Chapter XIII: Introduction (2)

[From the marble in the Sala delle Muse of the Vatican. It has upon it
the first four letters of Alcibiades’ name. By an inferior artist, and
probably of a late date. It conveys no idea of the beauty of this
fiery-hearted soldier. No. 24A is a much finer head, but is not
entitled to the same confidence as a portrait. Alcibiades is said to
have been the model for Cupids and Mercuries in his youth. He received
all the honours of portraiture from the Athenians, who made several
statues of him in bronze, and the Romans placed his statue in the
Forum by the side of one of Pythagoras.]

24A. ALCIBIADES. _Athenian General._

25. MILTIADES. _Athenian General._

[Date and place of birth unknown. Died B.C. 489.]

An Athenian. Succeeded his father Cimon as “Tyrant” of the Thracian Chersonesus. He accompanied Darius on his expedition into Scythia. He was subsequently driven out of the Chersonesus by the Persians, and fled to Athens, where he resumed his rights as an Athenian citizen. He was one of the ten generals chosen by the Athenians to resist the Persian invasion, but by the consent of his colleagues he was invested with sole command. He defeated the Persians under Datis and Artaphernes, at Marathon (B. C. 490), and saved Greece. The victory, as well for the import of its consequences as for the disproportion between the numbers engaged, is one of the most memorable recorded in history. Afterwards intrusted with the command of a fleet, with which he attacked the Island of Paros, to gratify a private enmity. This expedition proving unsuccessful, Miltiades was impeached, condemned to a fine, and thrown into prison, where he died of his wounds.

[The hero of Marathon received all portrait honours from the
Athenians. Pliny relates that Panænus, the brother of Phidias, painted
a picture of the battle with portraits of the generals; and the great
sculptor himself made a statue of the conqueror, the cost of which was
appropriately paid out of the spoils of the Persians. It was placed in
the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. The bust, No. 25A, is in the Louvre;
it was found on the Celian Hill at Rome. The back part of the helmet
has sculptured upon it the furious bull of Marathon which Theseus
killed, and which Miltiades wears as a trophy of valour. This portrait
has been identified by a bust engraved with the name, described by
Fulvius Ursinus, but which is unfortunately lost.]

25A. MILTIADES. _Athenian General._

26. ASPASIA.

[Born at Miletus, in Asia Minor. Date of birth and death unknown; but
in the fifth century B.C.]

A woman of great beauty and intellectual power, and the contemporary of Pericles, who was her lover, and over whom she gained unbounded sway. Her house was the resort of the greatest and most learned men in Athens, and Socrates, Plato, and Alcibiades were her frequent guests. She is the first of her sex whose portrait has been handed down from hoary antiquity unto the present time. It is related that Pericles learnt political wisdom from her instruction, and took eloquence from her lips. Pericles rewarded his instructress by saving her life through his eloquence and tears, when, like Socrates, Aspasia was arraigned on the charge of impiety. After the death of Pericles, Aspasia attached herself to an obscure man of the name of Lysicles, whom she advanced by her instructions to high office in the Athenian republic.

[From the marble in the Vatican, which is inscribed with her name.
This form of bust is rare for women; but it is thought to have been
chosen purposely, to show the superiority of one who gave counsel to
Pericles and taught, they say, Socrates eloquence. Her great celebrity
is guaranteed by this monument, which is the earliest antique Greek
portrait of a lady.]

27. PERICLES. _Athenian Statesman._

[Born at Athens, B.C. 494. Died B.C. 429. Aged 65.]

For forty years at the head of the administration in Athens; twenty-five years in conjunction with others, and fifteen years alone. He was the pupil of Anaxagoras, from whom he derived philosophic equanimity and lofty principle. The eloquence of Pericles was a grand characteristic of the man, but not the grandest. When dying, he affirmed that his greatest honour had been, “that no Athenian, through his means, had ever put on mourning.” He promised the Athenians immortality; he secured it by means of the memorials of beauty which he left on the Athenian soil, now upwards of two thousand years ago. His oratory was rapid, penetrating, condensed, energetic, persuasive, graceful, and fertile in resources. His boundless influence was never degraded to unworthy purposes. Architecture, sculpture, and literature, reached their highest point under his protecting hand. Phidias was his director of public works; Sophocles and Euripides were his favoured friends. He governed with moderation and justice, and eschewing all aggression for the mere sake of conquest, endeavoured by every means to consolidate the dominion and to confirm the maritime power of Athens. His eloquence was the golden sceptre of his rule. He died in the great plague of Athens.

[Pliny mentions a painted portrait of him by Aristolaus, and
Christodorus states that his statue in bronze existed at
Constantinople. Phidias, it is said, sculptured the portrait of his
illustrious patron on the shield of the great Minerva, and the busts
of him are taken from this figure. This bust is from the British
Museum. There is also a bust of Pericles in the Vatican, which has the
name on the breast. He wears the Corinthian helmet.]

28. PISISTRATUS. _“Tyrant” of Athens._[30]

[Born about B.C. 612. Died at Athens, B.C. 527.]

A prince who made his way to power by questionable means, but who made of power a noble and an exemplary use. When Solon established his constitution, and quitted Athens, Pisistratus headed one of the rival factions that instantly rose up. He seized the citadel of Athens (B.C. 560), but was subsequently driven from the city by the united efforts of his foes. After six years’ absence he regained Athens by a stratagem, but, again expelled, suffered another exile for the space of ten years. He returned for a second time, and vanquished those who opposed him, assumed power, and maintained his position until his death. His rule was moderate, just, and productive of great benefit to the Athenian people. He encouraged literature and the drama, protected religion, and regarded the interests of the poor. To him we owe the first written text of the whole of the poems of Homer. He is also said to have been the first in Greece to collect a library for public use. He gave Athens repose, during which she nourished the elements of her future strength and power.

[From the marble, which has hitherto been called a Pericles, in the
Rospigliosi Palace at Rome.]

[30] The title “Tyrant” in the old republics, meant only “absolute
monarch.”

29. PERIANDER. _“Tyrant” of Corinth._

[Born at Corinth, about B.C. 670. Died about B.C. 585.]

