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Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database



2165
Cassius Dio, Roman History, 42.20


nan1.  They granted him, then, permission to do whatever he wished to those who had favoured Pompey's cause, not that he had not already received this right from himself, but in order that he might seem to be acting with some show of legal authority. They appointed him arbiter of war and peace with all mankind — using the conspirators in Africa as a pretext — without the obligation even of making any communication on the subject to the people or the senate.,2.  This, of course, also lay in his power before, inasmuch as he had so large an armed force; at any rate the wars he had fought he had undertaken on his own authority in nearly every case. Nevertheless, because they wished still to appear to be free and independent citizens, they voted him these rights and everything else which it was in his power to have even against their will.,3.  Thus he received the privilege of being consul for five consecutive years and of being chosen dictator, not for six months, but for an entire year, and he assumed the tribunician authority practically for life; for he secured the right of sitting with the tribunes upon the same benches and of being reckoned with them for other purposes — a privilege which was permitted to no one.,4.  All the elections except those of the plebs now passed into his hands, and for this reason they were delayed till after his arrival and were held toward the close of the year. In the case of the governorships in subject territory the citizens pretended to allot themselves those which fell to the consuls, but voted that Caesar should give the others to the praetors without the casting of lots; for they had gone back to consuls and praetors again contrary to their decree.,5.  And they also granted another privilege, which was customary, to be sure, but in the corruption of the times might cause hatred and resentment: they decreed that Caesar should hold a triumph for the war against Juba and the Romans who fought with him, just as if had been the victor, although, as a matter of fact, he had not then so much as heard that there was to be such a war.


Intertexts (texts cited often on the same page as the searched text):

6 results
1. Cicero, Letters, 9.15.2 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)

2. Cicero, Letters, 9.15.2 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)

3. Cicero, Letters, 9.15.2 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)

4. Cicero, Letters, 9.15.2 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)

5. Plutarch, Sulla, 33.1 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)

6. Cassius Dio, Roman History, 51.19.7, 59.5-59.6 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)

51.19.7.  also that he should judge appealed cases, and that in all the courts his vote was to be cast as Athena's vote. The priests and priestesses also in their prayers in behalf of the people and the senate were to pray for him likewise, and at all banquets, not only public but private as well, everybody was to pour a libation to him. 59.5. 1.  This was the kind of emperor into whose hands the Romans were then delivered. Hence the deeds of Tiberius, though they were felt to have been very harsh, were nevertheless as far superior to those of Gaius as the deeds of Augustus were to those of his successor.,2.  For Tiberius always kept the power in his own hands and used others as agents for carrying out his wishes; whereas Gaius was ruled by the charioteers and gladiators, and was the slave of the actors and others connected with the stage. Indeed, he always kept Apelles, the most famous of the tragedians of that day, with him even in public.,3.  Thus he by himself and they by themselves did without let or hindrance all that such persons would naturally dare to do when given power. Everything that pertained to their art he arranged and settled on the slightest pretext in the most lavish manner, and he compelled the praetors and the consuls to do the same, so that almost every day some performance of the kind was sure to be given.,4.  At first he was but a spectator and listener at these and would take sides for or against various performers like one of the crowd; and one time, when he was vexed with those of opposing tastes, he did not go to the spectacle. But as time went on, he came to imitate, and to contend in many events,,5.  driving chariots, fighting as a gladiator, giving exhibitions of pantomimic dancing, and acting in tragedy. So much for his regular behaviour. And once he sent an urgent summons at night to the leading men of the senate, as if for some important deliberation, and then danced before them.   59.6. 1.  In the year that Tiberius died and Gaius succeeded to the rule, he at first showed great deference to the senators on an occasion when knights and also some of the populace were present at their meeting. He promised to share his power with them and to do whatever would please them, called himself their son and ward.,2.  He was then twenty-five years of age, lacking five months and four days. After this he freed those who were in prison, among them Quintus Pomponius, who for seven whole years after his consulship had been kept in jail and maltreated. He did away with the complaints for maiestas, which he saw were the commonest cause of the prisoners' present plight,,3.  and he heaped up and burned (or so he pretended) the papers pertaining to their cases that Tiberius had left, declaring: "I have done this in order that, no matter how strongly I may some day desire to harbour malice against any one for my mother's and my brothers' sake, I shall nevertheless be unable to punish him.",4.  For this he was commended, as it was expected that he would be truthful above all else; for by reason of his youth it was not thought possible that he could be guilty of duplicity in thought or speech. And he increased their hopes still further by ordering that the celebration of the Saturnalia should extend over five days, as well as by accepting from each of those who received the dole of grain only an as instead of the denarius that they were wont to give the emperor for the manufacture of images.,5.  It was voted that he should become consul at once by the removal of Proculus and Nigrinus, who were then holding the office, and that thereafter he should be consul every year. He did not accept these proposals, however, but instead waited until the actual incumbents had completed the six-months' term for which they had been appointed, and then became consul himself, taking Claudius, his uncle, as colleague.,6.  The latter, who had previously belonged to the knights and after the death of Tiberius had been sent as an envoy to Gaius in behalf of that order, now for the first time, though he was forty- six years of age, became consul and a senator — both at the same time.,7.  In all this, now, the conduct of Gaius appeared satisfactory, and in harmony with this was the speech which he delivered in the senate on entering upon his consulship. In it he denounced Tiberius for each and every one of the crimes of which he was commonly accused and made many promises regarding his own conduct, with the result that the senate, fearing that he might change his mind, issued a decree that this speech should be read every year.  


