subservient. While different persons were rivals to show him excessive
honors, one Sextus Pacuvius, or, as others say, Apudius[6] surpassed them
all. In the open senate he consecrated himself to him after the fashion
of the Spaniards and advised the rest to do the same. When Augustus
hindered him he rushed out to the crowd standing near by, and (as he was
tribune) compelled them and next all the rest who were wandering about
through the streets and lanes to consecrate themselves; to Augustus. From
this episode we are wont even now to say in appeals to the sovereign
"we have consecrated ourselves to you." Pacuvius ordered all to offer
sacrifice for this occurrence and before the people he once said he
should make Augustus his inheritor on equal terms with his son. This was
not because he possessed anything much, but because he wished to get
more. And his desire was accomplished.

[-21-] Augustus attended with considerable zeal to all the business of
the empire to make it appear that he had received it in accordance with
the wishes of all, and he also enacted many laws. (I need not go into
each one of them in detail except those which have a bearing upon my
history. This same course I shall follow in the case of later events, in
order not to become wearisome by introducing all such matters as not even
those who specialize on them most narrowly know with accuracy.) Not all
of these laws were enacted on his sole responsibility: some of them he
brought before the public in advance, in order that, if any featured
caused displeasure, he might learn it in time and correct them. He urged
that any one at all give him advice, if any one could think of anything
better. He accorded them full liberty of speech and some provisions he
actually did alter. Most important of all, he took as advisers for six
months the consuls or the consul (when he himself also held the office),
one of each of the other kinds of officials, and fifteen men chosen
by lot from the remainder of the senatorial body. Through them he was