About this same time the Ethiopians, who dwell beyond Egypt, advanced as far as the city called Elephantine, with Candace as their leader, ravaging the whole region that they traversed.  On learning that Gaius[1] Petronius, the governor of Egypt, was approaching and somewhere near, they hastily retreated hoping to make good their escape.  Overtaken on the road, however, they suffered defeat and then drew him on into their own country.  There, too, he contended nobly and took among other cities Napata, the royal residence of that tribe.  This town was razed to the ground and a garrison left at another post.  For Petronius, not being able to advance farther on account of the sand and the heat, nor to remain conveniently on the spot with his entire army, withdrew, taking the most of it with him.  At that the Ethiopians attacked the garrisons, but he again proceeded against them, rescued his own men, and compelled Candace to make terms with him.

[ B.C. 21 (a. u. 733)]

[-6-] While this was going on Augustus went to Sicily in order to settle the affairs of that island and of other countries as far as Syria.  While he was still there, the Roman populace fell to disputing over an election of the consuls.  This incident showed clearly that it was impossible for them to be safe under a democracy, for with the little power that they had over elections and in regard to offices, even, they began rioting.  The place of one of the consuls was being kept for Augustus and in this way at the beginning of the year Marcus Lollius alone entered upon office.  As the emperor would not accept the place, Quintus Lepidus and Lucius Silvanus became rival candidates and threw everything into such turmoil that Augustus was invoked by those who still retained their senses.  He would not return, however, and sent them back when they came to him, rebuking them and bidding them cast their votes during the absence of both claimants.  This did not promote peace any the more, but they began to quarrel and dispute again vehemently, so that it was long before Lepidus was chosen.  Augustus was displeased at this, for he could not spend all his time at Rome alone, and he did not dare to leave the city without a head; seeking, therefore, for some one to set over it he judged Agrippa to be most suitable for the purpose.  And as he wished to clothe him in some greater dignity than common, in order that this might help him to govern the people more easily, he summoned him, compelled him to divorce his wife (although she was Caesar’s own niece), and to marry Julia, and forthwith sent him to Rome to attend both to the wedding and to the administration of the City.  This step is said to have been due partly to the advice of Maecenas, who in conversation with him upon these very matters said:  “You have made him so great that he should either become your son-in-law or be killed.”—­Agrippa healed the sores which he found still festering and repelled the advance of the Egyptian rites, which were returning once more to the City, forbidding any one to perform them even in the suburbs within eight half-stadia.  A disturbance arose regarding the election of the praefectus urbi—­the one chosen on account of the Feriae—­and he did not attempt to quell it, but they lived through that year without that official.  This was what he accomplished.