Apocolocyntosis Sect. 10

Then the Divine Augustus rose up on his turn for speaking his opinion and spoke with the highest eloquence: "Honorable patrons," he said, "I have you as witnesses, from which time I was made a god, that I have given no word on my behalf: always I go on my own business. And I cannot disguise myself anymore and no longer can I contain my grief, which my shame makes heavier. Was it for this that I sought peace on earth and sea? Was it for this that I held the civil wars in check? For this did I found the city with laws, decorate it with works, so that--? What should I say, honorable patrons, I find nothing: All words are beneath my indignation. And so I must flee towards that wisdom of Messala Corvinus, a well-spoken man: "I am ashamed of the empire". This man, honorable patrons, who does not seem able to rouse a fly, killed people more easily than a dog squats. But why do I speak of so many such men? There is no vacancy for me examining domestic tragedy to weep over public misfortune. And so I will omit the latter and bear back the former: for if my ankle does not know, I know: the knee is nearer to the shin. That one whom you see, hiding for so many years under my name, brought me this grace, that he killed the two Julias my great-grandaughters, one with iron, the other with hunger; and he killed my own great-great-grandson Lucius Silanus: may you see, Jupiter, whether it was a bad cause, certainly it was yours, I you are going to be equal. Tell me, Divine Claudius: why did you condemn any of these people, whom you killed, before you knew their cases, before you heard their cases? Where is this accustomed to happen? It does not happen in the sky.