Dio\'s Rome, Volume V., Books 61 76 (A.D. 54 211) - Cassius Dio
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DIO'S ROME
AN
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
ORIGINALLY COMPOSED IN GREEK
DURING THE REIGNS OF
SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, GETA
AND CARACALLA, MACRINUS,
ELAGABALUS AND ALEXANDER SEVERUS:
AND
NOW PRESENTED IN ENGLISH FORM
BY
HERBERT BALDWIN FOSTER,
A.B. (Harvard), Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins),
Acting Professor of Greek in Lehigh University
_FIFTH VOLUME: Extant Books 61-76 (A.D. 54-211)._
1906
* * * * *
VOLUME CONTENTS
* * * * *
Book Sixty-one
Book Sixty-two
Book Sixty-three
Book Sixty-four
Book Sixty-five
Book Sixty-six
Book Sixty-seven
Book Sixty-eight
Book Sixty-nine
Book Seventy
Book Seventy-one
Book Seventy-two
Book Seventy-three
Book Seventy-four
Book Seventy-five
Book Seventy-six
Book Seventy-seven
DIO'S ROMAN HISTORY
61
Nero seizes the sovereignty (chapters 1, 2).
At the beginning he is accustomed to yield to the influence of his mother,
whom Seneca and Burrus thrust aside from control of affairs (chapter 3).
Nero's exhibitions of wantonness and his extravagance: the death of
Silanus (chapters 4-6).
Love for Acte: Britannicus slain: discord with Agrippina (chapters 7, 8).
How Nero's mind began to give way (chapter 9).
About the faults and immoralities of the philosopher Seneca (chapter 10).
Sabina an object of love: Agrippina murdered (chapters 11-16).
Domitia put to death: festivities: Nero sings to the accompaniment of his
lyre (chapters 17-21).
DURATION OF TIME.
M. Asinius Marcellus, Manius Acilius Aviola. (A.D. 54 = a.u. 807 = First
of Nero, from Oct. 13th).
Nero Caesar Aug., L. Antistius Vetus. (A.D. 55 = a.u. 808 = Second of
Nero).
Q. Volusius Saturninus, P. Cornelius Scipio. (A.D. 56 = a.u. 809 = Third
of Nero).
Nero Caesar Aug. (II), L. Calpurnius Piso. (A.D. 57 = a.u. 810 = Fourth of
Nero).
Nero Caesar Aug. (III), M. Valerius Messala. (A.D. 58 = a.u. 811 = Fifth
of Nero).
C. Vipsanius Apronianus, L. Fonteius Capito. (A.D. 59 = a.u. 812 = Sixth
of Nero).
Nero Caesar Aug. (IV), Cornelius Lentulus Cossus. (A.D. 60 = a.u. 813 =
Seventh of Nero).
[Sidenote: A.D. 54 (a.u. 807)] [Sidenote:--1--] At the death of Claudius
the leadership on most just principles belonged to Britannicus, who had
been born a legitimate son of Claudius and in physical development was
beyond what would have been expected of his years. Yet by law the power
passed to Nero on account of his adoption. No claim, indeed, is stronger
than that of arms. Every one who possesses superior force has always the
appearance of both saying and doing what is more just. So Nero, having
first disposed of Claudius's will and having succeeded him as master of
the whole empire, put Britannicus and his sisters out of the way. Why,
then, should one stop to lament the misfortunes of other victims?
[Sidenote:--2--] The following signs of dominion had been observed in his
career. At his birth just before dawn rays not cast by any beam of
sunlight yet visible surrounded his form. And a certain astrologer from
this and from the motion of the stars at that time and their relation to
one another divined two things in regard to him,--that he would rule and
that he would murder his mother. Agrippina on hearing this became for the
moment so beside herself as actually to cry out: "Let him kill me, if only
he shall rule." Later she was destined to repent bitterly of her prayer.
Some people become so steeped in folly that if they expect to obtain some
blessing mingled with evil, they at once through their anxiety for the
advantage pay no heed to the detriment. When the time for the latter also
comes, they are cast down and would choose not to have secured even the
greatest good thing. Yet Domitius, the father of Nero, had a sufficient
previous intimation of his son's coming baseness and licentiousness, not
by any oracle but through the nature of his own and Agrippina's
characters. And he declared: "It is impossible for any good man to be born
from me and from her." As time went on, the finding of a serpent skin
around Nero's neck when he was but a boy caused the seers to say: "He
shall acquire great power from the aged man." Serpents are thought to
slough off their old age with their old skin, and so get power.
