THE LIVES
OF
THE TWELVE CAESARS
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Lives of the Grammarians -
Lives of the Poets
[146] A.U.C. 731.
[147] The Lustrum was a period of five years, at the end of which the
census of the people was taken. It was first made by the Roman kings,
then by the consuls, but after the year 310 from the building of the
city, by the censors, who were magistrates created for that purpose. It
appears, however, that the census was not always held at stated periods,
and sometimes long intervals intervened.
[148] Augustus appears to have been in earnest on these occasions, at
least, in his desire to retire into private life and release himself from
the cares of government, if we may believe Seneca. De Brev. Vit. c. 5.
Of his two intimate advisers, Agrippa gave this counsel, while Mecaenas
was for continuing his career of ambition.--Eutrop. 1. 53.
[149] The Tiber has been always remarkable for the frequency of its
inundations and the ravages they occasioned, as remarked by Pliny, iii.
-
Livy mentions several such occurrences, as well as one extensive
fire, which destroyed great part of the city.
[150] The well-known saying of Augustus, recorded by Suetonius, that he
found a city of bricks, but left it of marble, has another version given
it by Dio, who applies it to his consolidation of the government, to the
following effect: "That Rome, which I found built of mud, I shall leave
you firm as a rock."--Dio. lvi. p. 589.
[151] The same motive which engaged Julius Caesar to build a new forum,
induced Augustus to erect another. See his life c. xx. It stood behind
the present churches of St. Adrian and St. Luke, and was almost parallel
with the public forum, but there are no traces of it remaining. The
temple of Mars Ultor, adjoining, has been mentioned before, p. 84.
[152] The temple of the Palatine Apollo stood, according to Bianchini, a
little beyond the triumphal arch of Titus. It appears, from the reverse
of a medal of Augustus, to have been a rotondo, with an open portico,
something like the temple of Vesta. The statues of the fifty daughters
of Danae surrounded the portico; and opposite to them were their husbands
on horseback. In this temple were preserved some of the finest works of
the Greek artists, both in sculpture and painting. Here, in the presence
of Augustus, Horace's Carmen Seculare was sung by twenty-seven noble
youths and as many virgins. And here, as our author informs us,
Augustus, towards the end of his reign, often assembled the senate.
[153] The library adjoined the temple, and was under the protection of
Apollo. Caius Julius Hegenus, a freedman of Augustus, and an eminent
grammarian, was the librarian.
[154] The three fluted Corinthian columns of white marble, which stand
on the declivity of the Capitoline hill, are commonly supposed to be the
remains of the temple of Jupiter Tonans, erected by Augustus. Part of
the frieze and cornice are attached to them, which with the capitals of
the columns are finely wrought. Suetonius tells us on what occasion this
temple was erected. Of all the epithets given to Jupiter, none conveyed
more terror to superstitious minds than that of the Thunderer--
Coelo tonantem credidimus Jovem
Regnare.--Hor. 1. iii. Ode 5.
We shall find this temple mentioned again in c. xci. of the life of
Augustus.
[155] The Portico of Octavia stood between the Flaminian circus and the
theatre of Marcellus, enclosing the temples of Jupiter and Juno, said to
have been built in the time of the republic. Several remains of them
exist, in the Pescheria or fish-market; they were of the Corinthian
order, and have been traced and engraved by Piranesi.
[156] The magnificent theatre of Marcellus was built on the site where
Suetonius has before informed us that Julius Caesar intended to erect one
-
30). It stood between the portico of Octavia and the hill of the
Capitol. Augustus gave it the name of his nephew Marcellus, though he
was then dead. Its ruins are still to be seen in the Piazza Montanara,
where the Orsini family have a palace erected on the site.
[157] The theatre of Balbus was the third of the three permanent
theatres of Rome. Those of Pompey and Marcellus have been already
mentioned.
[158] Among these were, at least, the noble portico, if not the whole,
of the Pantheon, still the pride of Rome, under the name of the Rotondo,
on the frieze of which may be seen the inscription,
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