374

He was thirty years old when he was baptized, according to the same evangelist; so that fifteen of the thirty years are to be taken from the time of the sole rule of Tiberius, and the remaining fifteen are to be reckoned from the forty-four of Augustus. It happens, therefore, that the years remaining from them are twenty-nine. Therefore, in the twenty-ninth year of the exact monarchy of Caesar Augustus, the Lord is understood to have been born according to the flesh from the ever-virgin and holy Mary, the Theotokos. 3.1 So Augustus died, as has been said, and Tiberius succeeded to the monarchy. He was of noble birth and educated, but his mind was most complex, making his words contrary to his intentions. For he said the opposite of what he wanted, hiding one thing in his mind, but saying another; and pretending to be angry in matters where he was not angry, and feigning mildness in matters where he was enraged; and he regarded his greatest enemy as his closest friend, and treated his dearest friend as a complete stranger. And he did not think it right for his thoughts to be clear to others, believing this was fitting for a sole ruler. And whether someone contradicted what he said or indeed agreed, he was hated. Meanwhile, then, he immediately sent word to the military camps and to all the nations as emperor, without saying he was emperor; for though this title, along with the other names, was voted to him, he did not accept it. And while administering all the affairs of the state, he said he had no need of it, and elegantly pretended to be retiring from it both because of his age—for he was fifty-six years old—and because of poor eyesight; for though he could see very well in the dark, he saw very little during the day. Then he asked for partners in the government and co-rulers, intending to do none of these things, but 3.2 because he had a treacherous character and because he was suspicious of the armies in both Pannonia and Germany, and he feared Germanicus, who was then governor of Germany and beloved by the soldiers. And for these reasons he did nothing openly as emperor, but pretending to be sick he stayed at home and delayed, so that in the hope that he would willingly give up the rule, no one would start a revolution, until he became master of the government through all means. So he immediately sent and killed Agrippa, who was, as has been said, the grandson of Augustus by Julia and Agrippa; but he greatly feared Germanicus. The army in Pannonia also became mutinous, so as to even attack their own commander. Then, when the more audacious and the ringleaders were punished, the rest were brought to order. But those in Germany reviled Tiberius and acclaimed Germanicus as emperor. But when he drew his sword as if to kill himself, one of the soldiers raised his own sword and said, "Take this one; for it is sharper." Germanicus therefore refrained from killing himself so that they would not rebel further, and by forging letters as if sent from Tiberius, giving them donatives and promising other things, he then put an end to the mutiny. But later, when ambassadors were sent from Tiberius, realizing the stratagem of Germanicus and suspecting that the ambassadors had come to overturn the things promised by him, they became mutinous again and rushed against the ambassadors. And they seized the wife of Germanicus, Agrippina, who was the daughter of Caesar's daughter Julia and Agrippa, and his son 3.3 Gaius; and they released Agrippina to him, as she was pregnant, but they held onto the son. But when they achieved nothing, they too quieted down. And he who was able to take the imperial rule did not wish it, but Tiberius, while he praised him openly before the senate, in his own mind he greatly suspected and feared him as one entrusted with armies. But when no further revolutionary news was reported, he no longer with dissimulation accepted the rule. And as long as Germanicus was alive, he did nothing on his own authority, but brought everything before the senate, and he did not think it right to be called emperor by anyone except the soldiers, but Caesar

