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they came upon him while he was in impassable woods with the 2.452 army around him, and suddenly, being experienced in these things, they surrounded them through the most overgrown thickets. and they inflicted very many harms very many times, but finally, with the Romans losing many men, and with other kinsmen always being added to the barbarians, the encircled Romans were more easily killed, so that even Varus and the rest of the most distinguished men were wounded; who, fearing that they might be taken alive, killed themselves. And the rest, learning of this, some imitated their commander, while others, laying down their arms, allowed anyone who wished to kill them. So they were cut down without fear, and the barbarians took all the forts, except one, preoccupied with which they neither crossed the Rhine nor invaded Gaul. But not even that were they able to capture, since they neither knew how to conduct a siege and the Romans used many archers, by whom they were driven back and very many were killed. But after this, learning that the Romans were guarding the Rhine and that Tiberius was advancing with a heavy army, most of them withdrew from the fort, and those who were left behind, having withdrawn from it, so as not to be harmed by sudden sallies of those within, watched the roads, hoping to take them by lack of provisions. The Romans who were inside, as long as they had plenty of food, remained in their position, expecting help; but when no one was helping them and they were oppressed by famine, they went out, watching for a winter night, and they were few soldiers, but many unarmed men, and they passed the first and the second 2.453 guard-post of the barbarians, but on reaching the third they were seen. And all would have perished or been captured, if the barbarians had not turned to seizing the booty, and the trumpeters, sounding a charge together, gave the impression that reinforcements had come for the besieged; then they were truly reinforced. But Tiberius did not decide to cross the Rhine, but remained quiet, watching lest the barbarians do this. But neither did they dare to cross, knowing that he was present. But after these things, he and Germanicus invaded Celtica and overran some of it, however, they did not win in battle nor did they subdue any tribe, because no one came to blows with them, and they themselves did not advance far from the Rhine, fearing that they might fail again, but after spending time thereabouts until the autumn, they returned. But Augustus, administering the affairs of the monarchy and having already become very old, commended Germanicus, who had been consul before being praetor, to the senate, but the monarchy to Tiberius. And when the horse races were being held on his birthday, a certain madman sat in the chair dedicated to Julius Caesar and put on his crown; which disturbed everyone as signifying something for Augustus. But also more portents bearing on this occurred. For the whole sun was eclipsed and much of the sky, appearing fiery, seemed to burn and comets and blood-red stars were seen; and when the senate 2.454 was summoned on account of his illness, so that they might make vows, the senate house was found closed; and lightning, having struck a statue of him, obliterated the first letter of the name Caesar. These things, then, were manifested while he was still living; but he, having fallen ill at Nola, passed away on the nineteenth of the month of August, having lived seventy-six years, lacking thirty-four days, and having ruled as sole monarch from when he was victorious at Actium for forty-four years. However, Livia was suspected in his death, because Augustus had secretly sailed across to the island to Agrippa, where he had been exiled with his mother Julia. For fearing that, being reconciled, he might restore him to the monarchy, she is said to have poisoned some figs that were still on the trees, from which Augustus was accustomed to pick figs with his own hand, and she herself ate the unpoisoned ones, but she offered him the poisoned ones. Whether, then, he fell ill in this way or some other, he then gathered his companions and what he wished for them

