While Han Kwang-wuti was battling his way towards the restitution of Han glories, Tiberius, last of the Roman Crest-Wave Souls, was holding out grimly for the Gods until the cycle should have been completed, and he could say that his and their work was done.  For sixty-five years he and his predecessor had been welding the empire into one:  now, that labor had been so far accomplished that what dangerous times lay ahead could hardly imperil it.  So far it had been a case of Initiate appointing Initiate to succeed him:  Augustus, Tiberius;—­but whom should Tiberius appoint?  There was no one.  The cycle was past, and for the present Rome was dead; and on the brink of that unfortunate place to which (they say) the wicked dead must go.  Tiberius finally had had to banish Agrippina, her mischief having become too importunate.  You remember she was the daughter of Julia and Agrippa, and Germanicus’ widow.  His patience with her had been marvelous.  Once, at a public banquet, to do her honor he had picked a beautiful apple from the dish, and handed it to her:  with a scowl and some ostentation, she gave it to the attendant behind her, as who should say:  ’I know your designs; but you do not poison me this time’; all present understood her meaning well.  Once, when he met her in the palace, and she passed him with some covert insult, he stopped, laid a hand on her shoulder, and said:  “My little woman, it is no hurt to you that you do not reign.”  But his patience only encouraged her in her machinations; and at last he was compelled to banish her.  Also to keep one of her sons in strictest confinement; of which the historians have made their for him discreditable tale:  the truth is, it was an heroic effort on his part to break the boy of his vices by keeping him under close and continuous supervision.  But that is more easily said than done, sometimes; and this Drusus presently died a madman.  He then took the youngest son of Agrippina to live with him at Capri; that he, Tiberius, might personally do the best with him that was to be done; for he foresaw that this youth Caius would succeed him; his own grandson, Tiberius Gemellus, being much younger.  He foresaw, too, that Caius, once on the throne, would murder Gemellus; which also happened.  But there was nothing to be done.  Had he named his grandson his successor, a strong regent would have been needed to carry things through until that successor’s majority, and to hold the Empire against the partisans of Caius.  There was no such strong man in sight; so, what had to come, had to come. Apres lui le deluge: Tiberius knew that. Le deluge was the four years’ terror of the reign of Caius, known as Caligula; who, through no good will of his own, but simply by reason of his bloodthirsty mania, amply revenged the wrongs done his pedecessor.  Karma put Caligula on the throne to punish Rome.