A peace, profound in its character, and universal in its extent, now reigned throughout the known world. The temple of Janus itself was shut, the signal of peace and tranquillity, with the sight of which Rome had never once been blessed since the days of Numa Porn pilius. At this moment of general benignity, when Rome gloried in her wisdom as well as in her power, and when her attention was distracted by no pursuits of interest or of glory, the Saviour of the world was born in Judea, 753 years after the foundation of Rome. About three years after this event Tiberius was per mitted to return to Rome, but was not allowed to hold any public situation. The death, however, of Lucius and Caius exsar, the two grandsons of Augustus, on whom he had conferred the title of princes of the Ro man youth, opened to Tiberius the prospect of being one day the sovereign of Rome. Although it was sus pected that Livia had carried them off' by poison, yet Tiberius had shown such unaffected sorrow at their death, that Augustus adopted him as his son.
A second irruption of the barbarous hordes of the north again disturbed the empire. Three legions and six cohorts, under Quintilius Varus were almost en tirely cut to pieces in Germany by Arminius, a brave but crafty general; and, when Varus saw that every thing was lost, he and several of his officers put them selves to death. His head was afterwards sent by the insurgent general to Augustus, who was almost driven frantic by the defeat. He allowed his hair and his beard to grow for many months; he tore his garments, and, in fits of distraction, he beat his head against the wall, exclaiming, Oh! Varus, restore me my legions.
To retrieve this disaster Tiberius was sent into Ger many, where he performed many brilliant exploits; upon which he was honoured with a triumph by the Romans, and by Augustus with his friendship. Tibe rius was now assumed by Augustus as his colleague, and, having sent Germanicus against the northern hordes, Augustus accompanied Tiberius during a part of his journey; but having been taken ill at Pola in Campania, he died in the 76th year of his age, and 56th of his power, having held the sovereign authority for 44 years. As Augustus had shown some marks of returning affection for his grandson Agrippa Posthu mius, it has been suspected that Livia hastened his death, by giving him poisoned figs. Augustus recom mended.Tiberius as his successor. He left his fortune partly to Tiberius and partly to Drusus; and he be queathed legacies both to the people and the army. The virtues of this great man have been embalmed in the writings of Virgil, Horace, and Ovid; and the .4u gust an age of Roman literature has been celebrated by the admiration of all succeeding ages.
Tiberius began his reign by acts of cruelty and de ceit. After causing Agrippa Posthumius to be mur dered by a military tribune, Tiberius affected to hesi tate about the acceptance of the supreme power. The two consuls, however, having first reluctantly taken the oath of fidelity to him as emperor, administered it to the senate, the people, and the soldiers; yet not withstanding all this eagerness in his service, Tibe rius declared that he would only hold the empire till the conscript fathers should, in their great wisdom, think proper to give repose to his old age.
The festivities and consequent relaxation of disci pline in which the Roman armies were permitted to indulge on the accession of Tiberius, gave rise to two revolts of a most alarming nature. Percennius, a common soldier, and known in Rome as the ringlead er of hissing parties in the theatre, had excited his fellow soldiers by inflammatory speeches. Tiberius himself wrote to the insurgents; but finding his re monstrances unavailing, he sent his son Drusus to try the influence of persuasion and of force. The in surgents, however, massacred several of their offi cers; and it was only by the effect of an eclipse of the moon on their superstitious feelings that they were brought to reflection. Drusus availed himself of this favourable incident, and having condemned and exe cuted some of the ringleaders, the mutiny was com pletely subdued with the timely aid of some violent storms which had alarmed their fears.
The revolt which took place in Germany almost at the same time, and from the same causes, assumed a more inveterate character. When the insurgents had gone so far as to drown several of the centurions in the Rhine, Germanicus hastened from Gaul to re store subordination. Unable, however, to effect any change, he feigned letters from Tiberius, in which it was agreed that all soldiers who had served sixteen years should be deemed veterans; that those who had served twenty should be discharged; and that some legacies which had been bequeathed to them by Au gustus should be paid to double their amount. When this money was paid, the troops retired peaceably into their quarters. The arrival of deputies, however, from Tiberius, gave rise to a report that their object was to revoke the terms granted by Germanicus; and notwithstanding that every assurance was given them that the report had no foundation, yet the deputies, and conducted themselves with such outrageous violence, that Germanicus thought it pru dent to send home his wife Agrippina, who was then pregnant, along with her infant son Claudius; and many of the principal officers followed his example.