a figure in gold representing her be set up in the senate-house, and that in the temple of Venus in the Forum there should be dedicated with equal honors a statue of her as large as that of the goddess.  Moreover, a separate shrine should be built for her and twenty priests [7] not only men but also women should do her honor.  Women, as often as they gave testimony, should swear by her and on her birthday a festival equal to the Megalensia should be celebrated and the senate and the knights should hold a banquet.  She straightway received the name Panthea and was declared worthy of divine honors in all the cities.  A certain Livius Geminus, a senator, stated on oath, invoking destruction upon himself and his children if he spoke falsely, that he had seen her ascending into heaven and holding converse with the gods; and he called all the other gods and Panthea herself to witness.  For his declaration he received twenty-five myriads.  Besides all this Gaius showed her honor in not having the festivals which were then due to take place celebrated either at their appointed time (except as mere formalities) or at any later date.  All persons incurred equal censure whether they showed pleasure at anything, as being grieved, or behaved as if they were glad.[9] They were charged with malice either in failing to mourn her (this was disrespect to her as a mortal) or in bewailing her (this was disrespect to her as a goddess).  One single occurrence gives the key to all the transactions of that time.  The emperor charged with impiety and put to death a man who had sold warm water. [-12-] Having allowed a few days to elapse he married Lollia Paulina and he compelled no less a person than her husband, Memmius Regulus, to betroth her to him so that he might not break the law in taking her without a betrothal.  But almost in a trice he had driven her away, too.

Meantime he granted to Soaimus the land of the Arabian Ituraeans, to Cotys Lesser Armenia and later parts of Arabia, to Rhoemetalces the possessions of Cotys, and to Polemon son of Polemon his ancestral domain,—­all these upon the vote of the senate.  The ceremony took place in the Forum, where he sat upon the rostra in a chair between the consuls; some say he used silken awnings.  Soon after he caught sight of a lot of mud in an alley and ordered that it be cast into the toga of Flavius Vespasian, who was aedile at the time and had charge of keeping alleys clean.  This event was regarded at the moment as of no particular importance, but later, when Vespasian, who took charge of a state in confusion and turmoil, had reduced the same to order, it seemed to have been due to some divine prompting and to have signified that Gaius had entrusted the city to him unconditionally for its amelioration.

[A.D. 39 (a. u. 792)]