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had been made on which flies sat upon the wounds, and someone pitying him tried to drive them away, but when that man stopped him, the one who was trying to drive away the flies asked the reason, and the wounded man answered, "These ones, having been filled with blood, are not very troublesome to me; but if these were scared away, new and hungry ones would come and pain me more." And this is also a testimony to the slowness of Tiberius in these matters, that having completed twenty-two years in his reign, he sent out two rulers of their nation to the Jews, both Gratus and Pilate. Being such a man, therefore, in all things, he did not even grant Eutychus a hearing. But Agrippa was begging Antonia to prepare Caesar to hear Eutychus. And Antonia was held in honor by Tiberius both as having been the wife of Drusus his brother and because of her very great modesty. For having been widowed young she remained in widowhood and refused a second marriage, although the em2.23 peror permitted it, and so she passed her life as to be above even slander. For these reasons indeed she was honored by Tiberius, and because she had also become his benefactress, having revealed a plot formed by many powerful men. Being asked therefore by her to examine Eutychus, he said, "Let the gods know, Antonia, that what is about to be done will not be according to my judgment, but at your entreaty." And he orders Eutychus to be brought in. And standing there he said that, "Gaius and Agrippa, O master, were conversing, and Agrippa said, 'If only the day would come on which this old man, having departed, might appoint you ruler of the world; for Tiberius his grandson will be no obstacle to us, being put to death by you. And the world would be happy, and I before it.'" And to Tiberius the words were considered true; at the same time also holding a grudge against Agrippa because he had not chosen to court his grandson, but had wholly turned to Gaius, he ordered one of those standing by to bind him. And he was led away a prisoner while still in his purple robes, and he stood before the palace, leaning against a tree out of despondency. And there were others there in bonds. And when a bird flew down to that tree—the Romans call the bird an owl—one of the prisoners, having seen it, asked the soldier guarding him who the man in the purple robe was; and having learned, he asked the soldier chained to him to come nearer. And having succeeded, he says, "O young man, I bring you good news of a very swift release from these bonds and advancement to the greatest dignity and power, and that you will be envied by those now pitying you, and you will die in prosperity, leaving your wealth to your children. But when you see