And when he boldly picked them up and tried

To throw again, like a man who is always

On the verge of playing, always trying to play,

The dice would cheat his hope. Always the stealthy

Double-dealing die slipped through his fingers.

Just so, touching the highest mountain peak,

Sisyphus drops the load from his shoulders,

But in vain.

Suddenly Gaius Caesar turned up and asked to have Claudius as his slave. He called witnesses who had seen him beating Claudius with whips, canes, and his fists. The decision of the court was read out: Aeacus gave him to Gaius Caesar. He, in turn, gave him to his freedman Menander, to be his law clerk in charge of petitions.

Historically Claudius was in fact deified after his death.

THE STORY OF BRITAIN

Agricola

Tacitus

Translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb, 1876

Agricola, father-in-law of the historian Tacitus (c. AD 56–c. 120), was a highly successful governor of Britain. He conquered the island of Mona (modern Anglesey) and prevailed over the Caledonian tribesmen at the Battle of Mons Graupius in what is now Scotland. After this victory, the Emperor Domitian recalled him to Rome in AD 85, allegedly out of jealousy at his success. Tacitus prefaced his account of Agricola’s achievements with a potted history of Rome’s involvement in Britain prior to his arrival. Considerable progress had been made since Julius Caesar first invaded in 55 and 54 BC, and Claudius led a more successful expedition in AD 43. Tacitus had a particular interest in the characteristics of foreign peoples. Below we encounter the Silures, a tribe of south-eastern Wales, the Brigantes, of northern England, and Boudicca, who led the tribe of the Iceni in the area surrounding modern Norfolk.