iudicium "The Judgement"

Captions

A huge crowd of senators had gathered in the senate-house, where Gaius Salvius Liberalis was being accused.
"Many crimes have been committed in Britain by Salvius."
The first accuser declared that many crimes had been committed in Britain by Salvius.
"Salvius forged the king's will."
The second accuser said that Salvius had forged the king's will.
"I am innocent."
Salvius responded that he was innocent.

accusatio I "The Accusation I"

In the seventh year of the reign of Domitian, Gaius Salvius Liberalis, who had been consul the previous year, was accused of forgery by Acilius Glabrio. Upset by this unexpected event, he consulted his friends right away about whether he might ignore the accusation or undertake a defense.
As Salvius was asking what he ought to do, different people suggested different things. Some declared that no danger was threatening because Salvius was a man of great reputation. Others thought that the anger of Domition was more to be feared than the threats for mercy. While his friends were giving different pieces of advice, Salvius decided to wait until he found out what Domitian felt.
Meanwhile Glabrio and the other accusers were preparing their case. Of much help to them was Lucius Marcius Memor, a soothsayer and a client of Salvius, who, once a partner in the criminal acts of Salvius, was now influenced to betray him in hope of profit or in fear of punishment. Making use of this evidence the accusers reported the matter to the Emperor.
When Domitian heard what the accusers had to say, he conducted himself cautiously; for he was well aware that he himself was involved in the criminal actions of Salvius. Meanwhile, to disguise his concern and to put on an appearance of friendship, he honored Salvius with presents, invited him to dinner, and received him politely.

accusatio II

Domitia, however, aho by now had been recalled from exile and reinstated in Domitian's favor, was eagerly considering vengeance against Salvius. For the dwarf Myropnous had revealed that Salvius had been the person responsibe for the exile of Domitia and for the death of Paris. Myropnous told that Salvius had invited Domitia and Paris to the house of Haterius with a forged letter; and that, at the instigation of Salvius, Domitia had been exiled on an island for two years and Paris had been murdered.
Therefore, the accusers, who had been encouraged by Domitia, demanded a trial by the senate. The unpopularity of Salvius was increased by the suspicion that Cogidubnus had been assassinated with poison. In addition, a rumor was making its way around that the remains of human bodies had been found in the waters at Bath, and also that curse-tablets against the name of Cogidubnus had been written. When they heard these things, many people came to believe Salvius had dedicated the souls of his enemies to the gods of the Underworld.
Only then did Salvius understand that these charges were extremely dangerous. So he put on mourning clothes and went around to the houses of his friends who might be of help to him in so much danger. But all of them refused and he returned home, (having been) deprived of all hope.

cognitio "The Trial"

On the appointed day a large crowd of senators gathered in the senate-house to hear the case. Salvius, who was at this point exhausted with fear, was carried into the senate-house on a sedan chair. With his son accompanying him and with his hands extended, he approached Domitian slowly and humbly. Domitian received Salvius with a steady expression on his face; after the charges were read aloud, he added a few things about Salvius himself: that he had been a friend of his father Vespasian and that he had been sent by himself as an assistant to Agricola for administering Britain. Finally he chose Lucius Ursus Servianus, a most famous senator, to be in charge of the trial.
On the first day of the trial Glabrio brought up trivial and meaningless charges. He said that in his home Salvius had placed a statue of himself in a higher location than the statue of the emperor; a statue of the divine Vespasian which had decorated the palace of King Cogidubnus had been sold by Salvius at a low price; and many similar things. When he had heard these things, Salvius began to hope that he would slip out of the hands of his accusers.
On the next day, however, there appeared a new accuser, Quintus Caecilius Iucundus. With a ferocious voice, a threatening look, burning eyes, and very hostile words, he attacked Salvius violently. He declared that in Britain Salvius had behaved arrogantly and cruelly; that he had tried to murder Titus Claudius Cogidubnus, a king who was most loyal and quite friendly to the Roman people; that, once the king was dead, Salvius had forged his will; and that he deserved the maximum punishment.
While Quintus was explaining these charges, Salvius answered: "What you say is absurd. How could poison be given to Cogidubnus with so many observers standing there? Who is so dumb that he believes that I wanted to bring about the death of an eighty-year old king? Even kings are mortal." Finally he offered his slaves to be tortured; he offered no explanation of the will.
Suddenly, outside the senate-house were heard threatening voices of people shouting that they themselves would kill Salvius if he were to escape punishment for his crimes. Some people snatched a statue of Salvius and threw it into the Tiber with many insults. Others surrounded his house and began to batter it with axes and stones. There was so much noise that the emperor sent out praetorian soldiers to quell the riot.
Meanwhile Salvius, riding in his sedan-chair, was escorted home by a tribune; no one knew whether the tribune was a guard or an executioner.