[Sidenote:--3--] Nero was seventeen years of age when he began to rule. He
first entered the camp, and, after reading to the soldiers all that Seneca
had written, he promised them as much as Claudius had been accustomed to
give. Before the senate he read such a considerable document,--this, too,
written by Seneca,--that it was voted the statements should be inscribed
on a silver tablet and should be read every time the new consuls took up
the duties of their office. Consequently those who heard him made
themselves ready to enjoy a good reign according to the letter of the
compilation. At first Agrippina [in company with Pallas, a vulgar and
tiresome man,] managed all affairs pertaining to the empire, and she and
her son went about together, often reclining in the same litter; usually,
however, she would be carried and he would follow alongside. It was she
who transacted business with embassies and sent letters to peoples and
governors and kings. When this had gone on for a considerable time, it
aroused the displeasure of Seneca and Burrus, who were both the most
sensible and the most influential of the advisers of Nero. The one was his
teacher and the other was prefect of the Pretorians. They took the
following occasion to stop this method of procedure. An embassy of
Armenians had arrived and Agrippina wished to ascend the platform from
which Nero was talking with them. The two men, seeing her approach,
persuaded the young man to go down before she could reach there and meet
his mother, pretending some form of greeting. After that was done they did
not return again, making some excuse to prevent the foreigners from seeing
the flaw in the empire. Subsequently they labored to keep any public
business from being again committed to her hands.
[Sidenote:--4--] When they had accomplished this, they themselves took
charge of the entire empire and gave it the very best and fairest
management that they could. Nero was not in general fond of affairs and
was glad to live at leisure. [The reason, indeed, that he had previously
distrusted his mother and now was fond of her lay in the fact that now he
was free to enjoy himself, and the government was being carried on no less
well. And his advisers after consultation made many changes in existing
customs, abolishing some things altogether and passing a number of new
laws.] They let Nero sow his wild oats with the intention of bringing
about in him through the satisfaction of all his desires a changed
attitude of mind, while in the meantime no great damage should be done to
public interests. Surely they must have known that a young and self-willed
spirit, when reared in unreproved license and in absolute authority, so
far from becoming satiated by the indulgence of its passions is ruined
more and more by these very agencies. Indeed, Nero at first gave but
simple dinners; his revels, his drunkenness, his amours were moderate.
Afterward, as no one reproved him for them and public business was carried
forward none the worse for all of it, he began to believe that what he did
was right and that he could carry his practices to even greater lengths.
[Consequently he began to indulge in each of these pursuits in a more open
and precipitate fashion. And in case his guardians gave him any warning or
his mother any rebuke, he would appear abashed while they were present and
promise to reform; but as soon as they were gone, he would again become
the slave of his desire and yield to those who were dragging him in the
other direction,--a straight course down hill.] Next he came to despise
instruction, inasmuch as he was always hearing from his associates, "Do
_you_ submit to this?" or "Do _you_ fear these people?", "Don't
you know that you are Caesar?", "Have not you the authority over them
rather than they over you?" He was also animated by obstinacy, not wishing
to acknowledge his mother as superior and himself as inferior, nor to
admit the greater good sense of Seneca and Burrus.
[Sidenote:--5--] Finally he passed the possibility of being shamed, dashed
to the ground and trampled under foot all their suggestions, and began to
follow in the steps of Gaius. When he had once felt a desire to emulate
him, he quite outdid him, for he believed that the imperial power must
manifest itself among other ways by allowing no one to surpass it even in
the vilest deeds. [As he was praised for this by the crowds, and received
many pleasant compliments from them, he gave himself no rest. His doings
were at first confined to his home and associates, but were later on
carried abroad. Thus he attached a mighty disgrace to the whole Roman race
and committed many outrages upon the individuals composing it. Innumerable
acts of violence and insult, of rape and murder, were committed both by
the emperor himself and by those who at one time or another had influence
with him. And, as certainly and inevitably follows in all such practices],
great sums of money naturally were spent, great sums unjustly procured,
and great sums seized by force. For under no circumstances was Nero
niggardly. Here is an illustration. He had ordered no less than two
hundred and fifty myriads at one time to be given to Doryphorus, who
attended to the state documents of his empire. Agrippina had it all piled
in a heap, hoping by showing him the money all together to make him change
his mind. Instead, he asked how much the mass before him amounted to, and
when he was informed he doubled it, saying: "I was not aware that I had
allowed him so little." It can clearly be seen, then, that as a result of
the magnitude of his expenditures he would quickly exhaust the treasures
in the royal vaults and quickly need new revenues. Hence unusual taxes
were imposed and the property of the well-to-do was not left intact. Some
lost their possessions to spite him and others destroyed themselves with
their livelihoods. Similarly he hated and made away with some others who
had no considerable wealth; for, if they possessed any excellent trait or
were of a good family, he became suspicious that they disliked him.
