Rome -- History -- Tiberius, 14-37; Tiberius, Emperor of Rome 42 B.C.-37 A.D.
took place which brought about the fall of Sejanus, whom Paterculus
praises highly; possibly he was one of those upon whom the wrath of the
Senate fell; in any case we hear nothing more of him, and his proposed
work was never written, or never published; he died, or at any rate
ceased to speak, before the reign of terror which accompanied the fall
of Sejanus had cast its shadow upon Tiberius, before the reigns of
Caligula and Nero had made it possible to believe every evil of a Roman
Emperor, before the novelty of the Empire had worn off; there was no
reason for adopting any but an optimistic tone.
Tiberius left Rome for Germany in A.D. 4; war had been going on there
for three years, the Roman general being then a Marcus Vinicius,
grandfather of the Consul to whom Paterculus dedicated his book.
Paterculus accompanied Tiberius, and was generally with him during the
nine years of his campaigns; he seems to have been a member of the
headquarters staff, succeeding his father as commander of the cavalry.
He says: “For nine years in succession, either as cavalry commander
or staff officer, I was a spectator of his most heavenly operations,
and assisted him in the measure permitted by my own mediocrity.”
The epithet strikes us as exuberant, but it is frequently used by
Paterculus, and not reserved for Tiberius; he employs it in speaking of
the eloquence of Cicero. The historian tells us of the incidents of the
journey through the most populous regions of Italy and the provinces of
Gaul; he describes the joy with which the inhabitants welcomed their
former governor, while the soldiers pressed to seize his hand, and
shouted, “Do we really see you, General? Have we got you safe again?
I served with you in Armenia, I in Rhætia, I was rewarded by you in
Vindelicia, I in Pannonia, I in Germany.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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