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ἐπῆλθον αὐτῷ ἐν υλαις δυσεκβάτοις οντι μετὰ τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν 2.452 στρατιᾶς, καὶ ἐξάπινα σφᾶς διὰ τῶν λοχμωδεστάτων, εμπειροι τούτων οντες, περιεστοίχισαν. καὶ πλεῖστα μὲν καὶ πλειστάκις ἐκάκωσαν, τέλος δὲ τῶν μὲν ̔Ρωμαίων ἀποβαλόντων πολλούς, τοῖς δὲ βαρβάροις ἀεὶ προστιθεμένων ὁμογενῶν ἑτέρων, ῥᾷον οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι κυκλούμενοι ἐφονεύοντο, ωστε καὶ τὸν Ουαρον καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς τοὺς λογιμωτάτους τρωθῆναι· οι φοβηθέντες μὴ ζωγρηθῶσιν αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἀνεῖλον. τοῦτο δὲ γνόντες καὶ οἱ λοιποί, οἱ μὲν τὸν αρχοντα ἐμιμήσαντο, οἱ δὲ τὰ οπλα τιθέντες ἐπέτρεπον τῷ βουλομένῳ φονεύειν αὐτούς. ἐκόπτοντο ουν ἀδεῶς, καὶ τὰ ἐρύματα πάντα κατέσχον οἱ βάρβαροι, ατερ ἑνός, περὶ ο ἀσχοληθέντες ουτε τὸν ̔Ρῆνον διέβησαν ουτ' ἐς τὴν Γαλατίαν εἰσέβαλον. ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἐκεῖνο χειρώσασθαι ἠδυνήθησαν, ἐπεὶ μήτε πολιορκεῖν ἠπίσταντο καὶ τοξόταις οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι συχνοῖς ἐχρῶντο, ἐξ ων καὶ ἀνεκόπτοντο καὶ πλεῖστοι ἀπώλλυντο. μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο πυθόμενοι φυλακὴν τοῦ ̔Ρήνου τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους ποιήσασθαι καὶ τὸν Τιβέριον σὺν βαρεῖ προσελαύνειν στρατεύματι, οἱ μὲν πολλοὶ ἀπανέστησαν τοῦ ἐρύματος, οἱ δ' ὑπολειφθέντες ἀποστάντες αὐτοῦ, ωστε μὴ αἰφνιδίοις ἐπεξελεύσεσι τῶν ἐντὸς κακοῦσθαι, τὰς ὁδοὺς ἐτήρουν, σπάνει σιτίων αἱρήσειν ἠλπικότες αὐτούς. οἱ δ' ἐντὸς οντες ̔Ρωμαῖοι, εως μὲν εὐπόρουν τροφῆς, κατὰ χώραν εμενον, βοήθειαν προσδεχόμενοι· ὡς δ' ουτε τις ἐπεκούρει αὐτοῖς καὶ λιμῷ συνείχοντο, ἐξῆλθον νύκτα τηρήσαντες χειμέριον, ησαν δὲ στρατιῶται μὲν ὀλίγοι, αοπλοι δὲ πολλοί, καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον καὶ τὸ δεύτερον φυλακτή2.453 ριον τῶν βαρβάρων παρῆλθον, πρὸς δὲ τῷ τρίτῳ γενόμενοι ἐφωράθησαν. καὶ πάντες αν ἀπώλοντο η καὶ ἑάλωσαν, εἰ μὴ περὶ τὴν τῆς λείας ἁρπαγὴν οἱ βάρβαροι ἐτράποντο, καὶ οἱ σαλπιγκταὶ τροχαῖόν τι συμβοήσαντες δόξαν παρέσχον ὡς ἐπικουρία τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις ἐλήλυθεν· ειτα καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐπεκουρήθησαν. ὁ δὲ Τιβέριος διαβῆναι τὸν ̔Ρῆνον οὐκ εκρινεν, ἀλλ' ἠτρέμιζεν ἐπιτηρῶν μὴ οἱ βάρβαροι τοῦτο ποιήσωσιν. ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἐκεῖνοι διαβῆναι ἐτόλμησαν, γνόντες αὐτὸν παρόντα. μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ αὐτὸς καὶ ὁ Γερμανικὸς εἰσέβαλον εἰς τὴν Κελτικὴν καί τινα ταύτης κατέδραμον, οὐ μέντοι καὶ μάχῃ ἐνίκησαν ουτε εθνος τι ὑπηγάγοντο, οτι μηδ' ῃει τις ἐς χεῖρας αὐτοῖς, καὶ οὐδ' αὐτοὶ τοῦ ̔Ρήνου πόρρω προήλθοσαν, δεδιότες μὴ καὶ αυθις σφαλῶσιν, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ που μέχρι τοῦ μετοπώρου διατρίψαντες ἐπανῆλθον. ̔Ο Αυγουστος δὲ τὰ τῆς μοναρχίας διοικῶν καὶ ὑπέργηρως ηδη γενόμενος τὸν μὲν Γερμανικὸν ὑπατεύσαντα πρὸ τοῦ στρατηγῆσαι παρακατέθετο τῇ βουλῇ, τὴν δὲ τῷ Τιβερίῳ. ἱπποδρομίας δὲ τελουμένης ἐν τοῖς γενεθλίοις αὐτοῦ ἐμμανής τις ἀνὴρ ἐκάθισεν ἐς τὸν δίφρον τὸν τῷ ̓Ιουλίῳ Καίσαρι ἀνακείμενον καὶ τὸν ἐκείνου στέφανον περιέθετο· ο πάντας ἐτάραξεν ὡς εἰς τὸν Αυγουστόν τι σημαῖνον. ἀλλὰ καὶ τέρατα πρὸς τοῦτο φέροντα προσέπεσε πλείονα. ο τε γὰρ ηλιος απας ἐξέλιπε καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πολὺ πυρῶδες φαινόμενον καίεσθαι εδοξε καὶ ἀστέρες κομῆται καὶ αἱματώδεις ωφθησαν· βουλῆς 2.454 τε ἐπὶ τῇ νόσῳ αὐτοῦ ἐπαγγελθείσης, ιν' εὐχὰς ποιήσωνται, κεκλεισμένον ευρητο τὸ συνέδριον· καὶ κεραυνὸς εἰς εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ ἐμπεσὼν τὸ πρῶτον γράμμα τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Καίσαρος ἠφάνισε. ταῦτα μὲν ουν ζῶντος ετι αὐτοῦ προεφάνη· ὁ δὲ νοσήσας ἐν Νώλῃ μετήλλαξε τῇ ἐννεακαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ Αὐγούστου μηνός, ζήσας εξ ετη καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα, τριάκοντα καὶ τεσσάρων ἐνδεουσῶν ἡμερῶν, μοναρχήσας δὲ ἀφ' ου πρὸς τῷ ̓Ακτίῳ ἐνίκησεν ἐνιαυτοὺς πρὸς τέσσαρσι τεσσαράκοντα. ὑπωπτεύθη μέντοι ἐπὶ τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ ἡ Λιβία, οτι πρὸς τὸν ̓Αγρίππαν ὁ Αυγουστος λάθρᾳ ἐς τὴν νῆσον διέπλευσεν, ενθα μετὰ τῆς ̓Ιουλίας τῆς μητρὸς πεφυγάδευτο. δείσασα γὰρ μὴ καταλλαγεὶς ἐπὶ τῇ μοναρχίᾳ αὐτὸν καταγάγῃ, σῦκά τινα ἐπὶ δένδροις ετι οντα, ἐξ ων ὁ Αυγουστος αὐτοχειρίᾳ συκάζειν εἰώθει, φαρμάξαι λέγεται, καὶ αὐτὴ μὲν τὰ ἀφάρμακτα ησθιεν, ἐκείνῳ δὲ τὰ πεφαρμαγμένα προσέβαλεν. ειτ' ουν ουτως ειτ' αλλως ἀρρωστήσας τότε τοὺς ἑταίρους συνήθροισε καὶ α ἠβούλετο τούτοις