Apocolocyntosis Sect. 12

While they descended along the sacred way, Mercury asked him, what that gathering of men signified, surely it was the funeral of Claudius. And it was of the greatest beauty and with all care expended, that you clearly would know a god was being buried: such a gathering of trumpeters, horn-blowers, such a crowd of every kind of brass-player, that even Claudius could hear. All were happy, laughing: the Roman people walked as if they were free, Agatho and a few pleaders were weeping, but clearly from the heart. The consults of the law came forth from the shadows, pale, slender, scarcely having their minds, just as those who so recently came back from the dead. From these one came forth, when he had seen the pleaders placing their heads together and bewailing their fortunes, and said: "I was telling you: it will not always be Saturnalia." As Claudius saw his funeral, understood that he was dead. For a funeral dirge was sung with a great large chorus:

"Pour forth weeping, give forth your lamentation,
let the Forum resound with sorrowful wailing:
a beautifully witted man died
than whom no other was braver
in all the world.
That man could conquer the swift
in a swifter course, That man could
rout the Parthian rebels, and follow the
Persians with light weapons, and bend the
string with determined hand, he who could pierce
headlong enemies with a small wound, and the
painted backs of the fleeing Mede.
That man ordered the Britains beyond
the known shores of the sea
and the Brigantae with sky-blue shields
to give their necks to Romulus' chains
and he ordered Oceanus himself to tremble
at the new justice of the Roman axes.
Bewail the man, than whom no one
could more quickly judge a case,
with only one part heard,
often even neither. What judge now
will listen to misfortunes all year?
He now gives way to you with his seat left behind,
you who gave justice to the silent people,
holding a hundred Cretan towns.
Gore your chests with sorrowful hands,
O Case-pleaders, you cheap race.
And you new poets mourn,
and you who gathered a great profit
in the beginning with the dice-box shaken."