“You are my own good, wise child,” whispered Claudius, holding her more closely in his arms. "I know you by this for my own flesh and blood. May Jupiter, in his goodness, give you strength to cast this luckless love out of your heart. I know, my child, we Claudians have a deep heart, and what has once sunk to the bottom there is apt to strike deep root in the soil. But nature has also given us a strong will, and a defiant spirit that fears no struggle. If you ever feel too miserable, if the fight is too much for you, then fly for rest to your father's heart, Claudia, and do not forget, that every grief that troubles yours I feel two-fold and three-fold in my own." Claudia wept aloud; overcome by her grief, she clung to that loving father’s sheltering arms. Then, collecting all her firmness, she freed herself, looked up with a smile, and said, as she dried her tears: “Now--I am myself again. Go to the others, pray, Father, and I will follow immediately.” The Flamen left the room. Claudia threw herself on her knees, and after kissing the spot on the rug where he had stood, threw up her arms and her slender figure in passionate prayer to the gods. “Do not crush me, Immortals, if I am sinning!” she whispered with trembling lips. “For you know, ye all-merciful and all-wise, that I cannot help it.” FOOTNOTES: [64] ACTA DIURNA. The official collection and publication of important news was first introduced by Julius Caesar. These publications were called _acta diurna urbis_ or _acta diurna populi_. After one number of this official gazette was prepared, it was multiplied by an army of copyists, and sent to the most distant provinces. Besides the official news, the _acta diurna_ published miscellaneous communications about specially important events in public life, family news, art notices, etc. See Hübner in _Fleckeisen’s Jahrbuch, Suppl._ III, pages 364-594, as well as the admirable explanation by Göll, “the newspaper of Rome” in his “Pictures of Civilization.” [65] THERE LAY HER FAVORITE AUTHORS NEATLY ARRANGED IN IVORY CASES. Valuable books were kept in closed boxes. [66] THE HEAD OF JUPITER, COPIED FROM THE WORLD-FAMED WORK OF PHIDIAS. The most renowned and perhaps most magnificent creation of Greek plastic art, was the Pan-hellenic Zeus at Olympia, a work of Phidias. Everything the ancient authors tell us of this colossal statue sounds extremely enthusiastic. Thus an epigram runs: "Great Zeus did descend to earth his image to reveal, Or, Phidias, to behold the god, Olympus thou did'st scale."