[-13-] He now became consul again, and though he prevented the priest of Jupiter from taking the oath in the senate (for at this time they regularly did so privately, as in the days of Tiberius), he himself both when he entered upon office and when he relinquished it took the oath like the rest upon the rostra, which had been made larger than before.  Thirty days was the duration of his tenure (whereas he let his colleague Lucius Apronius hold office for six months), and his successor was Sanguinius Maximus, praefectus urbi.  During this and the following period numbers of the foremost men perished in fulfillment of a sentence of condemnation (for many who had been released from prison were punished for the very reasons that had led to their imprisonment by Tiberius), and many others in gladiatorial combats.  There was nothing happening but slaughter.  The emperor no longer made any concessions to the populace, opposing instead absolutely everything it wished, and consequently the people, too, resisted all his desires.  The talk and actions usual at such a juncture with an angry ruler on one side and a hostile folk on the other were plainly in evidence.  The contest between them, however, was not an equal one.  The people could do nothing outside of discussion and showing their feelings by their demeanor, whereas Gaius dragged many of his opponents away while they were witnessing performances at the theatre and arrested many more after they had left the building.  The chief causes for his rage were first that they did not show enthusiasm in attending; he made his appearance at a different hour on different occasions, sometimes not till nightfall, and they were worn out waiting for him:  second, that they did not always applaud the performances that pleased him and sometimes even showed favor to objects of his dislike.  Again, it vexed him mightily to have them cry out in their efforts to extol him:  “Young Augustus!” He felt that he was not being congratulated upon being emperor while so young, but was being censured for holding at his age so great a domain.  His regular conduct was as described.  Once he said threateningly to the whole people:  “How I wish you had one neck!” At another time, when he was showing some of his usual irritation, the populace in displeasure ceased to notice the spectacle, and turned against the informers, and with loud shouts demanded their surrender.  Gaius, indignant, vouchsafed them no answer, but committing to others the conduct of the games withdrew into Campania.  Later he returned to celebrate the birthday of Drusilla, brought into the hippodrome on a wagon her statue drawn by[10] elephants and gave the people a free show for two days.  The first day, besides the equestrian contests, he had five hundred bears slaughtered, and on the second a like number of Libyan beasts was used up.  Athletes struggled in the pancratium at many different points in the city.  The populace was feasted and presents were given to the senators and their wives.