One of the “Seven Wise Men of Greece,” and the son of Cypselus, “Tyrant” of Corinth, whom he succeeded B.C. 625. The first years of his government were distinguished by moderation and wisdom, but afterwards he exercised great cruelty towards his family and people. He reigned many years.

[From the marble in the Vatican, which is remarkably well preserved.
It bears his name in Greek letters. It was found in 1780, near Tivoli,
in the house of Cassius, with the heads of Bias, Solon, Thales,
Pittacus, and Cleobulus, and probably formed part of the Gallery of
Cassius, the letters being of the Roman time. In the British Museum
there is another original marble of this philosopher, which formerly
was in the Palace of Sixtus V. at Rome.]

30. LYCURGUS. _Lawgiver._

[Date and place of birth and death unknown.]

Lycurgus holds an ambiguous place between tradition and history. Nothing authentic is known of him, and a touch of the fabulous pervades his story. He is said to have been of the line of Spartan kings, and, after having travelled in nearly all countries of the world, to have brought back his laws to Sparta, whose constitution he remodelled. Quitting Sparta, he exacted a promise from the Spartans that they would not alter his laws until his return. He never returned. He was honoured with a temple and a yearly sacrifice. He inculcated, according to the tradition, rigid discipline, unquestioning obedience, and military ardour.

[From the head of the statue in the Sala delle Muse of the Vatican,
Rome. It is another example of conventional or traditional
portraiture, but possesses one very remarkable confirmation of an
accident related in his life. In one of the disturbances of the
populace, he was struck in the eye; and it will be observed that one
eye of the bust has the peculiar appearance of being useless.
Visconti, who noticed this peculiarity, first named the statue
Lycurgus. There is a head in the Naples Museum which corresponds with
this, and both are confirmed by the medals which bear his name. The
drill holes about the beard are interesting, as they prove that the
ancient sculptors worked on the same plan as the moderns.]

31. POSIDIPPUS. _Comic Poet._

[Born at Cassandreia, in Macedonia. Date of birth and death unknown.]

Nothing is known of his life or death. He was an Athenian comic poet, of “The New Comedy,” and his first dramas appeared B.C. 289. He was the last, in order of time, of the six who are mentioned by the anonymous writer on comedy, as the most celebrated poets of the New Comedy. He is said to have written forty plays, of which little more than the titles of eighteen are preserved. No accurate judgment can be formed of his style; some of his subjects, judging from the titles, must have been licentious.

[For account of this statue, see Handbook to Roman Court and Nave, No.
291.]

32. MENANDER. _Comic Poet._

[Born at Cephissia, near Athens, B.C. 342. Died probably at Athens,
B.C. 290. Aged 52.]

The model writer of “The New Comedy,” which substituted for the personalities of the “Ancient Comedy,” a more faithful portraiture of the vices and follies of men. A few fragments only remain of his numerous works. His plays are said to have presented a most true and lively reflexion of the manners and morals of his age. He had many imitators amongst the Greeks and Romans, and Plautus and Terence profited by his writings. Only eight of his plays were crowned. He was probably in advance of his time and audience.

[For account of this statue, see Handbook to Greek Court, No. 290.]

33. POSIDONIUS. _Greek Philosopher._

[Born at Apameia in Syria, about 135 years B.C. Died, probably at
Rome, about 51 B.C.]

A writer on History, Astronomy, Astrology, Cosmography, and Grammar, but none of his works remain; a great scholar and traveller. A Stoic in philosophy, yet desirous of bringing all systems of philosophy into harmony. He suffered much from illness. Pompey visited him during a sharp attack of gout, but during his agony he sustained an argument with the orator Hermagoras to prove that pain is no evil. “Torment me if you will, oh Pain!” he exclaimed, “I shall not admit pain to be an evil, a bit the more for that.”

[For account of this statue, see Handbook to Roman Court and Nave, No.
307.]

ROMAN COURT.

ENTERING BY THE CENTRE ARCH FROM THE NAVE.

(_Numbers commencing on the right._)

ROMAN EMPERORS.

34. NUMA POMPILIUS. _Second King of Rome._

[Born at Cures, in the country of the Sabines.]

The life of Numa Pompilius belongs to the realm of fable. “His name,” says Dr. Smith, “represents the rule of law and order, and to him are ascribed all those ecclesiastical institutions which formed the basis of the ceremonial religion of the Romans.” The legend attached to Numa describes him as the mildest, wisest, and most virtuous of men. After his election to the throne, vacated by Romulus, his first care was to ameliorate the condition of his people, and to legislate on behalf of religion. He reigned thirty-nine years in uninterrupted peace. It is suggested that as Numa was reputed chosen from amongst the Sabines, the Romans, in all probability, drew their religious institutions from that nation, rather than from the Etruscans.

[From the bust in the Vatican at Rome.]

35. AUGUSTUS. _Roman Emperor_, B.C. 30-A.D. 14.

[Born at Rome, B.C. 63. Died at Nola, in Campania, A.D. 14. Aged 76.]

The first Roman Emperor. Trained for his public career by his great-uncle, Julius Cæsar. After the death of Cæsar (B.C. 44), he formed with Antony and Lepidus the league known as the triumvirate. But subsequently quarrelling with Antony, and overcoming him, he annexed Egypt to Rome, and became sole master of the State. His reign was tranquil, and he conciliated the people. His disposition appears to have been cold; he lived simply, and despised pomp and pageantry.

[Suetonius mentions the handsome features of Augustus as well
preserved in his old age. He is described with eyebrows meeting and
thick, the ears small and well formed, the nose finely chiselled.
There are several busts of him taken at different periods. This Bust
is from the Statue Gallery of the Vatican. It represents him in old
age wearing a fillet and a medal bearing the effigy of his wife Livia.
No. 35A is a portrait at a younger period: it is from the Museo
Chiaramonti of the Vatican. There is a noble statue of him in the
“toga” in the Bas-relief gallery, see No. 80, Handbook of Greek
Court.]

