" But Haterius
Agrippa, by moving to have "the decrees of that day engraved in letters of
gold, and hung up in the Senate," became an object of derision; for that,
as he was an ancient man, he could reap from his most abominable flattery
no other fruit but that of infamy.
Tiberius, while he fortified the vitals of his own domination, afforded
the Senate a shadow of their ancient jurisdiction; by referring to their
examination petitions and claims from the provinces. For there had now
prevailed amongst the Greek cities a latitude of instituting sanctuaries
at pleasure. Hence the temples were filled with the most profligate
fugitive slaves: here debtors found protection against their creditors;
and hither were admitted such as were pursued for capital crimes. Nor was
any force of Magistracy or laws sufficient to bridle the mad zeal of the
people, who confounding the sacred villainies of men with the worship
peculiar to the Gods, seditiously defended these profane sanctuaries. It
was therefore ordered that these cities should send deputies to represent
their claims. Some of the cities voluntarily relinquished the nominal
privileges, which they had arbitrarily assumed: many confided in their
rights; a confidence grounded on the antiquity of their superstitions, or
on the merits of their kind offices to the Roman People.
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