[-26-] Another person, named Protogenes, assisted the emperor in all his projects, and carried continually on his person two books, of which he called the one “sword” and the other “dagger.”  This Protogenes once entered the senate as if on some indifferent business and when all, as was to be expected, saluted and greeted him, he darted a kind of sinister glance at Scribonius Proculus and said:  “Do you, too, greet me, though you hate the emperor so?” On hearing this all those present surrounded their fellow senator and tore him to pieces and voted [some festivals to Gains as also] that the emperor should have a high platform in the senate-house to prevent any one’s approaching him, besides enjoying the use of a military guard even there. [They resolved further that his statues should be guarded.

Pleased at this Gaius laid aside his anger toward them and with a buoyant spirit promised them some money.  Pomponius, who was said to have plotted against him, he released, inasmuch as he had been betrayed by a friend.  And, as the man’s mistress when tortured would not utter a word, he did her no further harm and even gave her an honorary gift of money.  Gaius was praised for this partly through fear and partly sincerely, and] as some called him hero and others god, he fairly went out of his head.  Even before this he was in the habit of demanding that he be given superhuman regard and said that he had intercourse with the Moon Goddess and was crowned by Victory.  He also pretended to be Jupiter and took this as a pretext for having carnal knowledge of various women, especially his sisters.  Again he would often figure as [Neptune, because he had bridged so great an expanse of sea, or perhaps as] Juno and Diana and Venus. [He would impersonate Hercules, Bacchus, Apollo, and all the other divinities, not merely males but also females.] As fast as he changed the names he would assume all the rest of the attributes that belonged to them, [so that he might seem to resemble them].  Now he would be seen in feminine guise, holding a wine-cup and thyrsus, again with masculine trappings he would carry a club and lion-skin:  [or perhaps a helmet and shield].  He would make up first with smooth chin and later on as a bearded man.  Sometimes he wielded a trident and on other occasions he brandished the thunderbolt.  He would array himself like a maiden equipped for [hunting or] war, and after a brief interval would come forth as a woman.  Thus he could make changes with careful attention to details by the variety of his dress and by what he attached to or threw over it, and he was anxious to appear to be anything rather than a human being [and an emperor].  Once a certain Gaul, espying him on a, high platform transacting business in the guise of Jupiter, laughed aloud.  Gaius called to him and asked:  “What do I seem to you to be?” And the other answered—­I shall tell his exact words—­:  “A