among their captives, not only those who were apparent but also the embryo ones in the wombs of women, the sex of which they discovered by some divination.  For these reasons Augustus first sent Drusus against them:  he joined battle with a detachment of theirs that met him near the Tridentine mountains, and speedily had them routed; for this exploit he received the honors belonging to praetors.  Later, when the tribe had been repulsed from Italy but still harassed Gaul, the emperor despatched Tiberius in addition.  Both of the leaders then invaded the Rhaetian country at many points at once,—­the lieutenants leading such divisions as they did not command personally,—­and Tiberius even crossed the lake[6] in boats.  In this way, by encountering them separately, the Roman commanders spread alarm and had no difficulty in overcoming those who came near enough for fighting at any time, because they had only to deal with scattered forces; the remainder, who had become weaker and more despondent through such tactics, they captured.  And because the land had a large population of males and seemed ripe for revolt, they deported most of those of military age, especially the strongest, leaving behind only so many as would be sufficient to inhabit the country but unable to make any uprising.

[-23-] This same year Vedius Pollio died, a man who in general had done nothing deserving notice, being the son of liberti, ranking as a knight, without any achievement of consequence in his record; but he had become exceedingly renowned for his wealth and his cruelty, so that he has even won a place in history.  Most of the things that he did it would be wearisome to relate, but I may mention that he kept in tanks huge eels trained to eat men, and was accustomed to throw to them the slaves that he desired to put to death.  Once, when he was entertaining Augustus, the cupbearer shattered a crystal goblet, and without respect to the guest he ordered that the fellow be thrown to the eels.  Hereupon the boy fell on his knees supplicating Augustus who at first tried to persuade Pollio not to carry out his intentions.  As his host would not yield the point the emperor said:  “Bring all the rest of the drinking vessels which are of the same sort or any others of value that you may possess, for I want to use them,” and when they were brought he ordered them to be broken.  The master seeing this was of course vexed but could no longer be angry over one cup, considering the great number of others that were ruined, and could not punish his servant for what Augustus had done; therefore reluctantly he took no action.  That was the sort of person this Pollio was, who died.  He left various bequests to many different persons and to Augustus a good share of his inheritance together with Pausilypum[7], a place between Neapolis and Puteoli, with instructions that some public work of great beauty should be erected.  Augustus razed his house to the foundation, on the pretext that it was necessary for the preparation of the other structure, but really with the purpose that he should have no monument in the city, and built a colonnade, inscribing on it the name not of Pollio but of Livia.