of the Romans.) They not only did this, but when an aedile died on the last day of the year, they chose another to fill out the closing hours.  It was at this same time that the so-called Julian supply of water was piped into Rome and the festival that had been vowed for the successful completion of the war against the assassins was held by the consuls.  The duties belonging to the so-called Septemviri were performed by the pontifices, since none of the former was present:  this was also done on many other occasions.

[-33-] Besides these events which took place that year Caesar gave a public funeral to his pedagogue Sphaerus, who had been freed by him.  Also he put to death Salvidienus Rufus, suspected of plotting against him.  This man was of most obscure origin, and while he was a shepherd a flame had issued from his head.  He had been so greatly advanced by Caesar that he was made consul without even being a member of the senate, and his brother who died before him had been laid to rest across the Tiber, a bridge being constructed for this very purpose.  But nothing human is lasting, and he was finally accused in the senate by Caesar himself and executed as an enemy of his and of the entire people; thanksgivings were offered for his downfall and furthermore the care of the city was committed to the triumvirs with the customary admonition, “that it should suffer no harm.”

[B.C. 41 (a. u. 713)]

In the year previous to this men belonging to the order of knights had slaughtered wild beasts at the horse-race which came in the course of the Ludi Apollinares, and an intercalary day was inserted, contrary to custom, in order that the market held every nine days should not fall on the first day of the following year,—­something which was strictly forbidden from very early times.  Naturally the day had to be subtracted again later, in order that the calendar should run according to the system devised by the former Caesar.  The domain of Attalus and of Deiotarus, who had both died in Gaul, was given to a certain Castor.  Also the so-called Lex Falcidia, which has the greatest force even still in regard to the succession to inheritances, was enacted by Publius Falcidius, a tribune:  its terms are that if an heir feels oppressed in any way, he may secure at least a fourth, of the property left behind by surrendering the rest.

[B.C. 39 (a. u. 715)]

[-34-] These were the events of the two years; the next season, when Lucius Marcius and Gaius Sabinus held the consulship, the acts of the triumvirs from the time they had formed a close combination received ratification at the hands of the senate, and certain further taxes were imposed by them, because the expenditures proved far greater than had been allowed for in the time of the former Caesar.  For they were expending vast sums, especially upon the soldiers, and were ashamed of being the only ones to lay out money contrary to custom.  Then I might mention that Caesar now