[Sidenote:--6--] Such were the general characteristics of Nero. I shall
now proceed to details.
In the matter of horse-races Nero grew so enthusiastic that he adorned
famous race-horses that had passed their prime with the regular street
costume for men and honored them with money for their fodder. The
horsebreeders and charioteers, elated at this enthusiasm of his, proceeded
to abuse unjustifiably even the praetors and consuls. But Aulus Fabricius,
when praetor, finding that they refused to hold contests on fair terms,
dispensed with them entirely. He trained dogs to draw chariots and
introduced them in place of horses. When this was done, the wearers of the
white and of the red immediately entered their chariots: but, as the
Greens and the Blues would not even then participate, Nero at his own cost
gave the prizes to the horses, and the regular program of the circus was
carried out.
Agrippina showed readiness to attack the greatest undertakings, as is
evidenced by her causing the death of Marcus Julius Silanus, to whom she
sent some of the poison with which she had treacherously murdered her
husband.
Silanus was governor of Asia, and was in no respect inferior to the
general character of his family. It was for this, more than for anything
else, she said, that she killed him, not wishing to have him preferred
before Nero, by reason of the latter's manner of life. Moreover, she
turned everything into trade and gathered money from the most
insignificant and basest sources.
Laelianus, who was despatched to Armenia in place of Pollio, had been
assigned to the command of the night watch. And he was no better than
Pollio, for, while surpassing him in reputation, he was all the more
insatiable in respect to gain.
[Sidenote: A.D. 55 (a.u. 808)] [Sidenote:--7--] Agrippina found a
grievance in the fact that she was no longer supreme in affairs of the
palace. It was chiefly because of Acte. Acte had been brought as a slave
from Asia. She caught the fancy of Nero, was adopted into the family of
Attalus, and was cherished much more carefully than was Nero's wife
Octavia. Agrippina, indignant at this and at other matters, first
attempted to rebuke him, and set herself to humiliating his associates,
some by beatings and by getting rid of others. But when she accomplished
nothing, she took it greatly to heart and remarked to him: "It was I who
made you emperor," just as if she had the power to take away the authority
from him again. She did not comprehend that every form of independent
power given to any one by a private citizen immediately ceases to be the
property of the giver and belongs to the one who receives it to use
against his benefactor.
Britannicus Nero murdered treacherously by poison, and then, as the skin
was turned livid by the action of the drug, he smeared the body with
gypsum. But as it was being carried through the Forum a heavy rain falling
while the gypsum was still damp washed it all away, so that the horror was
exposed not only to comment but to view. [After Britannicus was dead
Seneca and Burrus ceased to give careful attention to public interests and
were satisfied if they might manage them conservatively and still preserve
their lives. Consequently Nero now made himself conspicuous by giving free
rein to all his desires without fear of retribution. His behavior began to
be absolutely insensate, as is shown, for instance, by his punishing a
certain knight, Antonius, as a seller of poisons and by further burning
the poisons publicly. He took great credit for this action as well as for
prosecuting some persons who had tampered with wills; but other people
only laughed to see him punishing his own acts in the persons of others.]
[Sidenote:--8--] His secret acts of licentiousness were many, both at home
and throughout the City, by night and by day. He used to frequent the
taverns and wandered about everywhere like a private person. Any number of
beatings and insults took place in this connection and the evil spread to
the theatres, so that those who worked as dancers and who had charge of
the horses paid no attention either to praetors or to consuls. They were
disorderly themselves and led others to be the same, while Nero not only
did not restrain them even by words, but stirred them up all the more. He
delighted in their actions and used to be secretly conveyed in a litter
into the theatres, where unseen by the rest he watched the proceedings.
