26. Many prodigies are said to have portended his death; and if the Roman historians are to be credited, more preternatural appearances and predictions announced this event, than its importance deserved.[30] The truth seems to be, that a belief in omens and prodigies was again become prevalent, as the people were evidently relapsing into pristine barbarity, ignorance being ever the proper soil for a harvest of imposture. _Questions for Examination_. 1. What advantages did Agricola gain in Britain? 2. How did Domitian receive the account of Agricola's success? 3. In what way did the emperor treat him? 4. To whom did Agricola surrender up his province? 5. What nations afterwards made irruptions into the Roman provinces? 6. By what means were the barbarians at length repelled? 7. What surname did Domitian assume? 8. To what extravagance did his pride lead him? 9. What trifling pretexts were made use of by Domitian to put to death some of the most illustrious Romans? 10. Who now assumed the ensigns of the imperial dignity? 11. By what general was Lucius Antonius defeated? 12. What new cruelties were resorted to by the emperor? 13. By what hypocritical conduct was he distinguished? 14. To whom was he particularly terrible? 15, 16, 17. What terrific ceremonies did he invent on one occasion? 18. Was the result fatal to them? 19. Did not his cruelties become still more insupportable at the latter part of his reign? 20. Who was among the number that he at the same time caressed and suspected? 21. Whose name did Domitia discover among his list of victims? 22. To whom did she show the fatal list, and what was resolved on? 23. What means were used by Stephanus to assassinate the emperor? 24. Relate the particulars of the assassination. 25. What exclamation is Apollonius Tyaneus said to have made at Ephesus, at the time of Domitian's death? 26. Did not the Romans relapse into their pristine state of barbarity about this period? FOOTNOTES: [1] In his sixth consulship Augustus commanded a census to be made, when there was found the astonishing number of 4,060,000 inhabitants in Rome, which was fifty miles in circumference. [2] M. Primus, while governor of Macedon, had made an irruption into the country of the Odrysians; for this he was prosecuted, and pleaded that it was by the emperor's orders. Augustus denying this, L. Murena put the impudent question to him mentioned in the text. [3] An island on the coast of Lucania, in Italy; now called Santa Maria.