Germanicus had avenged Varus's death and the loss of his legions, recovered the lost standards, and sowed terror among all the barbarians through his valor and command. But what had he done for his personal interest? What did he do for his glory? Should I say, Romans? Yes, let us say it for his honor and the shame of his enemies. He erected a magnificent trophy with a simple inscription stating that Tiberius's army had dedicated these monuments to Mars, Jupiter, and Octavian, for the victory they won against the nations living between the Rhine and the Elbe.

And all of this, Romans, without mentioning himself, without asking for more merit than the modest soldier he commanded. I will not describe in detail all that Germanicus has accomplished, as Roman history has taught you this already, and the hatred some have nurtured towards him should be enough to show that he is worthy of your friendship. Then, when Tiberius deemed it appropriate for Germanicus to return to Rome to receive the honor for this conquest, this noble and unfortunate man fully understood that Tiberius began to feel threatened by his glory, and he wanted to keep him away from battles so that he didn't become more prestigious than he already was. However, he obeyed. Abandoning this unfinished war he so usefully desired to end for you and forgetting all his prudence, he simply listened to his kindness. You saw him, Romans, cross Rome with his generals in a parade, but at the very moment you were shedding tears of joy, there might have been a criminal forecasting that you would soon shed tears of sorrow over the ashes of Germanicus. You also know that he was not recalled to his home to allow him to stay there. On the contrary, he was sent to a far place, deeming it wise, and even necessary, for the public good or rather for the benefit of few individuals, to exile him from Rome under a ridiculous pretext. Whatever the case, Germanicus did what was expected of him. He was as adept at serving the interests of the Roman people's allied princes as he was at fighting his enemies. If the traitorous Piso and his wife Plancina hadn't agreed to take responsibility for his assassination, it would have been difficult for his enemies to achieve their ends. Germanicus was so loved by all that it would have been difficult for his killers to find other allies. He knew the opinon others had of him and the esteem he had gained could not be questioned.

Whenever he set out for war, he had the tendency to go alone into the camp at night, disguised as a simple soldier, to hear what these men were saying about him, not in order to seek out compliments for his bravery, but rather to be informed of his faults and to improve. This, Romans, is the man Germanicus was. His soul was noble and affectionate and, whatever form death took, he looked at it with a serene face. He had known the storm that scattered his army and beached his ship on reefs, fearing nothing but to see the Roman legions perish. After this wreck, he was seen covering all the losses sustained by the soldiers who survived the storm. He was seen, such
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