Indeed, he forbade the soldiers who had usually been in attendance at all
public gatherings to appear there any longer. The reason he assigned was
that they ought not to superintend anything but strictly military affairs,
but his true purpose was to afford those who wished to raise a disturbance
the amplest scope. He made use of the same excuse in reference to his not
allowing any soldier to attend his mother, saying that no one except the
emperor ought to be guarded by them. In this way he displayed his enmity
toward the masses, and as for his mother he was already openly at variance
with her. Everything that they said to each other, or that the imperial
pair did each day, was reported outside the palace, yet it did not all
reach the public and hence conjectures were made to supply missing details
and different versions arose. What was conceivable as happening, in view
of the baseness and lewdness of the pair, was noised abroad as having
already taken place, and reports possessing some credibility were believed
as true. The populace, seeing Agrippina now for the first time without
Pretorians, took care not to fall in with her even by accident; and if any
one did chance to meet her he would hastily get out of the way without
saying a word.
[Sidenote:--9--] At one spectacle men on horseback overcame bulls while
riding along beside them, and the knights who served as Nero's personal
guard brought down with their javelins four hundred bears and three
hundred lions. On the same occasion thirty knights belonging to the
military fought in the arena. The emperor sanctioned such proceedings
openly. Secretly, however, he carried on nocturnal revels throughout the
length and breadth of the city, insulting the women, practicing lewdness
on boys, stripping those whom he encountered, striking, wounding,
murdering. He had an idea that his incognito was impenetrable, for he used
all sorts of different costumes and false hair at different times: but he
would be recognized by his retinue and by his deeds. No one else would
have dared to commit so many and such gross outrages so recklessly.
[Sidenote: A.D. 56 (a.u. 809)] It was becoming unsafe even for a person to
stay at home, since he would break into shops and houses. It came about
that a certain Julius Montanus, [Footnote: _C. Iulius Montanus C.F._
(Cp. Suetonius, Life of Nero, chapter 60).] a senator, enraged on his
wife's account, fell upon this reveler and inflicted many blows upon him,
so that he had to remain several days in concealment by reason of the
black eyes he had received. Montanus did not suffer for it, since Nero
thought the violence had been all an accident and was for showing no anger
at the occurrence, had not the other sent him a letter begging his pardon.
Nero on reading the epistle remarked: "So he knew that he was striking
Nero." The suicide of Montanus followed hard after.
[Sidenote: A.D. 57 (a.u. 810)] In the course of producing a spectacle at
one of the theatres, he suddenly filled the place with sea-water so that
the fishes and sea-monsters [Footnote: [Greek: ktaenae] of the MSS. was
changed to [Greek: kaetae] on the conjecture of Sylburgius, who was
followed by Bekker, Dindorf, and Boissevain. (Compare also Suetonius, Life
of Nero, chapter 12).] swam in it, and had a naval battle between
"Persians" and "Athenians." At the close of it he suddenly withdrew the
water, dried the subsoil, and continued land contests, not only between
two men at a time but with crowds pitted against other crowds.
[Sidenote: A.D. 58 (a.u. 811)] [Sidenote:--10--] Subsequent to this,
oratorical contests took place, and as a result even of these numbers were
exiled and put to death.--Seneca also was held to account, one of the
charges against him being that he was intimate with Agrippina. [It had not
been enough for him to debauch Julia, nor had he become better as a result
of exile, but he went on to make advances to such a woman as Agrippina,
with such a son.] Not only in this instance but in others he was convicted
of doing precisely the opposite of what he taught in his philosophical
doctrines. He brought accusations against tyranny, yet he made himself a
teacher of tyrants: he denounced such of his associates as were powerful,
yet he did not hold aloof from the palace himself: he had nothing good to
say of flatterers, yet he had so fawned upon Messalina and Claudius's
freedmen [that he had sent them from the island a book containing eulogies
upon them; this latter caused him such mortification that he erased the
passage.] While finding fault with the rich, he himself possessed a
property of seven thousand five hundred myriads; and though he censured
the extravagances of others, he kept five hundred three-legged tables of
cedar wood, every one of them with identical ivory feet, and he gave
banquets on them. In mentioning these details I have at least given a hint
of their inevitable adjuncts,--the licentiousness in which he indulged at
the very time that he made a most brilliant marriage, and the delight that
he took in boys past their prime (a practice which he also taught Nero to
follow). Nevertheless, his austerity of life had earlier been so severe
that he had asked his pupil neither to kiss him nor to eat at the same
table with him. [For the latter request he had a good reason, namely, that
Nero's absence would enable him to conduct his philosophical studies at
leisure without being hindered by the young man's dinners. But as for the
kiss, I can not conceive how that tradition came about. The only
explanation which one could imagine, namely, his unwillingness to kiss
that sort of mouth, is proved to be false by the facts concerning his
favorites. For this and for his adultery some complaints were lodged
against him, but at this time he was himself released without formal
accusations and succeeded in begging off Pallas and Burrus. Later on he
did not come out so well.]
