger, and that for any cause
whatsoever, he suffered not himself to be restrained by any admonition,
but thought the indulging his anger to be a real pleasure, he wrote thus
to Petronius: "Seeing thou esteemest the presents made thee by the Jews
to be of greater value than my commands, and art grown insolent enough
to be subservient to their pleasure, I charge thee to become thy own
judge, and to consider what thou art to do, now thou art under my
displeasure; for I will make thee an example to the present and to all
future ages, that they. may not dare to contradict the commands of their
emperor."

9. This was the epistle which Caius wrote to. Petronius; but Petronius
did not receive it while Caius was alive, that ship which carried it
sailing so slow, that other letters came to Petronius before this, by
which he understood that Caius was dea