35A. AUGUSTUS. _Roman Emperor._

36. NERO--CLAUDIUS CÆSAR DRUSUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 54-68.

[Born at Antium, in Latium, A.D. 37. Died near Rome, 68. Aged 31.]

When we desire to express in a word the height of sanguinary cruelty and atrocious tyranny, the name of Nero at once occurs to us. He was the son of Domitius Ahenobarbus, and of the infamous Agrippina, through whose intrigues he was adopted by Claudius, to the exclusion of his own son, as successor to the throne. Nero’s government, at first moderate and prudent, soon degenerated into fearful licentiousness. He poisoned Britannicus, the son of Claudius; he assassinated his mother; he divorced and murdered his wife Octavia, the daughter of Claudius, in order to marry the beautiful and depraved Poppæa; he set fire to Rome, and put many Christians to death, on the pretence that they had caused the conflagration; he killed Poppæa by a brutal kick, and he ordered executions and perpetrated wrongs of all kinds, and without number. The Roman world was at length tired of this monster; an insurrection broke out in Gaul; and Galba, the governor of Spain, was proclaimed Emperor. Rome followed the example of the provinces, and rose in insurrection. Nero took to flight, and gave himself a mortal wound, when he heard the trampling of the horses on which his pursuers were mounted. It is said that in his youth he was instructed in many branches of knowledge--that he wrote poetry, and had some skill in music. His criminal career may possibly have been the result of furious insanity--we think, at least of a lunatic, when we read that Nero appeared on the Roman stage as an actor, and played the fiddle whilst the city was burning.

[From the marble in the Louvre. The circlet round his head was worn by
him to imitate the rays of the sun; the holes for the rays are
observable. No. 36A, the bust crowned with laurel, is from the Statue
Gallery of the Vatican.]

36A. NERO--CLAUDIUS CÆSAR DRUSUS. _Roman Emperor._

37 (_outside_). TIBERIUS--CLAUDIUS NERO CÆSAR. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 14-37.

[Born, B.C. 42. Died at Misenum, A.D. 37. Aged 79.]

Son of Titus Claudius Nero, and of Livia, whose second husband was Augustus. The successor of his stepfather and the husband of Julia the daughter of Augustus. During his earlier years of rule he governed with moderation and justice; but, growing suspicious of those around him, he patronized a detestable class of men who acquired infamy in the state under the title of “Delatores,” or “Informers,” and by establishing in its utmost extent the law of _læsa majestas_ (high treason) obtained opportunity to the shedding of some base, and of much honourable blood. He also became a religious persecutor, unfilial, hateful of the rising glory of other men, and sensual. He quitted Rome, A.D. 26, and never returned to the city. He took up his residence in the delicious island of Capreæ, lying off the Campanian coast. Mean, timid, irresolute, insincere: yet wise in his generation, with some penetration and political skill. He wrote a brief commentary of his life. His youthful name has been immortalized by Horace. In the reign of Tiberius and in the year 33, Jesus Christ suffered crucifixion in Judea, under the condemnation of Pontius Pilate.

38 (_outside_). CLAUDIUS I.--TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS DRUSUS NERO GERMANICUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 41-54.

[Born at Lyons, in Gaul, B.C. 10. Died A.D. 54. Aged 64.]

Fourth in the series of Roman Emperors. Called to the throne in his fiftieth year, upon the murder of his nephew Caligula. Branded as a tyrant, but ought rather to be pitied for his weakness, timidity, vacillation, and utter helplessness. He was the sport of the wicked, and the victim of his own wretched feebleness. Unfortunate in every relation of life. His third wife was the notorious Valeria Messalina; his fourth, his own niece, the shameless Agrippina, who prevailed upon the half-witted Emperor to disinherit his offspring in favour of her son Nero, and who afterwards caused the unhappy Claudius to be poisoned. The rule of this Emperor, when left to himself, is described as mild and popular; but he had seldom the advantage of independent action, and in the hands of others he was robbed of moral will. Fond of building, Claudius raised the Claudian aqueduct. He wrote Greek as well as Latin, and composed some works on history, besides memoirs of his own life.

39. GALBA--SERVIUS SULPICIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 68-69.

[Born at Terracina, in Italy, B.C. 3. Died at Rome, A.D. 69. Aged 73.]

The successor of Nero; and governor of Spain when he was raised to the supreme dignity. A strict military disciplinarian, and remarkable for care and prudence. But when Emperor, his prudence became avarice, and he practised sordid measures, under the plea of imitating the frugality of the ancients. His niggardliness gave offence to the military and to the citizens, who had been used to festivals under Nero; and in his old age, Galba was cut down in the streets of Rome. He reigned 7 months.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

39*. VESPASIAN--TITUS FLAVIUS SABINUS VESPASIANUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 69-70.

[Born at Nursia, in the country of the Sabines, A.D. 9. Died at
Cutiliæ, in the country of the Sabines, A.D. 79. Aged 69.]

Of low origin. Went to Britain and subdued the Isle of Wight. Afterwards sent to the East by Nero against the Jews, and was proclaimed Emperor by his troops at Alexandria. On the death of Vitellius proceeded to Rome, where, as Emperor, he restored order, reformed abuses, and improved the condition of the empire. He commenced the Coliseum. A great Emperor, popular with his army, upright, conscientious, simple in his living, and affable in his manners.

[For account of the colossal Bust of Vespasian, see Handbook to Roman
Court and Nave, No. 338.]

40. CALIGULA. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 37-41.

[Born at Antium, in Latium, A.D. 12. Died at Rome, A.D. 41. Aged 29.]

Son of Germanicus and Agrippina. His real name was Caius Cæsar, but called Caligula by the soldiers, from his wearing in his boyhood small caligæ or soldier’s boots. Passed his boyhood in his father’s camp in Germany. On the death of Tiberius he became Emperor, and for a time ruled wisely. On recovering, however, from a severe illness, he perpetrated acts of horror characteristic of a madman. He murdered the innocent for his amusement, and married and dissolved his marriages in the most shameless manner. His favourite horse he raised to the Consulship, and he deified himself. After passing three years in raving crime and folly, he was struck down by the conspirator’s sword.