374

τριάκοντα δ' ην ἐτῶν οτε ἐβαπτίσθη, κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν εὐαγγελιστήν· ωστε λοιπὸν τοὺς μὲν πεντεκαίδεκα τῶν τριάκοντα ἐνιαυτῶν ἐκ τῶν τῆς αὐταρχίας τοῦ Τιβερίου χρόνων λαμβάνεσθαι, τοὺς δέ γε λοιποὺς πεντεκαίδεκα ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Αὐγούστου τεσσαράκοντα καὶ τεσσάρων καταλογίζεσθαι. συμβαίνει τοίνυν τοὺς ἐξ αὐτῶν περιλιμπανομένους ἐννέα ειναι καὶ εικοσιν. ἐν γοῦν τῷ εἰκοστῷ ἐνάτῳ τῆς ἀκριβοῦς μοναρχίας τοῦ Καίσαρος Αὐγούστου καταλαμβάνεται τεχθῆναι τὸ κατὰ σάρκα ἐκ τῆς ἀειπαρθένου καὶ ἁγίας Μαρίας τῆς θεοτόκου τὸν κύριον. 3.1 ̔Ο μὲν ουν Αυγουστος ἀπεβίω ὡς ειρηται, τὴν δὲ μοναρχίαν ὁ Τιβέριος διεδέξατο. ος εὐπατρίδης μὲν ην καὶ πεπαίδευτο, τὴν δὲ γνώμην ην ποικιλώτατος, ἐναντίους τῇ προαιρέσει τοὺς λόγους ποιούμενος. ων γὰρ ἐβούλετο τἀναντία ελεγεν, αλλα μὲν κεύθων ἐνὶ φρεσίν, αλλα δὲ λέγων· καὶ ὀργίζεσθαι προσποιούμενος ἐν οις οὐκ ὠργίζετο, καὶ ἐν οις ἐθυμοῦτο σχηματιζόμενος ἐπιείκειαν· καὶ ὡς οἰκειότατον ἑώρα τὸν εχθιστον, καὶ ὡς ἀλλοτριωτάτῳ προσεφέρετο τῷ φιλτάτῳ. καὶ οὐκ ἠξίου τοῖς αλλοις δῆλον ειναί οἱ τὸ φρόνημα, τοῦτο προσήκειν τῷ αὐταρχοῦντι φρονῶν. καὶ ειτε τις ἠναντιοῦτο οις ελεγεν ειτε μὴν καὶ συνῄνει, μεμίσητο. Τέως δ' ουν εἰς τὰ στρατόπεδα καὶ εἰς τὰ εθνη πάντα ὡς αὐτοκράτωρ αὐτίκα ἐπέστειλε, μὴ λέγων αὐτοκράτωρ ειναι· ψηφισθὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ τῶν αλλων ὀνομάτων οὐκ ἐδέξατο. καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀρχῆς διοικῶν απαντα, μηδὲν αὐτῆς δεῖσθαι ελεγε, καὶ ταύτης ἐξίστασθαι ἐκομψεύετο καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν εξ γὰρ καὶ πεντήκοντα ἐτῶν ην, καὶ δι' ἀμβλυωπίαν· πλεῖστον γὰρ ἐν σκότει βλέπων ἐλάχιστα τὴν ἡμέραν ἑώρα. ειτα κοινωνοὺς ῃτει τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ συνάρχουτας, οὐδὲν τούτων ποιῆσαι μέλλων, ἀλλ' 3.2 οτι τε υπουλον ειχεν ηθος καὶ οτι καὶ τὰ στρατεύματα τά τε ἐν Παννονίᾳ καὶ ἐν Γερμανίᾳ ὑπώπτευε, καὶ τὸν Γερμανικὸν ἐδεδίει τῆς Γερμανίας αρχοντα τότε καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις φιλούμενον. καὶ διὰ ταῦτα οὐδὲν ὡς αὐτοκράτωρ επραττε φανερῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ νοσεῖν προσποιούμενος οἰκουρῶν ην καὶ διέμελλεν, ιν' ἐλπίδι τοῦ ἑκόντα τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀφήσειν αὐτὸν μή τί τινες νεοχμώσωσι, μέχρις ου τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐγκρατὴς διὰ πάντων ἐγένετο. τὸν μὲν ουν ̓Αγρίππαν αὐτίκα πέμψας ἀπέκτεινε, τοῦ Αὐγούστου, ὡς ειρηται, οντα θυγατριδοῦν ἐξ ̓Ιουλίας καὶ τοῦ ̓Αγρίππου· τὸν δὲ Γερμανικὸν λίαν ἐφοβεῖτο. ̓Εθορύβησε δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐν τῇ Παννονίᾳ στράτευμα, ὡς καὶ κατὰ τοῦ αρχοντος αὐτῶν ὁρμῆσαι. ειτα τῶν θρασυτέρων καὶ πρωταιτίων κολασθέντων κατέστησαν οἱ λοιποί. οἱ δὲ ἐν τῇ Γερμανίᾳ τόν τε Τιβέριον ἐκακηγόρησαν καὶ τὸν Γερμανικὸν ἐπεκάλεσαν αὐτοκράτορα. ἐκείνου δὲ τὸ ξίφος σπασαμένου ὡς ἑαυτὸν ἀναιρήσοντος εις τις τῶν στρατιωτῶν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ξίφος ἀνατείνας "τοῦτο" εφη "λάβε· ὀξύτερον γάρ ἐστιν." ὁ ουν Γερμανικὸς τοῦ κτεῖναι μὲν ἑαυτὸν ἀπέσχετο ινα μὴ μᾶλλον στασιάσωσι, γράμματα δὲ ὡς ἐκ τοῦ Τιβερίου πεμφθέντα πλασάμενος δωρεὰς αὐτοῖς διδόντα καὶ αλλα τινὰ ὑπισχνούμενα τὴν στάσιν τότε κατέπαυσεν. υστερον δὲ πρεσβευτῶν παρὰ τοῦ Τιβερίου πεμφθέντων γνόντες τὸ τοῦ Γερμανικοῦ στρατήγημα καὶ ὑποπτεύσαντες τοὺς πρέσβεις ἀνατρέψοντας ηκειν τὰ ὑπ' ἐκείνου ἐπηγγελμένα, ἐθορύβησαν αυθις καὶ κατὰ τῶν πρέσβεων ωρμησαν. καὶ τὴν τοῦ Γερμανικοῦ γυναῖκα τὴν ̓Αγριππῖναν, τῆς τοῦ Καίσαρος θυγατρὸς τῆς ̓Ιουλίας καὶ τοῦ ̓Αγρίππου παῖδα γεγονυῖαν, συνέλαβον, καὶ τὸν υἱὸν 3.3 αὐτοῦ Γάιον· καὶ τὴν μὲν ̓Αγριππῖναν ἐγκύμονα ουσαν ἀφῆκαν αὐτῷ, κατεῖχον δὲ τὸν υἱόν. ὡς δ' οὐδὲν ηνυον, ἡσύχασαν καὶ αὐτοί. καὶ ὁ μὲν δυνάμενος τὴν αὐτοκράτορα λαβεῖν ἀρχὴν οὐκ ἠθέλησεν, ὁ δὲ Τιβέριος κατὰ μὲν τὸ φαινόμενον ἐπῄνει αὐτὸν παρὰ τῇ βουλῇ, παρ' ἑαυτῷ δὲ καὶ λίαν ὑπώπτευε καὶ ἐδεδίει αὐτὸν ὡς ἐγκεχειρισμένον στρατεύματα. ̔Ως δ' οὐδὲν ετι νεώτερον ἠγγέλλετο, τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐκέτι εἰρωνευόμενος ὑπεδέξατο. καὶ μέχρις ὁ Γερμανικὸς περιῆν, οὐδὲν καθ' ἑαυτὸν επραττεν, ἀλλὰ πάντα εἰς τὴν γερουσίαν εἰσέφερε, καὶ οὐδὲ αὐτοκράτωρ καλεῖσθαι παρά του η μόνων τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἠξίου, Καῖσαρ δὲ