rtended. For in the town
of Pistoja, at about the third hour of the day, in the sight of many
persons, an ass mounted the tribunal, where he was heard to bray loudly.
All the bystanders were amazed, as were all those who heard of the
occurrence from the report of others, as no one could conjecture what
was to happen.

2. But soon afterwards the events showed what was portended, for a man
of the name of Terence, a person of low birth and a baker by trade, as a
reward for having given information against Orsitus, who had formerly
been prefect, which led to his being convicted of peculation, was
intrusted with the government of this same province. And becoming elated
and confident, he threw affairs into great disorder, till he was
convicted of fraud on transactions relating to some ship-masters, as was
reported, and was executed while Claudius was prefect of Rome.

3. But some time before this happened Symmachus succeeded Apronianus; a
man deserving to be named among the most eminent examples of learning
and moderation; under whose government the most sacred city enjoyed
peace and plenty in an unusual degree; being also adorned with a
magnificent and solid bridge which he constructed, and opened amid the
great joy of his ungrateful fellow-citizens, as the result very plainly
showed.

4. For they some years afterwards burnt his beautiful house on the other
side of the Tiber, being enraged because some worthless plebeian had
invented a story, which there was no evidence or witness to support,
that he had said that he would prefer putting out the limekilns with his
own wine, to selling the lime at the price expected of him.

5. After him the prefect of the city was Lampadius, who had been
prefect of the praetorium, a man of such boundless arrogance, that he
grew very indignant if he were not praised even when he spat, as if he
did that with more grace than any one else; but still a man of justice,
virtue, and economy.

6. When as praetor he was celebrating some splendid games, and giving
abundant largesses, being unable to bear the tumult of the populace,
which was often urgent to have gifts distributed to those who were
unworthy, in order to show his liberality and his contempt for the
multitude, he sent for a crowd of beggars from the Vatican, and enriched
them with great presents.

7. But, not to digress too much, it will be sufficient to record one
instance of his vanity, which, though of no great importance, may s