of Italy,—­for Agrippa had been despatched again to Syria and he no longer looked with equal favor on Maecenas because of the latter’s wife,—­and taking Tiberius, though he was praetor, along, he set out on his journey.  Tiberius had become praetor in spite of holding the honors of an ex-praetor, and his entire office by a decree was placed in the hands of Drusus.  The night following their departure the Hall of Youth burned to the ground.  This was not the only portent that had occurred, for a wolf had rushed along the Sacred Way into the Forum, tearing men to pieces, and at a distance from the Forum ants were very plainly seen together in swarms; likewise a gleam all night long kept shooting from the south toward the north.  Prayers were therefore offered for the safe return of Augustus.  Meantime they celebrated the quinquennial festival of his sovereignty, the expense being borne by Agrippa; for the latter had been consecrated by his fellow priests to be one of the quindecimviri to whom the oversight of the event fell in regular succession.

[-20-] There was much other confusion, too, during that period.  The Camunni and Vennones, Alpine tribes, flew to arms but were conquered and subdued by Publius Silius.  The Pannonians in company with the Norici overran Istria, and after suffering damage at the hands of Silius and his lieutenants the former came to terms again and were the cause of the Norici falling into the same slavery.  The uprisings in Dalmatia and in Spain were in a short time quelled.  Macedonia was ravaged by the Dentheleti and the Scordisci.  In Thrace somewhat earlier Marcus Lollius while aiding Rhoemetalces, the uncle and guardian of the children of Cotys, had subjugated the Bessi.  Later Lucius Gallus conquered the Sarmatae in the same dispute and drove them back across the Ister.  The greatest, however, of the wars which at that time fell to the lot of the Romans, which also had something to do, probably, with Augustus’s leaving the city, was against the Celtae.

The Sugambri, Usipetes, and Tencteri had first seized in their own territory some of the Romans and had crucified them, after which they crossed the Rhine and plundered Germania and Gaul.  When the Roman cavalry approached they laid an ambush and by taking to flight drew their assailants to follow them; and though they fell in unexpectedly with the Roman leader Lollius, they conquered even him.  On ascertaining this Augustus hastened against them but found no warfare to carry on.  For the barbarians, learning that Lollius was getting ready and that the emperor was also heading an expedition, retired into their own territory and made peace, giving hostages.

[B.C. 15 (a. u. 739)]