rried into the theatre at
the Ludi Romani and be placed in the midst of the officials having charge
of the function. This he did later.

[-31-] After being restored to health on this occasion he brought his
will into the senate and wished to read it, by way of showing people that
he had left no successor to his position. He did not, however, read it,
for no one would permit that. Quite every one, however, was astonished
at him in that since he loved Marcellus as son-in-law and nephew yet he
failed to trust him with the monarchy but preferred Agrippa before him.
His regard for Marcellus had been shown by many honors, among them his
lending aid in carrying out the festival which the young man gave as
aedile; the brilliance of this occasion is shown by the fact that in
midsummer he sheltered the Forum by curtains overhead and introduced a
knight and a woman of note as dancers in the orchestra. But his final
attitude seemed to show that he was not yet confident of the youth's
judgment and that he either wanted the people to get back their liberty
or Agrippa to receive the leadership from them. He understood well that
Agrippa and the people were on the best of terms and he was unwilling to
appear to be delivering the supreme power with his own hands. [-32-] When
he recovered, therefore, and learned that Marcellus on this account was
not friendly toward Agrippa, he immediately despatched the latter to
Syria, so that no delay and desultory dispute might arise by their being
in the same place. Agrippa forthwith started from the City but did not
make his way to Syria, but, proceeding even more moderately than usual,
he sent his lieutenants there and himself lingered in Lesbos.

Besides doing this Augustus appointed ten praetors, feeling that he did
not require any more. This number remained constant for several years.
Some of them were intended to fulfill the same duties as of yore and two
of them to have charge of the administration of the finances each year.
Having settled these details he resigned the consulship and went to
Albanum. He himself ever since the constitution had been arranged had
held office for the entire year, as had most of his colleagues, and he
wished now to interrupt this custom again, in order that as many as
possible might be consuls. His resignation took place outside the city to
prevent his being hindered in his purpose.

For this act he received praise, as also because he chose to take his
place Luci