He ran out stone breakwaters from the beach far into the water to divert the currents of the ocean, and, as it were, to match his wealth against the power of the sea.
As for the private fortunes of individual Romans, he confiscated them for his own use in all parts of the empire, either by accusing their possessors of some crime of which they were innocent, or by distorting their words into a free gift of their property to him.

Many were convicted on these charges of murder and other crimes, and in order to escape paying the penalty for them, gave him all that they had.

Some who were engaged in making frivolous claims to land belonging to their neighbours, when they found that they had no chance of winning their cause, as the law was against them, would make him a present of the land in dispute, and so get out of the difficulty.

Thus they gained his favour by a gift that cost them nothing, and got the better of their adversaries by the most illegal means.
It will not be out of place, I think, to describe his personal appearance.

He was neither tall nor too short, but of a medium height, not thin, but inclined to be fat.