When at last the uproar was stayed, he read his father's letters, who in
them declared, "that he would take an affectionate care of the brave and
invincible legions by whom he had sustained successfully so many wars;
and, as soon as his grief was a little abated, deal with the Senate about
their demands; in the meantime he had sent them his son, on purpose to
make them forthwith all the concessions, which could instantly be made
them: the rest were to be reserved for the Senate, the proper distributers
of rewards and punishments by a right altogether unalienable."
The assembly answered, that to Julius Clemens they had intrusted what to
speak in their name: he began with their demands, "to be discharged after
sixteen years' service, to have the reward which, for past services upon
that discharge, they claimed; their pay to be increased to a Roman
denarius; the veterans to be no longer detained under their ensigns." When
Drusus urged, that wholly in the judgment of the Senate and his father,
these matters rested he was interrupted by their clamours: "To what
purpose came he; since he could neither augment their pay, nor alleviate
their grievances? and while upon them every officer was allowed to inflict
blows and death, the son of their Emperor wanted power to relieve them by
one beneficent action.
Pages:
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96