[Sidenote: A.D. 59 (a.u. 811)] [Sidenote:--11--] There was a certain
Marcus Salvius Otho, who through similarity of character and sharing in
wrongdoing had become so intimate with Nero that he was not even punished
for saying one day to the latter: "Then I hope you may see me Caesar." All
that came of it was the response: "I sha'n't see you even consul." It was
to him that the emperor gave Sabina, of patrician family, after separating
her from her husband, and they both enjoyed her together. Agrippina,
therefore, fearing that Nero would marry the woman (for he was now
beginning to entertain a mad passion for her), ventured upon a most unholy
course. As if it were not enough for her story that she had attracted her
uncle Claudius into love for her by her blandishments and uncontrolled
looks and kisses, she undertook to enslave Nero also in similar fashion.
However, I am not sure whether this actually occurred, or whether it was
invented to fit their characters: but I state here what is admitted by
all, that Nero had a mistress resembling Agrippina of whom he was
especially fond because of this very resemblance. And when he toyed with
the girl herself or threw out hints about it to others, he would say that
he was having intercourse with his mother.
[Sidenote: A.D. 59 (a.u. 812)] Sabina on hearing about this began to
persuade Nero to get rid of his mother in order to forestall her alleged
plots against him. He was likewise incited,--so many trustworthy men have
stated,--by Seneca, whether it was to obscure the complaint against his
own name that the latter was anxious or to lead Nero on to a career of
unholy bloodguiltiness that should bring about most speedily his
destruction by gods and men. But they shrank from doing the deed openly
and were not able to put her out of the way secretly by means of poison,
for she took extreme precautions against all such things. One day they saw
in the theatre a ship that automatically separated in two, let out some
beasts, and came together again so as to be once more seaworthy; and they
at once had another one built like it. By the time the ship was finished
Agrippina had been quite won over by Nero's attentions, for he exhibited
devotion to her in every way to make sure that she should suspect nothing
and be off her guard. He dared, however, do nothing in Rome for fear the
crime should become widely known. Hence he went some distance into
Campania accompanied by his mother, and took a sail on the fatal ship
itself, which was adorned in the most brilliant fashion to the end that
she might feel a desire to use the vessel continually.
[Sidenote:--13--] When they reached Bauli, he gave for several days most
costly dinners at which he showed great solicitude in entertaining his
mother. If she were absent he feigned to miss her sorely, and if she were
present he was lavish of caresses. He bade her ask whatever she desired
and bestowed many gifts without her asking. When he had shaped the
situation to this extent [Footnote: Adopting Reiske's conjecture,
_nv_.], then rising from dinner about midnight he embraced her, and
straining her to his breast kissed her eyes and hands, exclaiming:
"Mother, farewell, and happiness attend you! For you I live and because of
you I rule." He then gave her in charge of Anicetus, a freedman,
supposedly to convey her home on the ship that he had prepared.
But the sea would not endure the tragedy about to be enacted on it nor
would it submit to assume responsibility for the deception wrought by the
monstrous contrivance: therefore, though the ship parted asunder and
Agrippina fell into the water, she did not perish. In spite of the fact
that it was dark and she was full of strong drink and that the sailors
used their oar blades on her, so much so that they killed Acerronia Polla,
her fellow voyager, she nevertheless saved her life and reached home.
Thereupon she affected not to realize that it was a plot and let not a
word of it be known, but sent speedily to her son an account of the
occurrence with the implication that it had happened by accident, and
conveyed to him the good news (as she assumed it to be) that she was safe.
Nero hearing this could not endure the unexpected outcome but punished the
messenger as savagely as if he had come to assassinate him, and at once
despatched Anicetus with the sailors to make an end of his mother. He
would not entrust the killing of her to the Pretorians. When she saw them,
she knew for what they had come, and leaping from her bed tore open her
clothing; exposing her abdomen, and cried out: "Strike here, Anicetus,
strike here, for this bore Nero!"