or from some other cause he became ill and sending for his associates he told them all his wishes, finally adding:  “Rome was clay when I took it in hand:  I leave it to you stone.”  In this he had reference not entirely to the appearance of its buildings, but also to the strength of the empire.  By asking some applause from them as to comic actors at the close of some mime he ridiculed most tellingly the whole life of man.

Thus on the nineteenth day of August, the day on which he first became consul, he passed away, having lived seventy-five years, ten months, and twenty-six days.  He had been born on the twenty-third of September.  He reigned as monarch, from the time he conquered at Actium, forty-four years lacking thirteen days. [-31-] His death, however, was not immediately made public.  Livia, fearing that as Tiberius was still in Dalmatia there might be some uprising, concealed the fact until the latter arrived.  This is the statement made in the larger number of histories and the more trustworthy ones.  There are some who have affirmed that Tiberius was present during the emperor’s illness and received some injunctions from him.—­The body of Augustus was carried from Nola by the foremost men of each city in succession.  When it came near Rome the knights took it in charge and conveyed it by night into the city.  On the following day there was a senate-meeting, and to it the majority came wearing the equestrian costume, but the officials the senatorial, except for the purple-bordered togas.  Tiberius and Drusus his son wore dark clothing made in everyday fashion.  They, too, offered incense but made no use of a flute player.  Most of the members sat in their accustomed places, but the consuls below, one on the praetors’ bench and one on the tribunes’.  After this Tiberius was absolved for having touched the corpse,—­a forbidden act,—­and for having escorted it on its way, although the ...

[-32-]

... his will Drusus took from the virgin priestesses of Vesta, with whom it had been deposited, and carried it into the senate.  Those who had sealed it viewed the impressions, and then it was read in hearing of the senate.

... one Polybius of Caesar’s household read his will, as it was not proper for a senator to read anything of the sort.  It showed that two-thirds of the inheritance had been left to Tiberius and the rest to Livia,—­at least this is one report.  In order that she, too, might have the benefit of his property he had asked permission of the senate to leave her so much, since it was contrary to law.  These two were mentioned as inheritors.  He ordered many objects and sums of money to be given to many different persons, both relatives of his and those joined by no ties of kindred, not only to senators and knights but also to kings; for the people there were a thousand myriads and for the soldiers two hundred and fifty denarii apiece to the Pretorians, half that amount to the city force, and to the remainder of