ROMAM COINS FOUND AT LITTLE CHESTER. II7 



Caesar, who first annexed Britain to the Roman Empire ; and 

 it continued to be used by all the Emperors, and Caesar then 

 became the title of the second person in the State ; or, as we 

 should call him, the heir presumptive. 



The heritage to which this Tiberius, adopted son of the first 

 Augustus, succeeded, placed in his hand the power of all the then 

 known world, of all that was richest and fairest, untold wealth, 

 unlimited power. Of all this he was the deified ruler and high 

 priest ; but he gave himself up to the most unrestrained self- 

 gratification in the island of Caprae, and we are told by Pliny*^ 

 that, writing to the Senate, he gave expression to his feelings in 

 these remarkable words: — "What to write to you, Conscript- 

 Fathers, or how to write, or what not to write, may all the gods and 

 goddesses destroy me, more than I feel that they are daily 

 destroying me, if I know." Tiberius, A.D. 37, on i6th March, 

 was suffocated by order of Macrobius, one of his favourites, at 

 the age of 78. 



These two silver coins are the property of Mr. M. Salt, of 

 Buxton, and were found together, with 80 or 90 others, in making 

 a road through the lower part of Strutt's Park, where they had 

 been buried in a vase. 



NERO.CLAVD.C^SAR (defaced, but probably DRVSVS . 

 GERM . PRINCE . IVVENT).— Bust looking to left head, 

 laureated. Rev. — A seated, partially draped figure, head rayed, 

 holding up right hand, and in left holds a branch. Legend — 

 (Secvritas) AVGVSTI, inscribed S . C . Exergue worn out. 

 Plate I., No. 3. (Mr. Shaw.) 



This coin is of a fine pale brass, much worn and corroded. It 

 is one of the Strutt's Park coins — ist brass, a sestertius. 



This Emperor has the character of having been little better than 

 a savage, or wild beast ; and contrived to cram into his short life of 

 32 years more atrocities than any other man up to his time had 

 imagined. He ordered Seneca to be bled to death, and killed his 

 second wife, Poppea, by a kick, and had previously caused his 



* Fariar's " Life of Christ," p. 106. 



