6.  Tiberius was as much pleased with the loyalty of German’icus, as he was distressed at his superior popularity; his success, also, immediately after, against the Germans, still more excited the emperor’s envy and private disgust.  He overthrew the enemy in several battles, subduing many wild and extensive countries. 7.  These victories, however, only served to inflame the emperor’s jealousy:  and every virtue in the general now became a new cause of offence.  This dislike began to appear by Tiberius’s making use of every pretence to draw German’icus from the legions:  but he was obliged to postpone his purpose on account of a domestic insurrection made in Italy by one Cle’mens, whom he put to death by a private execution in a secret apartment of the palace.

9.  Having thus got rid of his domestic enemy, he turned his thoughts to the most specious means of bringing home German’icus from the legions in Germany.  He began by procuring him a triumph for his late victories, and when writing to him to return in order to enjoy those honours which the senate had decreed; adding, that he had reaped enough of glory in a country to which he had been sent nine times, and been each time victorious; concluding, that so great a number of triumphs was sufficient; and the most signal vengeance which could be inflicted on this turbulent people was to permit them to continue their intestine divisions. 10.  German’icus was met on his return, many miles from the city, by a vast multitude, who received him with marks of adoration rather than respect.  The gracefulness of his person; his triumphal chariot, in which were carried his five children; and the recovered standards of the army of Va’rus, threw the people into a phrenzy of joy and admiration.[7]

11.  German’icus was now appointed to a new dignity.  He departed from Rome on an expedition to the east, carrying with him his wife Agrippi’na, and his children. 12.  But Tibe’rius, to restrain his power, had sent Cne’ius Pi’so governor into Syr’ia.  This Pi’so was a person of furious and headstrong temper, and, in every respect, fit to execute those fatal purposes for which he was designed. 13.  His instructions were, to oppose German’icus upon every occasion, to excite hatred against him, and even to procure his death if an opportunity should offer.  He accordingly took every opportunity of abusing German’icus; and taxed him with diminishing the Roman glory, by his peculiar protection of the Athe’nians. 14.  German’icus disregarded his invectives, being more intent on executing the business of his commission, than on counteracting the private designs of Pi’so. 15.  Piso, however, and his wife Planci’na, who is recorded as a woman of an implacable and cruel disposition, continued to defame him.  German’icus opposed only patience and condescension to all their invectives, and, with that gentleness which was peculiar to him, repaid their resentments by courtesy. 16.  He was not ignorant of their motives, and was rather