time in Rome. The historical
value of his work cannot be overestimated, on account of the scarcity,
and in many cases the utter lack, of other historical documents on the
times of which he wrote. His style is spirited, and always interesting.
His accuracy, however, is not to be compared with that of Caesar. Only
thirty-five out of the one hundred and forty-two books that he wrote are
preserved.

NEPOS was a prolific writer, but only a portion of one of his works,
_De Viris Illustribus_, has come down to us; it is neither accurate nor
interesting, and of little value.

SALLUST left two historical productions, one on the conspiracy of
Catiline, the other on the war with Jugurtha. His style is rhetorical.
He excels in delineating character, but he is often so concise as to be
obscure.

GAIUS ASINIUS POLLIO was a statesman and orator of marked attainments of
this time. He was strongly attached to the old republican institutions,
a man of great independence of character, and a poet of no mean merit,
as his contemporaries testify. Unfortunately, none of his writings are
preserved.

The age of Augustus is also noted for the architectural improvements
in Rome. Augustus is said to have found a city of stone, and left one
of marble. He himself built twelve temples, and repaired eighty-two that
had fallen into decay. The FORUM was beautified by five halls of justice
(_Basilicae_), which were erected around its borders. The most famous
of these was the BASILICA JULIA, begun by Julius Caesar and finished
by Augustus. Public squares were planned and begun north of the great
Forum, the finest of which was the FORUM OF TRAJAN, finished by the
Emperor of that name.

The finest building outside of the city, in the Campus Martius, was the
PANTHEON, built by Agrippa, and now used as a Christian church. Here are
buried many distinguished men. Near by, Augustus erected a mausoleum
for himself. Here too was a theatre, built by Pompey,--the first stone
theatre of Rome.

CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE JULIAN AND CLAUDIAN EMPERORS.

TIBERIUS (14-37 A.D.)

Augustus was succeeded by TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS NERO CAESAR (born 42 B.
C.), the son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia. His mother obtained a
divorce from Tiberius, and married Augustus.

Tiberius had great military talent. He was a severe disciplinarian,
and commanded the full confidence of his soldiers. As commander in
Cantabria, Armenia, Rhaetia, Dalmatia, and Germany, he conducted