[From the marble in the Gallery of the Emperors, of the Capitoline
Museum. Busts of Caligula are very rare, because, like those of
Commodus, they were as far as possible destroyed, on account of his
atrocities. He is said to have had a complexion of repulsive paleness.
Suetonius alludes to his thin lips and expression of confirmed
dissimulation.]

41. VITELLIUS--AULUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 69.

[Born on the Island of Capreæ, A.D. 15. Died at Rome, A.D. 69. Aged
54.]

A royal glutton. He commanded in Lower Germany, where his popularity with the troops led to his being proclaimed Emperor by the soldiers at Cologne. Vitellius succeeded Otho, and reigned eight months after the death of the latter, when he was murdered. Avaricious of money for the sake of what it would purchase for the stomach. The life of Vitellius is told when we state that it was devoted to eating, drinking, and acts of cruelty. It was his boast that the infamous Nero was his chosen model.

[From the Louvre. Full of the character of the man--bloated and
debased. He is said to have spent nine millions of sesterces in
suppers.]

42. NERVA--MARCUS COCCEIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 96-98.

[Born at Narnia, in Umbria, A.D. 32. Died at Rome, A.D. 98. Aged 64.]

Pliny says that the commencement of the reign of Nerva was the era of returning freedom; and Tacitus praises the same Emperor, for reconciling supreme authority with the liberty of the citizen. He succeeded the Emperor Domitian, who was murdered, and his first care was to restore tranquillity, and to repair the effects of his predecessor’s tyranny. He put an end to the persecution of the Christians, attended to the wants of the poor, and exercised a rigid economy. Gentleness and goodness were marked features in his character.

[From the gallery of the Emperors in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

43. TITUS--FLAVIUS SABINUS VESPASIANUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 79-81.

[Born at Rome, A.D. 40. Died at Cutiliæ, in the country of the
Sabines, A.D. 81. Aged 41.]

Elder son of the Emperor Vespasian, and one of the best of the Roman emperors. It was he who besieged and destroyed Jerusalem (A.D. 70); he also completed the Coliseum at Rome, and during his reign Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius (A.D. 79). As a soldier and general, his conduct marked by great humanity and bravery. As Emperor, administered the laws justly and improved the condition of his people by whom he was beloved. “The being beloved,” to use the words of Voltaire, constituted his greatest glory. Possessed great intellectual refinement and delicacy of feeling. It is said that he was poisoned by his brother Domitian, who was impatient to succeed to the empire.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome. Busts of Titus are
not common: yet his statues were in every house, on account of his
popularity. For an engraving of one, see Handbook of Roman Court and
Nave.]

44. DOMITIAN--TITUS FLAVIUS SABINUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 81-96.

[Born at Rome, A.D. 51. Died there, A.D. 96. Aged 45.]

Son of the Emperor Vespasian, and brother of Titus. He was bloody and cowardly throughout his career. Suetonius says his very virtues were turned into vices. Before the death of his brother Titus he made many attempts upon his life, and, during his own reign, he frequently compelled individuals to undergo the terrors of death, sparing their lives, in order to enjoy the sight of their sufferings. His government was disastrous for Rome, though he boasted annually of great victories, and assumed the title of God. Pliny used to say that the triumphs of Domitian were certain “proofs that the enemy had gained an advantage.” Neither talent nor virtue was safe from his persecutions, yet, although the last three years of his life form one of the most frightful epochs in history, Domitian had talent and a cultivated mind. He promoted architecture and beautified Rome; he rebuilt the libraries which had been burnt in the preceding reign, and sent literary men to the famous Alexandrine library to make copies of books there. He was the victim of a conspiracy, and the last of the twelve Cæsars.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

45. TRAJAN--M. ULPIUS TRAJANUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 98-117.

[Born at Italica, in Spain, A.D. 52. Died at Selinus, in Cilicia, 117.
Aged 65.]

Trajan endeavoured to emulate the glory of Alexander by extending the Roman Empire in the East, but with imperfect success. He improved the social and physical condition of his subjects, was easy of access, possessed good sense, a profound judgment and knowledge of the world. Not a man of letters himself, he was the friend of Pliny the younger, Tacitus, Plutarch, and Epictetus. He was tall, majestic, robust, and his hair perfectly white.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum. Busts of Trajan are not
uncommon. The seated statue of Trajan is described under No. 343, in
Handbook to Roman Court and Nave.]

46. HADRIAN--PUBLIUS ÆLIUS HADRIANUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 117-138.

[Born at Rome, A.D. 76. Died there, A.D. 138. Aged 63.]

In his youth wedded to literature, especially that of Greece. He was the adopted son of Trajan, whom he succeeded as Emperor, in A.D. 117. Travelling was with him a passion. In A.D. 119, he set forth on a journey which lasted for the space of 17 years. He visited Gaul, Britain (where he erected the famous wall between the Solway and the Tyne), Spain, Africa, and part of Asia. On a second visit to the East he lost his favourite page Antinous, and his grief for this youth has since resounded through the world. Shortly after his return to Rome in 132, the Jewish war broke out. It ended in the subjugation and slavery of the chosen people. He was a wise Emperor, a cultivator of the arts, and a lover of peace, though stained with vices of his age.

[Busts of Hadrian are common. This is from the Rotunda of the Vatican.
No. 123 is from a very perfect one in the Naples Museum. For engraving
of the fine statue in the British Museum, see Handbook of Roman Court
and Nave, p. 13.]

47. ANTONINUS PIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 138-161.

[Born near Lanuvium, A.D. 86. Died at Lorium, A.D. 161. Aged 74.]

The successor of Hadrian, and one of the most distinguished of the Roman Emperors. Improved the condition of his people, and consolidated the power of the empire by enlightened and conciliatory measures. He was respected and beloved. Of commanding aspect and dignified demeanour. A deep-toned melodious voice heightened his native eloquence. One of the most virtuous princes that ever sat upon a throne.

[From the marble in the Berlin Museum. There is in the Louvre a bust
of Antoninus Pius, having the head covered with a fold of the toga,
and crowned with ears of wheat, a copy of which is described under No.
381, Handbook of Roman Court and Nave.]

48. MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 161-180.

[Born at Rome, A.D. 121. Died at Sirmium, in Pannonia, A.D. 180. Aged
59.]

Surnamed “The Philosopher.” One of the best and greatest princes of antiquity. He succeeded his adoptive father Antoninus Pius in A.D. 161, and from that time until his death, his public and private acts conduced to the welfare of his people and to the true glory of the empire. His sole misfortune was to be father of the brutal Commodus, who succeeded him on the Imperial throne. He was clement, charitable, generous, and forgiving. His bodily health, always weakly, gave way beneath excessive labour of mind and body, and his death created universal sorrow. After the lapse of a hundred years his memory was still held in veneration by the people. He was of a thoughtful nature. At an early period he admired the precepts and adopted the costume of the Stoic philosophers. Later in life he was wont to repeat with great satisfaction the saying of Plato--“How happy would the people be, if philosophers were kings, and kings philosophers.” His “Meditations”--a work in the Greek language--is one of the noblest productions of Pagan philosophy.

[From the marble in the Berlin Museum. No. 48A is called the young M.
Aurelius. The colossal head from the Louvre is described under No.
344, Handbook to Roman Court and Nave. The Senate decreed that a bust
of M. Aurelius should be in every house.]

48A. MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS. _Roman Emperor._

49. PERTINAX--PUBLIUS HELVIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 193.

[Born at Villa Martis, in Liguria, A.D. 126. Assassinated at Rome,
A.D. 193. Aged 67.]

The son of a charcoal-burner. First a schoolmaster in Liguria, then a soldier. Rising to important command, he served in Great Britain and Africa. Upon the murder of Commodus, the Prætorians prevailed upon him to assume the purple. He accepted the honour in difficult times, when virtue met with as little mercy as vice. He stipulated that the dignity should not extend beyond himself, to his wife or son; he proclaimed that no man should be prosecuted for treason; he at once set about useful reforms in the state; but in less than three months after his accession, he was murdered by the same Prætorians, simply because he was too upright and too good a man. He had a venerable aspect, and was mild and winning in his address.

[From the marble in the Rotunda of the Vatican.]

50. VERUS---LUCIUS AURELIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 161-169.

[Born at Rome, A.D. 130. Died at Altinum, in the country of the
Veneti, A.D. 169. Aged 39.]

Licentious and dissolute; the colleague of Marcus Aurelius in the empire, and the husband of Lucilla, daughter of the latter. During a four years’ war against the Parthians, Lucius held command of the Roman army: but, a drunkard and a gamester, his sole part in the war was to reap the glory of the victories won by his generals. In his youth, he is described as well made in person; frank, simple, and gentle of disposition.

[A colossal Bust of him will be found described under Nos. 331 and
333, in the Handbook to the Roman Court and Nave. It was found in the
same place as the colossal Marcus Aurelius.]

51. ÆLIUS VERUS. _Adopted Emperor._

[Born (uncertain). Died at Rome, A.D. 138.]

Of a noble Etrurian family. His beauty and literary accomplishments drew the favour of the Emperor Hadrian, who changing his name, adopted him for his successor. Twice Consul. Governor, for a short time, of Pannonia. Died suddenly. Of a luxurious character.

[From the marble in the gallery of the Emperors of the Capitoline
Museum at Rome.]

52. ANNIUS VERUS. _Roman Prince._

[Born A.D. 162. Died at Præneste A.D. 170. Aged 7.]

The son of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina, and the brother of Commodus, with whom he was raised to the rank of Cæsar, A.D. 166.

[From the marble in the Louvre. Taken when young. A graceful little
Bust, remarkable for having the pupil of the eye so firmly indicated.]

53. MARCUS GALERIUS ANTONINUS. _Roman Prince._

[Date and place of birth unknown. Flourished A.D. 140.]

Son of Antoninus Pius and Annia Galeria Faustina. Nothing is known of his life or death. His effigy is extant with that of his mother upon a rare Greek coin; but he is not styled Cæsar in the inscription. Marcus Galerius, no doubt, died before his father became Emperor.

[From the marble in the Gallery of the Emperors of the Capitoline
Museum.]

54. SEVERUS--LUCIUS SEPTIMIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 193-211.

[Born at Leptis, in Africa, A.D. 146. Died at Eboracum (York), A.D.
211. Aged 65.]

His family was of equestrian rank, and originally came from Gaul. In A.D. 185, he was commander-in-chief of the army in Pannonia and Illyricum; and on the murder of Pertinax was elected Emperor. He disbanded and banished the Prætorian guards, re-constituted the army, whose fidelity he secured, and marched against his two rivals, Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus, the first of whom had been declared Emperor in the East, and the last, in Gaul. Defeating them both, he passed three years in the East, warring against the Parthians, whom he subdued. In A.D. 208, he went to Britain, in order to punish the Caledonians. But before his design could be carried out, he fell himself a victim--it is said to grief, to the dissensions of his sons--in the city of York. He had many kingly qualities, but was without clemency. A rigid disciplinarian, simple and sober in his tastes.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

55. GORDIANUS--MARCUS ANTONIUS, surnamed AFRICANUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 238.

[Born at Rome, A.D. 157. Died at Carthage, in Africa, A.D. 238. Aged
80.]

Born of an honourable family, claiming high descent, and possessing great wealth. When Ædile, his public spectacles were pre-eminently magnificent. At one of them 1000 gladiators fought at once. When appointed Pro-Consul in Africa, he was called “The New Scipio,” on account of his popular manners. When eighty years of age he was forced to become Emperor by the people of Carthage, who would not submit to the ferocious Maximinus. After a few months’ reign, however, he was attacked by Capellianus, the Procurator of Numidia, and hearing of the fall of his son, strangled himself with his own belt. A man of extraordinary self-command and sobriety, and very studious. In his youth he composed a poem in thirty books; and, to his latest hour, he passed some portion of the day in the study of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Virgil. In temper gentle and affectionate.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

56. COMMODUS--LUCIUS AURELIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 180-192.

[Born at Lanuvium, in Italy, A.D. 161. Died at Rome, A.D. 192. Aged
31.]

