§39in Gallia quoque, cum damnatarum sororum ornamenta et supellectilem et seruos atque etiam libertos immensis pretiis uendidisset, inuitatus lucro, quidquid instrumenti ueteris aulae erat ab urbe repetiit, comprensis ad deportandum meritoriis quoque uehiculis et pistrinensibus iumentis, adeo ut et panis Romae saepe deficeret et litigatorum plerique, quod occurrere absentes ad uadimonium non possent, causa caderent.
In Gaul as well, after he had sold the jewels, furniture, slaves, and even freedmen of his condemned sisters at immense prices, enticed by the profit, he sent to Rome for all the apparatus of the old court that was left, requisitioning even hired carriages and mill beasts for their transport, so that bread was often scarce in Rome and many litigants lost their cases because they, being absent, could not appear to answer their bail.
cui instrumento distrahendo nihil non fraudis ac lenocinii adhibuit, modo auaritiae singulos increpans et quod non puderet eos locupletiores esse quam se, modo paenitentiam simulans quod principalium rerum priuatis copiam faceret.
In selling off this apparatus, he employed every kind of fraud and enticement, now upbraiding individuals for their avarice and because they were not ashamed to be richer than he, now pretending regret that he was allowing private individuals to possess imperial property.
compererat prouincialem locupletem ducenta sestertia numerasse uocatoribus, ut per fallaciam conuiuio interponeretur, nec tulerat moleste tam magno aestimari honorem cenae suae;
He learned that a wealthy provincial had paid two hundred thousand sesterces to the summoners to be introduced by trickery into a banquet, and he did not take it ill that the honor of his dinner was valued so highly.
huic postero die sedenti in auctione misit, qui nescio quid friuoli ducentis milibus traderet diceretque cenaturum apud Caesarem uocatu ipsius.
The next day, as this man was sitting at the auction, Gaius sent a messenger to hand him some trifle for two hundred thousand, and to tell him that he would dine with Caesar by his own invitation.
§40Vectigalia noua atque inaudita primum per publicanos, deinde, quia lucrum exuberabat, per centuriones tribunosque praetorianos exercuit, nullo rerum aut hominum genere omisso, cui non tributi aliquid imponeret.
He established new and unheard-of taxes, at first through the publicans, and then, because the profit was so immense, through the centurions and tribunes of the praetorian guard, omitting no class of objects or persons on which he did not impose some duty.
pro edulibus, quae tota urbe uenirent, certum statumque exigebatur;
On all eatables sold throughout the city, a fixed and definite tax was levied.
pro litibus ac iudiciis ubicumque conceptis quadragesima summae, de qua litigaretur, nec sine poena, si quis composuisse uel donasse negotium conuinceretur;
On lawsuits and legal proceedings, wherever commenced, a fortieth part of the sum in dispute was demanded, not without a penalty if anyone was convicted of having settled or abandoned a suit.
ex gerulorum diurnis quaestibus pars octaua;
From the daily earnings of porters, an eighth part was taken.
ex capturis prostitutarum quantum quaeque uno concubitu mereret;
From the takings of prostitutes, as much as each earned by a single intercourse.
additumque ad caput legis, ut tenerentur publico et quae meretricium quiue lenocinium fecissent, nec non et matrimonia obnoxia essent.
And a clause was added to the law, that those who had practiced prostitution or pandering, and even their marriages, should be liable to this public tax.
§41eius modi uectigalibus indictis neque propositis, cum per ignorantiam scripturae multa commissa fierent, tandem flagitante populo proposuit quidem legem, sed et minutissimis litteris et angustissimo loco, uti ne cui describere liceret.
Though taxes of this kind had been imposed, they were not posted up, and since many violations were committed through ignorance of the letter of the law, at last, in response to the urgent demands of the people, he did post the law, but in exceedingly small letters and in a very narrow place, so that no one could copy it down.
ac ne quod non manubiarum genus experiretur, lupanar in Palatio constituit, districtisque et instructis pro loci dignitate compluribus cellis, in quibus matronae ingenuique starent, misit circum fora et basilicas nomenculatores ad inuitandos ad libidinem iuuenes senesque;
And so as not to leave any kind of plunder untried, he established a brothel in the Palace, with many rooms set apart and furnished appropriately for the dignity of the place, in which matrons and freeborn youths stood. He sent summoners around the forums and basilicas to invite young and old to pleasure.
praebita aduenientibus pecunia faenebris appositique qui nomina palam subnotarent, quasi adiuuantium Caesaris reditus.
High-interest money was advanced to those who came, and people were appointed to write down their names openly, as if they were contributors to Caesar's revenues.
ac ne ex lusu quidem aleae compendium spernens plus mendacio atque etiam periurio lucrabatur.
And not despising even the profit from dice-playing, he made money by cheating and even by perjury.
et quondam proximo conlusori demandata uice sua progressus in atrium domus, cum praetereuntis duos equites R. locupletis sine mora corripi confiscarique iussisset, exultans rediit gloriansque numquam se prosperiore alea usum.
Once, having handed over his turn to his fellow player next to him, he went out into the atrium of the house, and when he had ordered two wealthy Roman knights passing by to be arrested without delay and their property confiscated, he returned exulting and boasting that he had never had a luckier throw.
§42Filia uero nata paupertatem nec iam imperatoria modo sed et patria conquerens onera conlationes in alimonium ac dotem puellae recepit.
When a daughter was born to him, complaining of poverty, not only as an emperor but also as a father, he accepted contributions for the girl's support and dowry.
edixit et strenas ineunte anno se recepturum stetitque in uestibulo aedium Kal. Ian.
He also issued an edict that he would receive New Year's gifts at the beginning of the year, and stood in the vestibule of his house on the Kalends of January to catch the coins which a crowd of all kinds poured out before him by handfuls and lapfuls.
ad captandas stipes, quas plenis ante eum manibus ac sinu omnis generis turba fundebat. nouissime contrectandae pecuniae cupidine incensus, saepe super immensos aureorum aceruos patentissimo diffusos loco et nudis pedibus spatiatus et toto corpore aliquamdiu uolutatus est.
Finally, inflamed by a passion for touching money, he often walked barefoot over immense heaps of gold coins spread out in a very wide space, and even rolled his whole body on them for some time.
§43Militiam resque bellicas semel attigit neque ex destinato, sed cum ad uisendum nemus flumenque Clitumni Meuaniam processisset, admonitus de supplendo numero Batauorum, quos circa se habebat, expeditionis Germanicae impetum cepit;
He touched upon military matters and war only once, and that not by design, but when he had gone to Mevania to see the grove and river of Clitumnus, being advised to recruit the number of Batavians whom he had about him, he took a sudden fancy for a German expedition.
neque distulit, sed legionibus et auxiliis undique excitis, dilectibus ubique acerbissime actis, contracto et omnis generis commeatu quanto numquam antea, iter ingressus est confecitque modo tam festinanter et rapide, ut praetorianae cohortes contra morem signa iumentis imponere et ita subsequi cogerentur, interdum adeo segniter delicateque, ut octaphoro ueheretur atque a propinquarum urbium plebe uerri sibi uias et conspergi propter puluerem exigeret.
Nor did he delay, but having summoned legions and auxiliaries from all sides, having conducted levies everywhere with the utmost severity, and having collected provisions of every kind on a scale never seen before, he began his march. He completed it sometimes so hastily and rapidly that the praetorian cohorts were forced, contrary to custom, to load their standards on pack-animals and so follow him; and sometimes so slowly and luxuriously that he was carried in a litter with eight bearers, and required the populace of the neighboring towns to sweep the roads for him and sprinkle them to keep down the dust.