41"2 



ROMAN E M PI RE. 



Nero quar- 

 rels with 

 Agrippina 



Roman animosities. Without Nero's knowledge she procured 

 Empire, the assassination of Silanus, the proconsul of Asia, and 

 ^^y*^ contrary to Nero's wishes, she compelled Narcissus to 

 put an end to his own life. These cruelties, however, 

 did not last long. Burrhus, the prefect of the Praeto- 

 rian guard, and Seneca openly opposed the continu- 

 ance of these cruelties. With the consent of Nero 

 they laid down a plan of government both merciful 

 and wise; and while Nero followed their counsels his 

 conduct was considered as a model to succeeding 

 princes. He was not only just and liberal and humane, 

 but condescending and affable; and the Romans fondly 

 hoped that the tyranny of former sovereigns would be 

 balanced by the clemency and wisdom of Nero. 



These expectations, however just and reasonable, were 

 soon disappointed. Nero had concealed the depravity 

 which nature had implanted in his heart, and, as cir- 

 cumstances arose to call it forth, it began to develop 

 itself in all its hideousness. Having fallen in love 

 with a freedwoman of the name of Acte, he excited 

 the rage of his mother, who dreaded that her own in- 

 fluence would be transferred to a concubine. He ex- 

 erted every nerve, therefore, to thwart her wishes, and 

 showed his displeasure by displacing Pallas, her prin- 

 cipal favourite. Enraged at the slight which was thus 

 put upon her, Agrippina pronounced Nero an usurper, 

 and declared that Britannicus, the heir of his father's 

 throne, was still alive. The depravity of the emperor's 

 heart was now called forth. He contrived to have 

 A. D. 55. Britannicus poisoned at a public banquet, and he a- 

 bridged the privileges of Agrippina, and prohibited 

 her from being visited by persons of whom he was 

 suspicious. 



Having shaken off the yoke of Seneca and of Burr- 

 hus, Nero gave way to rioting and licentiousness. Dis- 

 guised as a slave, he prowled about the city, fre- 

 quenting taverns and brothels, and attempting to kill 

 every person who interfered with him. These extra- 

 vagancies, vicious as they were, found still some apo- 

 logy in the youth and circumstances of Nero ; but as 

 he advanced in years his crimes became more detest- 

 able. Abandoning his wife Octavia, he cohabited 

 with Poppea, the wife of his favourite Otho. Enraged 

 at this connexion, Agrippina became the enemy of 

 Poppea, who retaliated by persuading Nero to get rid 

 of his mother. Nero yielded to this request. He 

 tried to break her spirit by various petty but ineffec- 

 tual vexations. He next tried the effects of poison, 

 but though twice administered, she resisted its effects. 

 He attempted to drown her by giving her a pleasure 

 sail on the coast of Calabria, in a ship so built, as to 

 fall to pieces in the water; but this experiment was 

 ill managed, and Agrippina contrived to support her- 

 .self above water till she was picked up by a trading 

 vessel. Unable to extinguish the vitality of Agrippina, 

 Nero consulted Seneca and Burrhus, but both of them 

 _ declined to have any concern with such a deed. In 

 this perplexity, Anicetus, the contriver of the ship, 

 offered his services, and Nero is said to have exclaimed 

 on the occasion, " That he never before felt himself 

 an emperor." Anicetus, however, having already fail- 

 .ed in his machinery, had recourse to a more direct 

 Whom he method. Attended by a body of soldiers, he sur- 

 jnaurders. , rounded Agrippina's house, forced open the doors, 

 'and dispatched Agrippina with many wounds. Nero 

 was sent for to see that the deed was rightly done 

 and after surveying the body, he remarked that he 

 never thought his mother had been so handsome. 

 Having been applauded by ihe senate for this 



horrible parricide, Nero had no occasion to follow any 

 other will than his own. Satiated for a while with 

 his mother's death, he now addicted himself to music 

 and to chariot driving. He at last became a princi- 

 pal performer in the chariot races ; and having been 

 well received in this new capacity, he soon afterwards 

 exhibited as a singer on the stage; making his first 

 public appearance at the juvenile games instituted by 

 himself. His next passion was to be a poet and a 

 philosopher. The wits about court contributed their 

 instalments of written and extemporaneous verses, 

 which, when tacked together by his orders, became a 

 poem by Nero. In like manner, he attended the de- 

 bates and sought the society of philosophers. 



Having thus become a player of all work, Nero re- 

 solved to make the tour of his empire, to display his 

 varied accomplishments. At Naples, the imperial 

 performer so rivetted the attention of his audience, 

 that an earthquake, which happened during one of 

 his songs, was not felt in the theatre. Like other 

 artists of moderate ability, he ran down his brother 

 performers ; he intrigued with his judges, and organiz- 

 ed clubs and factions to applaud and to support him. 

 Soldiers were stationed everywhere to make the hearers 

 applaud at the right time, and to prevent any person 

 whatever from leaving the house. Some fell into 

 swoons in order to be carried out: several women 

 were delivered in the theatre ; and Vespasian, an old 

 senator, and afterwards emperor, having been over- 

 powered by sleep, while Nero was chanting one of 

 his choruses, narrowly escaped with his life. 



The cities of Greece having sent deputies to Nero 

 to inform him that they had made a law to transmit to 

 him the crowns for all the games, the emperor enter- 

 tained them in the most elegant manner. Knowing 

 the weakness of the monarch, they requested him for 

 a song, which they honoured with bursts of applause. 

 Finding that his musical powers were so highly ap- 

 preciated by this refined people, he spent a whole year 

 in Greece, where his suite consisted of dancers, singers, 

 tailors, and other appendages of a theatre. He dis- 

 played his prowess at all the games. At the Olympic 

 games, he drove a chariot with ten horses, and though 

 he was jerked from his seat, yet he was crowned as 

 the conqueror. At all the other games he was equally 

 successful, and he obtained no fewer than 1800 crowns. 

 On one occasion he was opposed by a good singer, 

 whose voice had surpassed his prudence, for Nero or- 

 dered him to be killed on the spot. His entry into 

 Rome was the grandest pageant which the Romans 

 had been called to witness. Seated in the chariot of 

 Augustus, shining in Tyrian purple, and crowned with 

 the Olympic garland, he carried on his head the Pythi- 

 an crown, and had 1100 crowns borne before him. 

 Beside him was a musician, and behind him a band 

 of virgins, who celebrated his victories by their vocal 

 powers. The city was in a blaze of joy, and every 

 kind of incense was offered to the royal performer. 

 The next ambition of Nero was to excel in strength, 

 and appear as a Hercules redivivus ; and after he had 

 taken lessons in boxing and wrestling, he had a paste- 

 board lion erected in the theatre, which he assailed 

 and struck down with a single blow. 



One of the most extraordinary events in the history T 

 of Rome, namely, the burning of the city, has been 

 with some degree of plausibility ascribed to the wick- 

 edness of Nero. This great fire began in shops filled 

 with combustible materials, and spread with unex- 

 ampled rapidity. Commencing in the lower parts of the 



Roman 

 Empire. 



D. 