Son of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina Junior. It is said that he was handsome in form and feature. If history can be believed, he was a monster in human form. He was cruel in hot and cold blood, vain, cowardly, impious. He appeared many times in the Circus as gladiator, and condescended to become a buffoon for the amusement of the lowest of his people; but he is chiefly famous for his human butcheries. He was poisoned at last by his mistress, Marcia, who was only just in time to save her own life, which had been already doomed by her sanguinary paramour. His death gave occasion to almost frantic joy in Rome.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

57. MACRINUS--MARCUS OPILIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 217-218.

[Born at Cæsarea, in Numidia, A.D. 164. Died near Archelaïs, in
Cappadocia, A.D. 218. Aged 54.]

An Emperor of obscure birth. He is said to have been, in his youth, a gladiator. When Præfect of the Prætorian guards, he contrived the murder of Caracalla, then at Antioch, in order to fulfil the prophecy of a soothsayer, who had predicted his accession to the throne. Elected Emperor by the soldiers, he was himself dethroned and assassinated in Cappadocia, after a brief reign of fourteen months. He is represented as haughty, bloodthirsty, cruel, and cowardly.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

58. PUPIENUS--MARCUS CLAUDIUS PUPIENUS MAXIMUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 238.

[Born A.D. 164. Died at Rome, A.D. 238. Aged 74.]

Called “the Sad” from the melancholy expression of his countenance. He was of an obscure family, but a distinguished soldier. After the death of the two Gordiani, he was elected with Balbinus, by the senate, to the empire, in order to oppose Maximinus; but that tyrant was soon after murdered by his own soldiers. The Prætorians, however, regretting Maximinus, assassinated the two Emperors when they were preparing to depart on separate expeditions.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

59. MAXIMINUS--CAIUS JULIUS VERUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 235-238.

[Born on the confines of Thrace, A.D. 173. Died before Aquileia, A.D.
238. Aged 65.]

An Emperor of Gothic origin, who was originally a shepherd, and owed his elevation entirely to his physical power and stature. He stood eight feet high, and was muscular in proportion. Serving with Alexander Severus on the Rhine, he excited a mutiny in the troops, in which Alexander and his mother were assassinated, and he himself declared Emperor by the soldiers. His reign was marked by mad severity, cruelty, and rapacity, and was fiercely closed by a band of Prætorians, who broke into his tent and slew him, having first put an end to his son before his eyes. He was a rare monster. It is related that his thumb was of the girth of a woman’s wrist; he could wear his wife’s bracelet as a ring: his eyes were inordinately large; with a kick, he could break the leg of a horse; and his appetite corresponded with his muscular development.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

60. CARACALLA. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 211-217.

[Born at Lyons in France, A.D. 188. Died in Mesopotamia, A.D. 217.
Aged 29.]

In early life remarkable for gentle and pleasing address; but on the death of his father, Septimius Severus, he assassinated his brother Geta, who was left, with himself, joint heir to the throne. Other crimes were added, and, conscience-stricken, he soon gave rein to the passions of a madman. He oppressed his citizens by extortionate taxation, and plundered the world for the means of paying for his soldiers and his amusements. He, however, erected some great monuments in Rome. He was assassinated in Mesopotamia by order of Macrinus, his chief officer.

[All busts of him show the peculiar deformed turn of the neck with
which he was afflicted.]

61. GETA--PUBLIUS SEPTIMIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 211-212.

[Born at Milan, A.D. 189. Died A.D. 212. Aged 23.]

The second son of Septimius Severus. During his second Consulship proceeded to Britain (208) and obtained the surname of Britannicus. Upon the death of his father, he and his brother Caracalla were declared joint successors to the Imperial crown; but Geta, at the instigation of Caracalla, was assassinated in the very arms of his mother, to whom he had fled for refuge. Caracalla caused his brother’s statues to be destroyed, and his inscriptions to be obliterated. Geta was depraved in his habits, and unpolished, but not without some good qualities.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

62. GORDIANUS II.--MARCUS ANTONIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 238.

[Born, A.D. 192. Died at Carthage, in Africa, A.D. 238. Aged 46.]

Eldest son of Gordianus Africanus, with whom he was proclaimed Emperor, in Africa, in opposition to Maximinus. He was defeated and slain by Capellianus, the Procurator of Numidia, who remained faithful to Maximinus. His instructor, Serenus Sammonicus, left him heir to a large library. Gordianus II. had a good knowledge of law, and cultivated literature.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

63. DECIUS--CAIUS MESSIUS QUINTUS TRAJANUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 249-251.

[Born at Bubalia, in Lower Pannonia, A.D. 201. Died near Abricium,
A.D. 251. Aged 50.]

The first of a long line of monarchs who traced an Illyrian ancestry. In A.D. 245, he was entrusted with an important command on the Danube. Shortly afterwards he was ordered by the Emperor Philippus to calm the rebellious soldiery of Mœsia; but, on attempting to pacify them, he was offered, with a sword to his breast, the alternative of instant death or the purple. Choosing the purple, he was opposed in the field by Philippus, who fell. After reigning thirty months, he met his death in battle against the Goths. During his short rule, the Christians were bitterly persecuted. It is difficult to form a just estimate of this Emperor’s character. He has been described as “most amiable, highly accomplished, mild, affable, and brave.” He has also been stigmatized as a monster of iniquity.

[From the gallery of the Emperors in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

64. ALEXANDER SEVERUS--MARCUS AURELIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 222-235.

[Born at Arce, in Phœnicia, A.D. 205-208. Died in Gaul, A.D. 235.]

Elected Emperor on the death of Elagabalus, in A.D. 222. His reign was marked by a gradual improvement in religion, morality, and politics. In A.D. 232, he drove the Persians under Artaxerxes, in defeat across the Tigris. He was about to advance against the Germans, then ravaging Gaul, when he was murdered, together with his mother Julia Mamæa, by a band of mutinous soldiers, instigated by the ferocious Maximinus, who seized the crown. His life was simple and pure; his government considerate and just. His death caused general regret.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

65. HELIOGABALUS or ELAGABALUS--VARIUS AVITUS BASSIANUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 218-222.

[Born at Antioch, A.D. 204. Assassinated A.D. 222. Aged 18.]

