Caligula
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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
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He generally prolonged the sufferings of his victims by causing them to be inflicted by slight and frequently repeated strokes; this being his well-known and constant order: "Strike so that he may feel himself die." Having punished one person for another, by mistaking his name, he said "he deserved it quite as much." He had frequently in his mouth these words of the tragedian:
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Oderint dum metuant.A quotation from the tragedy of Atreus, by L. Attius, mentioned by Cicero. Off. i. 28.
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I scorn their hatred, if they do but fear me.
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He would often inveigh against all the senators writhout exception, as clients of Sejanus, and informers against his mother and brothers, producing the memorials which he had pretended to burn, and excusing the cruelty of
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Tiberius
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as necessary, since it was impossible to question the veracity of such a number of accusers.
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2
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He continually reproached the whole equestrian order, as devoting themselves to nothing but acting on the stage, and fighting as gladiators. Being incensed at the people's applauding a party at the Circensian games in opposition to him, he exclaimed, "I wish the Roman people had but one neck."
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3
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When Tetrinius, the highwayman, was denounced, he said his persecutors too were all Tetrinius's. Five Retiarii,
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in tunics, fighting in a company, yielded without a struggle to the same number of opponents; and being ordered to be slain, one of them taking up his lance again, killed all the conquerors. This he lamented in a proclamation as a most cruel butchery, and cursed all those who had borne the sight of it.