this 2.24 bird again, know that your death will then be in five days. However, when you have become prosperous according to our prophecy, remember us also, so that we may escape the misfortune with which we are now contending." And he who said these things at that time incurred laughter, but later appeared worthy of wonder. Therefore Agrippa was in bonds for six months. But Tiberius, growing weak as his illness grew stronger, orders Euodus, who was the most honored of his freedmen, to bring the children to him as he wished to converse with them before his death. But he had no children; for his son Drusus had happened to die; but he had a grandson from him, Tiberius Gemellus, and a grandnephew, Gaius, the son of his kinsman Germanicus, already a young man and devoted to learning and loved and honored by the people because of his father's virtue. Tiberius therefore having ordered the children to be brought in early the next day; and it was his wish especially to leave the empire to his grandson, but for the time being he made it an omen that the divine power wished the empire to devolve upon him who should come to him first, and he sends orders to his grandson's tutor to bring the boy rather early. And when day had already come, he sends Euodus to call whichever of the children was present; and he, finding Gaius before the chamber, brought him in to Tiberius. But he, coming to a realization of the divine power, lamented as for his grandson being lost. Although
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πεποίητο ῳ μυῖαι περιεκάθηντο τὰς πληγάς, καί τις οἰκτείρων αὐτὸν ἀποδιώκειν αὐτὰς ἐπεχείρει, ἀποτρέψαντος δὲ ἐκείνου ηρετο τὴν αἰτίαν ὁ διώκειν τὰς μυίας πειρώμενος, ὁ δέ γε τραυματίας "αυται μέν" ἀπεκρίνατο "τοῦ αιματος ἐμπλησθεῖσαι οὐ πάνυ μοι δι' οχλου εἰσίν, εἰ δ' ἀποσοβηθεῖεν αυται, ηξουσι νεαλεῖς καὶ λιμώττουσαι μᾶλλόν με ὀδυνήσουσι." τῆς δὲ πρὸς ταῦτα βραδυτῆτος τοῦ Τιβερίου καὶ τόδε μαρτύριον οτι δύο καὶ εικοσιν ἐπὶ τῆς αὐταρχίας ἀνύσας ἐνιαυτοὺς δύο τοῖς ̓Ιουδαίοις ἐξέπεμψεν αρξοντας τοῦ εθνους αὐτῶν, Γράτον τε καὶ Πιλάτον. τοιοῦτος ουν τυγχάνων ἐν απασιν οὐδὲ τὸν Ευτυχον ἠξίου ἀκροάσεως. ̓Αγρίππας δὲ τὴν ̓Αντωνίαν ἱκέτευε παρασκευάσαι τὸν Καίσαρα ἀκροάσασθαι τοῦ Εὐτύχου. ἡ δ' ̓Αντωνία διὰ τιμῆς ην Τιβερίῳ καὶ ὡς γαμετὴ γενομένη ∆ρούσου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ διὰ τὸ σῶφρον ὡς μάλιστα. νέα γὰρ χηρεύσασα τῇ χηρείᾳ παρέμεινε καὶ γάμον ἀπείπατο δεύτερον, καίπερ τοῦ αὐ2.23 τοκράτορος αὐτὸν ἐπιτρέποντος, καὶ ουτω τὸν βίον διήνυσεν ὡς καὶ λοιδοριῶν ἀνωτέρω γενέσθαι. διὰ δὴ ταῦτα τῷ Τιβερίῳ τετίμητο καὶ οτι καὶ εὐεργέτις αὐτοῦ γέγονεν, ἐπιβουλὴν παρὰ πολλῶν καὶ δυνατῶν συστᾶσαν μηνύσασα. ὑπὸ ταύτης ουν ἀξιούμενος ἐξετάσαι τὸν Ευτυχον, εφη "ιστωσαν οἱ θεοί, ̓Αντωνία, οτι οὐ κατὰ γνώμην ἐμὴν