From his earliest years a priest of the Sun in the Temple of Emesa, in Syria: but by the intrigues of his grandmother, Julia Mæsa, declared Emperor of Rome, in place of Macrinus, whom he defeated in battle, and put to death. Elagabalus--so called from his sun-worship--the priest taking the name of the God--introduced into Rome the superstitions in which he had been nurtured. By way of strengthening his power, his grandmother induced him to associate with himself, in the government, his cousin Alexander Severus. Repenting of this act, he was about to undo it, when a revolt of the Prætorians decided the question of rule by assassinating him and throwing his body into the Tiber. A more worthless carcase had never floated down the polluted river. His vices were as gross as his superstitions. He left behind him a smirched and hated name.

[All Busts of him were ordered to be destroyed by the Senate: they are
consequently rare. This is from the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

66. GALLIENUS--PUBLIUS LICINIUS VALERIANUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 253-268.

[Born A.D. 218. Died before Milan, A.D. 268. Aged 50.]

Son of Valerian. When associated with his father in the empire, he commanded with success against the barbarians on the Rhine and Danube. In 260, Valerian was made captive by the Persians, and during the eight years of his imprisonment, his son made no effort to release him. Rome, whilst Gallienus reigned, was a prey to pestilence, internal rebellion, and the ravages of foreign nations. In A.D. 268, he laid siege to Milan, whither Aureolus, an invader of his empire, had fled for refuge. During the siege Gallienus fell--it is said by the hands of his own soldiers. His character was very bad. He was cruel, treacherous, and indolent, apathetic to public disaster, self-indulgent, frivolous, and a glutton.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

67. GORDIANUS III. or PIUS--MARCUS ANTONIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 238-244.

[Born A.D. 224. Died near Castrum Circesium, in Mesopotamia, A.D. 244.
Aged 20.]

An emperor, endowed with many good qualities. He was son of the Consul Junius Balbus and Metia Faustina, daughter of Gordianus Africanus. When sixteen years old he married the beautiful and virtuous daughter of Misitheus, a wise and eloquent man, whom he appointed Prefect of the Prætorians, and by whose prudent advice he was successfully guided. Upon the death of this able minister, Philip the Arabian contrived to associate himself in the government with Gordianus, who shortly afterwards fell a victim, it is supposed, to the conspiracies of his colleague.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

68. CAIUS JULIUS VERUS MAXIMUS. _Roman Prince._

[Date and place of birth unknown. Died at Aquileia, A.D. 238. Aged 18
or 21.]

Son of the Emperor Maximinus, who, on his accession to the purple in 235, raised him to the rank of Cæsar. Well educated, vain of his personal beauty, and haughty of demeanour, but not evil disposed. He was massacred with his father at Aquileia by the rebel Prætorians.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

69. PHILIP THE YOUNGER.--MARCUS JULIUS PHILIPPUS II. _Roman Prince._

[Born (place unknown), A.D. 237. Died A.D. 249. Aged 12.]

Son of Philip I., Emperor of Rome. When seven years old dignified with the title of Cæsar. When ten years old chosen Consul, and shared the empire under the title of Augustus. A child of singularly serious temperament. He could never be induced to laugh, and would turn away his head when his father indulged in merriment.

[From the Statue Gallery of the Vatican.]

70. CARINUS--MARCUS AURELIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 283-285.

[Born probably at Rome, A.D. 249. Died in Moesia, A.D. 285. Aged 36.]

Eldest son of the Emperor Carus. Was appointed to the command of the Western Provinces, A.D. 282. In A.D. 283, on the death of his father, was associated in the government with his brother Numerianus, who was assassinated when Diocletian was proclaimed Emperor by the army in Asia. Carinus marched against Diocletian, but in the moment of triumph he was slain by one of his own officers, whose domestic happiness he had destroyed. Carinus was a brave and skilful general, but a profligate and vicious man. He was sensual and ferocious.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

71. JULIAN THE APOSTATE--FLAVIUS CLAUDIUS JULIANUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 361-363.

[Born at Constantinople, A.D. 331. Died in Persia, A.D. 363. Aged 32.]

Unquestionably a ruler of extraordinary capacity and power. He was the nephew of Constantine the Great, and was brought up in strict seclusion by the Christians, in order to save him from Constantius II., who, upon his accession, had murdered the male members of Julian’s family. He withdrew for a time to Athens; was thence recalled by the relenting Constantius, and invested with command in Gaul. He resided chiefly in Paris, and it is worthy of note that at a time of scarcity in that city, Julian drew his supplies of corn from England. During his stay in Gaul, the soldiers proclaimed him Emperor. He marched against Constantinople, but before he reached the city Constantius had died. Julian, created Emperor, renounced Christianity for the Paganism of Greece; hence the name which he has carried as a brand ever since. The Heathens extol this prince, the Christians blame him. His life at least was pure, and his rule sagacious; and, although he naturally hated his former co-religionists, he was no religious persecutor. After his accession to the throne he carried war into Persia, where he was slain in battle. He was a prince of profound knowledge, of great eloquence, and remarkable for philosophic calm. He professed Stoicism. He was also a writer, and many of his works, displaying reflexion and inquiring thought, have come down to us.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome. A very interesting
statue of Julian will be found described under No. 92, Handbook of
Greek Court.]

72. DIOCLETIAN--CAIUS VALERIUS AURELIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 284-305.

[Born in Dalmatia, A.D. 245. Died A.D. 313. Aged 68.]

At first a simple soldier, he rose by his own merit to the rank of Captain of the Palace Guard, an office which he held until the death of Numerianus, when he was declared his successor. He associated Maximianus with him in the empire, and appointed Constantius Chlorus and Galerius, Cæsars. At the instigation of Galerius he barbarously persecuted the Christians. In A.D. 305, he resigned the empire in consequence of growing infirmities, and withdrew to Salona, where he cultivated his own garden and lived in philosophical retirement. Whilst he held power, he thought less of the freedom and dignity of Rome, than of maintaining the power of the sovereign, and of securing a regular succession. His cruelty to the Christians has caused his reign to be described as “The Age of Martyrs.”

