[A.D. 17 (a. u. 770)]

[-17-] The following year Gaius Caecilius and Lucius Flaccus received the title of consuls.  And when some brought Tiberius money after the first of the month, he would not accept it and published a kind of document regarding this very point, in which he used a word that was not Latin.  After thinking it over by night he sent for all those who had accurate knowledge of such matters, for he was extremely anxious to have his diction irreproachable.  Thereupon a certain Ateius Capito declared:  “Even if no one has previously used this expression, yet because of you we shall all enumerate it among the primitive usages,” but was interrupted by one Marcellus,[3] who said:  “You, being Caesar, can extend Roman government over men, but not over words.”  And the emperor did the man no harm for this, in spite of the excessive frankness of his speech.

He had a grudge, however, against Archelaus. the king of Cappadocia, because the latter had first become his suppliant to the extent of employing him as advocate when this monarch in the time of Augustus had been accused by his people, and had subsequently slighted him on the occasion of a visit to Rhodes, but had paid court to Gaius, who also went to Asia.  Therefore he summoned him on the charge of rebellious behavior and delivered him up to the votes of the senate. (The king was not only well stricken in years, but a great sufferer from gout, and was moreover believed to be demented.) As a matter of fact he had been incommoded previously by loss of mind to the extent of having a guardian placed over his domain by Augustus; but at that time he was no longer weak-witted and was merely feigning, in the hope of saving himself by this expedient if by no other.  He would now have been executed, had not some one in testifying against him stated that he had once said:  “When I get back home, I will show him what sort of sinews I possess.”  A shout of laughter went up at this, for the man was not only unable to stand, but could not even assume a sitting posture, and so Tiberius gave up his plan of putting him to death.  The condition of the prince was so serious that he was carried into the senate in a covered litter.  For since it was customary even for men, whenever one of them came there feeling ill, to be carried in a reclining position, Tiberius took advantage of the method on this occasion, too. (And the invalid spoke a few words, bending forward from the litter.) So it was that the life of Archelaus was temporarily saved, but he died shortly afterward in some other way.  After this Cappadocia reverted to the Romans and was put in charge of a knight.