Life of Tiberius
morbo et intemperantia perisse existimaret, ut tandem ueneno interemptum fraude Liuillae
uxoris atque Seiani cognouit, neque tormentis neque supplicio cuiusquam pepercit, soli huic
cognitioni adeo per totos dies deditus et intentus, ut Rhodiensem hospitem, quem
familiaribus litteris Romam euocarat, aduenisse sibi nuntiatum torqueri sine mora iusserit,
quasi aliquis ex necessariis quaestioni adesset, deinde errore detecto et occidi, ne uulgaret
iniuriam. Carnificinae eius ostenditur locus Capreis, unde damnatos post longa et exquisita
tormenta praecipitari coram se in mare iubebat, excipiente classiariorum manu et contis
atque remis elidente cadauera, ne cui residui spiritus quicquam inesset. Excogitauerat autem
inter genera cruciatus etiam, ut larga meri potione per fallaciam oneratos, repente ueretris
deligatis, fidicularum simul urinaeque tormento distenderet. Quod nisi eum et mors
praeuenisset et Thrasyllus consulto, ut aiunt, differre quaedam spe longioris uitae
compulisset, plures aliquanto necaturus ac ne reliquis quidem nepotibus parsurus creditur,
cum et Gaium suspectum haberet et Tiberium ut ex adulterio conceptum aspernaretur. Nec
abhorret a uero; namque identidem felicem Priamum uocabat, quod superstes omnium
suorum extitisset.
carried his cruelty still farther. He imagined that he had died of a disease occasioned by his
intemperance; but finding that he had been poisoned by the contrivance of his wife Livilla and
Sejanus, he spared no one from torture and death. He was so entirely occupied with the
examination of this affair, for whole days together, that, upon being informed that the person
in whose house he had lodged at Rome, was arrived, he ordered him immediately to be put to
the torture, as a party concerned in the inquiry. Upon finding his mistake, he commanded him
to be put to death, that he might not publish the injury done him. The place of execution is
still shown at Capri, where he ordered those who were condemned to die, after long and
exquisite tortures, to be thrown, before his eyes, from a precipice into the sea. There a party
of soldiers belonging to the fleet waited for them, and broke their bones with poles and oars,
lest they should have any life left in them. Among various kinds of torture invented by him,
one was, to induce people to drink a large quantity of wine, and then to tie up their members
with harp-strings, thus tormenting them prevented him, and Thrasyllus, designedly, as some
say, prevailed with him to defer some of his cruelties, in hopes of longer life, it is believed
that he would have destroyed many more; and not have spared even the rest of his
grandchildren: for he was jealous of Caius, and hated Tiberius as having been conceived in
adultery. This conjecture is indeed highly probable; for he used often to say, " Happy Priam,
who survived all his children !"