and　they　perceived　that　the　opposite　party　were　strongest；
  the　people　as　yet　being　not　got　together　in　a　full　body；　they
  began　first　of　all　to　gain　time　by　speeches　in　accusation　of
  some　of　their　fellow…magistrates；　and　at　length　adjourned　the
  assembly　till　the　day　following。
  Tiberius　then　went　down　into　the　marketplace　amongst　the
  people；　and　made　his　addresses　to　them　humbly　and　with　tears
  in　his　eyes；　and　told　them；　he　had　just　reason　to　suspect；
  that　his　adversaries　would　attempt　in　the　night　time　to　break
  open　his　house；　and　murder　him。　　This　worked　so　strongly　with
  the　multitude；　that　several　of　them　pitched　tents　round　about
  his　house；　and　kept　guard　all　night　for　the　security　of　his
  person。　　By　break　of　day　came　one　of　the　soothsayers；　who
  prognosticate　good　or　bad　success　by　the　pecking　of　fowls；
  and　threw　them　something　to　eat。　　The　soothsayer　used　his
  utmost　endeavors　to　fright　the　fowls　out　of　their　coop；　but
  none　of　them　except　one　would　venture　out；　which　fluttered
  with　its　left　wing；　and　stretched　out　its　leg；　and　ran　back
  again　into　the　coop；　without　eating　anything。　　This　put
  Tiberius　in　mind　of　another　ill　omen　which　had　formerly
  happened　to　him。　　He　had　a　very　costly　headpiece；　which　he
  made　use　of　when　he　engaged　in　any　battle；　and　into　this
  piece　of　armor　two　serpents　crawled；　laid　eggs；　and　brought
  forth　young　ones。　　The　remembrance　of　which　made　Tiberius
  more　concerned　now；　than　otherwise　he　would　have　been。
  However；　he　went　towards　the　capitol；　as　soon　as　he
  understood　that　the　people　were　assembled　there；　but　before
  he　got　out　of　the　house；　he　stumbled　upon　the　threshold　with
  such　violence；　that　he　broke　the　nail　of　his　great　toe；
  insomuch　that　blood　gushed　out　of　his　shoe。　　He　was　not　gone
  very　far　before　he　saw　two　ravens　fighting　on　the　top　of　a
  house　which　stood　on　his　left　hand　as　he　passed　along；　and
  though　he　was　surrounded　with　a　number　of　people；　a　stone；
  struck　from　its　place　by　one　of　the　ravens；　fell　just　at　his
  foot。　　This　even　the　boldest　men　about　him　felt　as　a　check。
  But　Blossius　of　Cuma；　who　was　present；　told　him；　that　it
  would　be　a　shame；　and　an　ignominious　thing；　for　Tiberius；　who
  was　the　son　of　Gracchus；　the　grandson　of　Scipio　Africanus；
  and　the　protector　of　the　Roman　people；　to　refuse；　for　fear　of
  a　silly　bird；　to　answer；　when　his　countrymen　called　to　him；
  and　that　his　adversaries　would　represent　it　not　as　a　mere
  matter　for　their　ridicule；　but　would　declaim　about　it　to　the
  people　as　the　mark　of　a　tyrannical　temper；　which　felt　a　pride
  in　taking　liberties　with　the　people。　　At　the　same　time
  several　messengers　came　also　from　his　friends；　to　desire　his
  presence　at　the　capitol；　saying　that　all　things　went　there
  according　to　expectation。　　And　indeed　Tiberius's　first
  entrance　there　was　in　every　way　successful；　as　soon　as　ever
  he　appeared；　the　people　welcomed　him　with　loud　acclamations；
  and　as　he　went　up　to　his　place；　they　repeated　their
  expressions　of　joy；　and　gathered　in　a　body　around　him；　so
  that　no　one　who　was　not　well　known　to　be　his　friend；　might
  approach。　　Mucius　then　began　to　put　the　business　again　to　the
  vote；　but　nothing　could　be　performed　in　the　usual　course　and
  order；　because　of　the　disturbance　caused　by　those　who　were　on
  the　outside　of　the　crowd；　where　there　was　a　struggle　going　on
  with　those　of　the　opposite　party；　who　were　pushing　on　and
  trying　to　force　their　way　in　and　establish　themselves　among
  them。
  Whilst　things　were　in　this　confusion；　Flavius　Flaccus；　a
  senator；　standing　in　a　place　where　he　could　be　seen；　but　at
  such　a　distance　from　Tiberius　that　he　could　not　make　him
  hear；　signified　to　him　by　motions　of　his　hand；　that　he　wished
  to　impart　something　of　consequence　to　him　in　private。
  Tiberius　ordered　the　multitude　to　make　way　for　him；　by　which
  means；　though　not　without　some　difficulty；　Flavius　got　to
  him；　and　informed　him；　that　the　rich　men；　in　a　sitting　of　the
  senate；　seeing　they　could　not　prevail　upon　the　consul　to
  espouse　their　quarrel；　had　come　to　a　final　determination
  amongst　themselves；　that　he　should　be　assassinated；　and　to
  that　purpose　had　a　great　number　of　their　friends　and　servants
  ready　armed　to　accomplish　it。　　Tiberius　no　sooner
  communicated　this　confederacy　to　those　about　him；　but　they
  immediately　tucked　up　their　gowns；　broke　the　halberts　which
  the　officers　used　to　keep　the　crowd　off　into　pieces；　and
  distributed　them　among　themselves；　resolving　to　resist　the
