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crowded receptacles of thieves and murderers. Several attempts had 

 been made to suppress this growing nuisance, but they had generally 

 led to riot and discontent, and had remained utterly fruitless. At 

 length Tiberius resolved to effect at least a mitigation of an evil, which 

 a regard for the feelings of the multitude rendered it un-wise or 

 dangerous to sweep away with a high hand. Accordingly, all the 

 Greek cities in Asia, who claimed the right of asyla, were invited to 

 plead their cause before the Roman senate. (Tac. Ann. iii. 60.) Great 

 was the state and ceremony of the day, when the august senate, as in 

 the time of republican omnipotence, sat in judgment to decide the 

 numerous claims based " on grants of their ancestors, or of dynasties 

 displaced by the Roman legions, or on the awful rites and venerable 

 myths of religion." Here were the Ephesians pleading the antiquity 

 and sanctity of the temple of Diana, the Magnesians showing the 

 charters given them by Scipio and Sulla, the Aphrodisians and 

 Stratonicenses, exhibiting those of Caesar and Augustus. The 

 Hierocaesarienses traced their sanctuary to the great King Cyrus, the 

 Cyprians went back to the time of the Trojan war, and many others 

 showed equal zeal and learning to defend the abuses, in which they 

 rejoiced, so that at last the patience of the fathers seemed fairly worn 

 out, and they referred the matter to — a select committee. 



From the east the attention of the Emperor would suddenly be 

 directed to the far west. At one time he is bent on mitigating the 

 savage rites of the Druidical religion in Gaul, where he abolishes the 

 practice of human sacrifices (Plin. H. N. xxx. ].); at another he is 

 obliged to turn his attention to Spain to deprecate the honour of being 

 made a god, and having temples erected to him by that province. 

 This had become a regular practice under Augustus : but Tiberius, 

 with his usual good sense, deter:"oined to set his face against it ; 

 his speech on that occasion is wortliy of being remembered. 

 (Tac. Ann. iv. 38.) "I am but a mortal said he, conscript 

 father ; I have human duties to perform and am satisfied, if 1 fijl 

 worthily the first place in the state ; I appeal to you as witnesses, 

 and I ivish future generations to remember it ; they will sufficiently 

 honour my memory, if they consider me worthy of my ancestors, 

 careful of your well-being, firm- in dangers, and not afraid to give 

 offence for the sake of the -public good. These are temples for me, 

 temples in your hearts ; these are the most beautiful statues and the 

 most enduring, for those which are made of stones, if the judgment 

 of posterity turns to hatred, are odious as sepulchres ; therefore I 

 pray to the gods to vouchsafe to me to the end of my life a tranquil 

 mind, imbued with the knowledge of human and divine justice ; my 



