XLII. It  happened  in  this  juncture  that  the  trial  of  Votienus
Montanus,  a  man  famous  for  his  wit  and  talents,  was  brought
to  a  hearing. In  the  course  of  this  business,  Tiberius,  with  a


The  Annals  213

mind  already  balancing,  came  to  a  resolution  to  avoid,  for  the
future,  the  assembly  of  the  fathers,  where  he  was  so  often
mortified  by  grating  expressions. Montanus  was  accused  of
words  injurious  to  the  emperor :  iEmilius,  a  man  in  the
military  line,  was  a  witness  against  him. To  establish  the
charge,  this  man  went  into  a  minute  detail,  from  little  circum-
stances hoping  to  deduce  a  full  conviction. Though  ill  heard
by  the  fathers,  he  persisted,  in  spite  of  noise  and  frequent
interruption,  to  relate  every  circumstance. Tiberius  heard  the
sarcastic  language  with  which  his  character  was  torn  and
mangled  in  private. He  rose  in  a  sudden  transport  of  passion,
declaring  in  a  peremptory  tone,  that  he  would  refute  the
calumny  in  that  stage  of  the  business,  or  institute  a  judicial
proceeding  for  the  purpose. The  entreaties  of  his  friends,
seconded  by  the  adulation  of  the  fathers,  were  scarce  sufficient
to  appease  his  anger. The  judgment  usual  in  cases  of  violated
majesty  was  pronounced  against  Montanus. Want  of  clemency
was  the  general  objection  to  Tiberius ;  but  the  reproach,
instead  of  mitigating,  served  only  to  inflame  that  vindictive
temper. With  a  spirit  exasperated,  he  took  up  the  affair  of
Aquilia,  convicted  of  adultery  with  Varius  Ligur ;  and  though
Lentulus  Gaetulicus,  consul  elect,  was  of  opinion  that  the
penalties  1  of  the  Julian  law  would  be  an  adequate  punish-
ment, she  was  ordered  into  exile. Apidius  Merula  had  refused
to  swear  on  the  acts  of  Augustus. For  that  offence  Tiberius
razed  his  name  from  the  register  of  the  senators.2

XLIII. The  dispute  then  depending  between  the  Lacedae-
monians and  the  people  of  Messena,  concerning  the  temple
of  the  Limnatidian  Diana,  was  brought  to  a  hearing  before
the  senate. Deputies  were  heard  from  both  places. On
the  part  of  the  Lacedaemonians  it  was  contended,  that  the
structure  in  question  was  built  by  their  ancestors,  within  the
territory  of  Sparta. For  proof  of  the  fact  they  cited  extracts
from  history,  and  passages  of  ancient  poetry. 