104 



prospect of gain and favour proved an irresistible temptation, not only 

 to the low-born and needy adventurer, but often to the noblest senators. 

 I can only compare these men to the agents of a secret police. 

 Which of the two systems is the more subversive of truth and con- 

 fidence of man in man, which the more infamous, I will not decide. 

 One thing is clear, that both are symptoms of timid and unstable 

 governments. 



The working of the system just described is illustrated by the trial of 

 L. Sci-ibonius Libo. This unfortunate young man, a descendant of 

 Pompey the Great, and connected with the imperial house itself, became 

 the victim of a false friend, the Senator Firmius Catus, who in the 

 most treacherous manner, and with the foulest object in view 

 inspired him with ambitious hopes and urged him to acts of a treason- 

 able character, such as the consultation of Chaldaean soothsayers 

 respecting his prospects of obtaining the government. To increase 

 his influence he was advised by Catus to launch into an extravagant 

 course of life. When Catus had collected sufficient evidence, he gave 

 information to Tiberius of Libo's treasonable proceedings. This was 

 at a time, when the mutiny of the Illyrian and German legions and the 

 conspiracy of the slave Clemens, the pretended Posthumus Agrippa, 

 made the situation of Tiberius exceedingly critical. He had reason to 

 fear, that the machinations of Libo were aimed directly against his life. 

 Yet he refrained from taking decisive measures, whether from want of 

 confidence in liis success, or because he had not sufficient evidence 

 of Libo's guilt, we do not know. He contented himself therefore with 

 watching Libo and taking precautions for the present (Sueton. Tib. 25) 

 to guard against assassination. At last a new act of magical incantation 

 was reported by a certain Julius to Fulcinius Trio, one of the most 

 notorious informers. [The case was now brouglit before the senate. 

 Two more informers struggled for the infamy and profit of con- 

 ducting the accusations. But the case was breaking down on the 

 futility of the evidence, which related chiefly to the absurd conjuring 

 tricks of the Chaldaean impostors, when Libo, in a fit of despair, 

 put an end to his life."'* Tiberius evidently considered him guilty at 

 least of treasonable intentions, but he declared, that, if Libo had not 

 rashly anticipated his own death, he would have interceded in his 

 favour. Whatever we may think of this declaration, it appears evident 



^^ In the course of this trial some of Libo's slaves were brought forward to give endence 

 against their master. As this was ati illegal proceeding, the law was evaded by the previous 

 sale of the slaves, so that they were uo longer Libo's own. For this device Tacitus calls 

 '1 iberiiis invidiously, " Novi juris repertor," intimating thereby, that such an act had never 

 taken place before. This we know to be untrue. The honour of the first evasion of this 

 abburd law belongs to Augustus (Dion Cass. So, 5.) 