Subjects of this text:

subject book bibliographic info
abdication,of magistrates Konrad (2022) 135
aelius aristides Tuori (2016) 275
alexandria Konrad (2022) 135
antonius,m.,named magister equitum by consul Konrad (2022) 135
asinius pollio,c. Konrad (2022) 135
augurium,and caesar as dictator,extended term of Konrad (2022) 135
augustus Tuori (2016) 275
auspicato,of magister equitum Konrad (2022) 135
authority Tuori (2016) 27
case Tuori (2016) 27
cassius dio Tuori (2016) 275
censors Konrad (2022) 135
cicero Tuori (2016) 27, 37
citizen Tuori (2016) 37, 275
civil war Tuori (2016) 27
clemency Tuori (2016) 27, 37
comitia,legislation affecting terms of dictator and magister equitum Konrad (2022) 135
comitia,prescribe name of dictator and magister equitum Konrad (2022) 135
comitia centuriata Konrad (2022) 135
commonwealth Tuori (2016) 37
constitution Tuori (2016) 37
consul Tuori (2016) 27, 37
cornelius sulla felix,l.,dictator Konrad (2022) 135
criminal Tuori (2016) 37
criminal jurisdiction Tuori (2016) 275
dictator,abdication Konrad (2022) 135
dictator,dictatorship Tuori (2016) 27, 37
dictator,named by interrex Konrad (2022) 135
dictator interregni caussa,comitiorum habendorum Konrad (2022) 135
dictator interregni caussa,legibus scribundis et rei p. constituendae Konrad (2022) 135
dictator interregni caussa,rei gerundae Konrad (2022) 135
dictio,includes authorization to name magister equitum Konrad (2022) 135
dio,l. cassius,on antonius as magister equitum Konrad (2022) 135
dio,l. cassius,on caesars dictatorships Konrad (2022) 135
edict Tuori (2016) 37
egypt Konrad (2022) 135
exile Tuori (2016) 27
extraordinary Tuori (2016) 37
fabius maximus verrucosus,q.,dictator,elected by the people Konrad (2022) 135
fufius calenus,q. Konrad (2022) 135
fulvius flaccus,q. Konrad (2022) 135
gaius gracchus Tuori (2016) 37
governor Tuori (2016) 37
greece Konrad (2022) 135
greek Tuori (2016) 275
hellenistic Tuori (2016) 275
interrex,dictator,named by Konrad (2022) 135
iulius caesar,c.,at alexandria Konrad (2022) 135
iulius caesar,c.,despot,a Konrad (2022) 135
iulius caesar,c.,dictator in Konrad (2022) 135
iulius caesar,c.,dictator with extended term Konrad (2022) 135
iulius caesar,c.,dictatorships authorized/modified by comitial legislation Konrad (2022) 135
iuppiter,auspices,grants/withholds permission through Konrad (2022) 135
judge Tuori (2016) 27, 37
julius caesar Tuori (2016) 27, 37, 275
jurisdiction Tuori (2016) 27, 275
king Tuori (2016) 27, 275
kingship Tuori (2016) 275
law Tuori (2016) 37, 275
legitimacy Konrad (2022) 135
licinia de sodaliciis,pompeia de provinciis ordinandis Konrad (2022) 135
licinius crassus dives,p. Konrad (2022) 135
livy,on consuls naming dictator Konrad (2022) 135
magister equitum,abdication Konrad (2022) 135
magister equitum,named by consul instead of by dictator Konrad (2022) 135
magister equitum Konrad (2022) 135; Tuori (2016) 27
magistrate Tuori (2016) 37
magistrates,non-annual,termination of Konrad (2022) 135
maiestas Tuori (2016) 27
minucius rufus,m. Konrad (2022) 135
mos maiorum Tuori (2016) 37
plebiscite Konrad (2022) 135
power Tuori (2016) 37, 275
praetor Tuori (2016) 37
principate Tuori (2016) 275
property Tuori (2016) 27
provocatio Tuori (2016) 37
quaestio Tuori (2016) 27
reform Tuori (2016) 275
republic,republican Tuori (2016) 27, 37, 275
roman republic Tuori (2016) 37, 275
senate Tuori (2016) 275
senatus consultum Konrad (2022) 135
tradition,traditional Tuori (2016) 37
trial Tuori (2016) 27, 37
tribune Tuori (2016) 37
tyranny,tyrannical,tyrant Tuori (2016) 37, 275
valerius flaccus,l. Konrad (2022) 135
valerius laevinus,m. Konrad (2022) 135
violence Tuori (2016) 37
virtue' Tuori (2016) 275