τὰ πραχθησόμενα εσονται, ἐκ δέ γε σῆς παρακλήσεως." καὶ τὸν Ευτυχον ἀχθῆναι κελεύει. καὶ παραστὰς ελεγεν ὡς "Γάιός τε καὶ ̓Αγρίππας, ω δέσποτα, συνωμίλουν, καὶ ̓Αγρίππας εφη, εἰ γὰρ ἀφίκοιτό ποτε ἡμέρα ῃ μεταστὰς ουτος ὁ γέρων χειροτονοίη σε ἡγεμόνα τῆς οἰκουμένης· οὐδὲν γὰρ εσται ἡμῖν ἐμποδὼν Τιβέριος ὁ αὐτοῦ υἱωνός, ὑπὸ σοῦ τελευτῶν. καὶ η τε οἰκουμένη γένοιτ' αν μακαρία, καὶ πρὸ ταύτης ἐγώ." Τιβερίῳ δὲ οἱ λόγοι ηγηντο ἀληθεῖς· αμα δὲ καὶ μῆνιν ̓Αγρίππᾳ τηρῶν οτι μὴ τὸν υἱωνὸν αὐτοῦ θεραπεύειν ειλετο, ολος δὲ μετέπεσε πρὸς τὸν Γάιον, ἑνὶ τῶν παρεστηκότων δῆσαι αὐτὸν ἐκέλευσε. καὶ ηγετο δέσμιος ἐν πορφυρίσιν ων ετι, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ βασιλείου εἱστήκει δένδρῳ ὑπ' ἀθυμίας ἐπικλιθείς. ησαν δ' ἐκεῖ καὶ ετεροι ἐν δεσμοῖς. καὶ ὀρνέου πρὸς τὸ δένδρον ἐκεῖνο καταπταμένου, βουβῶνα τὸν ορνιν ̔Ρωμαῖοι καλοῦσι, τῶν δεσμωτῶν τις θεασάμενος ηρετο τὸν αὐτὸν τηροῦντα στρατιώτην οστις ειη ὁ ἐν τῇ πορφυρίδι· καὶ μαθὼν ἠξίωσε τὸν συνδεδεμένον αὐτῷ στρατιώτην πλησίον ἐλθεῖν. καὶ τυχών "ω νεανία" φησίν, "ἀπαλλαγήν τέ σοι τῶν δεσμῶν ταχίστην εὐαγγελίζομαι καὶ προκοπὴν ἐπὶ μήκιστον ἀξιώματος καὶ δυνάμεως, καὶ ὡς ζηλωτὸς εσῃ τοῖς αρτι οἰκτιζομένοις σε, καὶ ἐν εὐδαιμονίᾳ τελευτήσεις, παισὶ τὸν ολβον λιπών. οτε δ' εἰσαῦθις τὸν ορνιν 2.24 τοῦτον θεάσαιο, ισθι σου τηνικαῦτα μετὰ πέντε ἡμέρας ἐσομένην τὴν τελευτήν. εὐδαιμονήσας μέντοι κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν πρόρρησιν, μνήμην ποιοῦ καὶ ἡμῶν, ὡς διαφευξόμεθα τὴν δυστυχίαν ῃ τανῦν σύνεσμεν." καὶ ὁ μὲν ταῦτα εἰπὼν τότε μὲν γέλωτα ωφλεν, υστερον δ' ἐφάνη θαύματος αξιος. Ην ουν ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς ὁ ̓Αγρίππας ἐπὶ μῆνας εξ. Τιβέριος δὲ μαλακιζόμενος τῆς νόσου κραταιουμένης Ευοδον κελεύει, ος τῶν ἀπελευθέρων ην αὐτῷ τιμιώτατος, τὰ τέκνα προσαγαγεῖν αὐτῷ διαλεξομένῳ σφίσι πρὶν τελευτῆς. οὐκ ησαν δὲ παῖδες αὐτῷ· ὁ γὰρ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ∆ροῦσος ετυχε τεθνεώς· υἱωνὸς δ' ἐξ ἐκείνου αὐτῷ ην Τιβέριος Γέμελλος, καὶ ἀδελφιδοῦς Γάιος Γερμανικοῦ παῖς συγγόνου αὐτοῦ, νεανίας ηδη καὶ παιδείᾳ ἐσχολακὼς καὶ παρὰ τοῦ δήμου φιλούμενος καὶ τιμώμενος διὰ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ἀρετήν. κελεύσας ουν ὁ Τιβέριος εωθεν τοὺς παῖδας εἰσαγαγεῖν εἰς τὴν αυριον· ην δ' αὐτῷ τὸ βουλόμενον τῷ υἱωνῷ μάλιστα καταλιπεῖν τὴν ἀρχήν, τέως δ' ουν οἰώνισμα εθετο εἰς ἐκεῖνον βούλεσθαι τὸ θεῖον περιελθεῖν τὴν ἀρχὴν ος αν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀφίκοιτο πρότερος, πέμπει κελεύων τῷ παιδαγωγῷ τοῦ υἱωνοῦ πρωιαίτερον αγειν τὸν παῖδα. καὶ ηδη γεγονυίας ἡμέρας πέμπει τὸν Ευοδον εἰσκαλεῖν τὸν παρόντα τῶν παίδων· ἐκεῖνος δὲ τὸν Γάιον πρὸ δωματίου καταλαβὼν εἰσήγαγε πρὸς Τιβέριον. ὁ δὲ τῆς τοῦ θείου δυνάμεως εἰς εννοιαν ἐλθὼν κατωλοφύρατο ὡς ἐπ' ἀπολωλότι τῷ υἱωνῷ. καίπερ