  attack　with　these。　　Those　who　stood　at　a　distance　wondered；
  and　asked　what　was　the　occasion；　Tiberius；　knowing　that　they
  could　not　hear　him　at　that　distance；　lifted　his　hand　to　his
  head；　wishing　to　intimate　the　great　danger　which　he
  apprehended　himself　to　be　in。　　His　adversaries；　taking　notice
  of　that　action；　ran　off　at　once　to　the　senate　house；　and
  declared；　that　Tiberius　desired　the　people　to　bestow　a　crown
  upon　him；　as　if　this　were　the　meaning　of　his　touching　his
  head。　　This　news　created　general　confusion　in　the　senators；
  and　Nasica　at　once　called　upon　the　consul　to　punish　this
  tyrant；　and　defend　the　government。　　The　consul　mildly
  replied；　that　he　would　not　be　the　first　to　do　any　violence；
  and　as　he　would　not　suffer　any　freeman　to　be　put　to　death；
  before　sentence　had　lawfully　passed　upon　him；　so　neither
  would　he　allow　any　measure　to　be　carried　into　effect；　if　by
  persuasion　or　compulsion　on　the　part　of　Tiberius　the　people
  had　been　induced　to　pass　any　unlawful　vote。　　But　Nasica；
  rising　from　his　seat；　〃Since　the　consul；〃　said　he；　〃regards
  not　the　safety　of　the　commonwealth；　let　everyone　who　will
  defend　the　laws；　follow　me。〃　　He；　then；　casting　the　skirt　of
  his　gown　over　his　head；　hastened　to　the　capitol；　those　who
  bore　him　company；　wrapped　their　gowns　also　about　their　arms。
  and　forced　their　way　after　him。　　And　as　they　were　persons　of
  the　greatest　authority　in　the　city；　the　common　people　did　not
  venture　to　obstruct　their　passing；　but　were　rather　so　eager
  to　clear　the　way　for　them；　that　they　tumbled　over　one　another
  in　haste。　　The　attendants　they　brought　with　them；　had
  furnished　themselves　with　clubs　and　staves　from　their　houses；
  and　they　themselves　picked　up　the　feet　and　other　fragments　of
  stools　and　chairs；　which　were　broken　by　the　hasty　flight　of
  the　common　people。　　Thus　armed；　they　made　towards　Tiberius；
  knocking　down　those　whom　they　found　in　front　of　him；　and
  those　were　soon　wholly　dispersed；　and　many　of　them　slain。
  Tiberius　tried　to　save　himself　by　flight。　　As　he　was　running；
  he　was　stopped　by　one　who　caught　hold　of　him　by　the　gown；　but
  he　threw　it　off；　and　fled　in　his　under…garments　only。　　And
  stumbling　over　those　who　before　had　been　knocked　down；　as　he
  was　endeavoring　to　get　up　again；　Publius　Satureius；　a
  tribune；　one　of　his　colleagues；　was　observed　to　give　him　the
  first　fatal　stroke；　by　hitting　him　upon　the　head　with　the
  foot　of　a　stool。　　The　second　blow　was　claimed；　as　though　it
  had　been　a　deed　to　be　proud　of；　by　Lucius　Rufus。　　And　of　the
  rest　there　fell　above　three　hundred；　killed　by　clubs　and
  staves　only；　none　by　an　iron　weapon。
  This；　we　are　told；　was　the　first　sedition　amongst　the　Romans；
  since　the　abrogation　of　kingly　government；　that　ended　in　the
  effusion　of　blood。　　All　former　quarrels　which　were　neither
  small　nor　about　trivial　matters；　were　always　amicably
  composed；　by　mutual　concessions　on　either　side；　the　senate
  yielding　for　fear　of　the　commons；　and　the　commons　out　of
  respect　to　the　senate。　　And　it　is　probable　indeed　that
  Tiberius　himself　might　then　have　been　easily　induced；　by　mere
  persuasion；　to　give　way；　and　certainly；　if　attacked　at　all；
  must　have　yielded　without　any　recourse　to　violence　and
  bloodshed；　as　he　had　not　at　that　time　above　three　thousand
  men　to　support　him。　　But　it　is　evident；　that　this　conspiracy
  was　fomented　against　him；　more　out　of　the　hatred　and　malice
  which　the　rich　men　had　to　his　person；　than　for　the　reasons
  which　they　commonly　pretended　against　him。　　In　testimony　of
  which；　we　may　adduce　the　cruelty　and　unnatural　insults　which
  they　used　to　his　dead　body。　　For　they　would　not　suffer　his
  own　brother；　though　he　earnestly　begged　the　favor；　to　bury
  him　in　the　night；　but　threw　him；　together　with　the　other
  corpses；　into　the　river。　　Neither　did　their　animosity　stop
  here；　for　they　banished　some　of　his　friends　without　legal
  process；　and　slew　as　many　of　the　others　us　they　could　lay
  their　hands　on；　amongst　whom　Diophanes；　the　orator；　was
  slain；　and　one　Caius　Villius　cruelly　murdered　by　being　shut
  up　in　a　large　tun　with　vipers　and　serpents。　　Blossius　of
  Cuma；　indeed；　was　carried　before　the　consuls；　and　examined
  touching　what　had　happened；　and　freely　confessed；　that　he
  had　done；　without　scruple；　whatever　Tiberius　bade　him。
  〃What；〃　replied　Nasica；　〃then　if　Tiberius　had　bidden　you　burn
  the　capitol；　would　you　have　burnt　it？〃　　His　first　answer　was；
  that　Tiberius　never　would　have　ordered　any　such　thing；　but
  being　pressed　with　the　same　question