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum.]

73. CONSTANTIUS CHLORUS--FLAVIUS VALERIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 305-306.

[Born A.D. 250. Died at York, in England, A.D. 306. Aged 55.]

The father of Constantine, surnamed “the Great,” who was founder of Constantinople. Constantius governed, as colleague of Diocletian, beyond the Alps, and his dominion extended over Gaul, Britain, and Spain. He died in England whilst preparing for an expedition against the Scots. He was the best of the later Roman Emperors, having a regard to the welfare of his people, and exhibiting no rapacity in his administration. In religious matters he was mild and tolerant, showing great humanity towards the Christians. He had excellent talents, and was surnamed “Chlorus,” or “the pale,” from the pallor of his countenance.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

74. HOSTILIANUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 251 or 252.

[Date and place of birth unknown. Died A.D. 251 or 252.]

Generally regarded as the second son of the Emperor Decius, whom he survived. Declared Cæsar in A.D. 249, and was afterwards adopted by Trebonianus Gallus as his colleague in the empire. Died either of poison or the plague.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

75. VOLUSIANUS--CAIUS VIBIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 252-254.

[Date and place of birth unknown. Died at Interamna, in Italy, A.D.
253 or 254.]

Son of the Emperor Gallus, with whom he reigned, being elected Augustus in A.D. 252. Little is known of his life or character. When Æmilianus was chosen Emperor, he went with Gallus to oppose him; but, before a battle could be fought, father and son were slain by their own troops.

[From the marble in the Capitoline Museum at Rome.]

76*. MAGNUS DECENTIUS. _Roman Prince._

[Date and place of birth unknown. Died at Sens, in Gaul, A.D. 353.]

A brother or cousin of the Emperor Flavius Magnentius. Nominated Cæsar, A.D. 351, he went into Gaul, and suffered defeat in defending that country against the Germans. He strangled himself upon hearing of the defeat and deposition of his brother by Constantius, who succeeded to the throne of Magnentius.

[For an account of a curious head of this Prince, placed in the
Bas-relief gallery, see Handbook to Greek Court, No. 217.]

AVENUE IN FRONT OF ROMAN COURT.

(_Numbers continuing at the end next to the Greek Court._)

77. TRAJAN. _Roman Emperor._

For life, see No. 45.

78. TRAJAN. _Roman Emperor._

79. ANTINOUS. _Bithynian youth._

[Died in Egypt, A.D. 132.]

Celebrated for his beauty. He was the page and companion of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, whom he accompanied to Egypt. He was drowned in the Nile, and the Emperor was inconsolable for his loss. On the spot where he died, the city of Antinœa was raised; temples and statues in Egypt and Greece were erected to his memory; and in Greece, coins were struck in his honour. The numerous representations of his beauty gave a fresh impulse to the Fine Arts, and may be compared with the works of the best periods of Grecian Sculpture.

[From the marble in the Louvre; the head bound with a fillet of vine.
For account of the many beautiful statues of Antinous see Handbook to
Roman Court and Nave.]

81.}
}
82.}
} _Four duplicate busts removed._
83.}
}
84.}

85. ANTONINUS PIUS. _Roman Emperor._

For life, see No. 47.

[From the marble in the Naples Museum.]

86. AUGUSTUS. _Roman Emperor._

For life, see No. 35.

[This very beautiful Bust is from the Florence Gallery.]

87. TIBERIUS. _Roman Emperor._

For life, see No. 37.

[This Bust is from the Berlin Museum.]

88. CLAUDIUS. _Roman Emperor._

For life, see No. 38.

89. HERENNIUS. _Roman Emperor_, A.D. 251.

[Date and place of birth unknown. Died near Abricium, in Thrace, A.D.
251.]

Little interest is connected with the history of this emperor. In 249, he was declared Cæsar, and in 251, Augustus, as the colleague of his father Decius. In a battle fought near Abricium, between the Emperor Decius and the Goths, both he and his father were slain.

[From the Capitoline Museum.]

90. SCIPIO AFRICANUS. _Roman General._

For life, see No. 109.

91. JULIA MÆSA. _Roman Empress._

[Born at Emesa, in Syria, (date unknown). Died, probably at Rome, A.D.
223.]

Daughter to a Priest of the Sun. When her sister, Julia Domna, as wife of Septimius Severus, became Empress, Julia Mæsa resided at the Imperial Court. Her bold political intrigues placed her grandson Elagabalus on the throne. Against law, she was made a member of the Senate. She bore the title of Augusta to her death, and was afterwards deified. A woman of powerful mind, unscrupulously ambitious, but using power well.

[From the marble in the Gallery of the Emperors, in the Capitol, at
Rome.]

92. SABINA.

[Died probably A.D. 137.]

Wife of the Emperor Hadrian, and grandniece of Trajan. Ill treated by her husband, by whom, it is said, she was poisoned. Others assert that in despair she put an end to her life. She was deified after her decease.

[From the original in alabaster in the Capitoline Museum, at Rome.]

COURT OF THE ROMAN LADIES.

(_Numbers commencing on the right._)

93. LIVIA DRUSILLA. _Roman Empress._

[Born B.C. 56-54. Died A.D. 29.]

Married to Tiberius Claudius Nero, a Roman general; but her beauty captivating the Triumvir Octavian, afterwards Augustus, her divorce was effected, and she became the Triumvir’s wife. A consummate actress, full of craft and dissimulation, possessing great knowledge of the world, and, by an affected purity of life, maintaining to the last her influence over the mind of Augustus. She successfully intrigued for the succession in favour of Tiberius, her son by her first marriage, and, it is said, removed by poison the grandsons of Augustus, who stood in the way of her own offspring. Tiberius became Emperor, and repaid the service by base ingratitude. He removed his mother from all share in the government, declined all intercourse with her, refused to see her when she was dying, and rejoiced, in open show, at her death.

94*. DOMNA--JULIA (PIA FELIX AUGUSTA). _Roman Empress._