owed over the land, or that the sea retreated a
good distance from Egypt and covered a large portion of Lycia.
[Sidenote:--27--] But when he heard about Galba's being proclaimed emperor
by the soldiers and about the desertion of Rufus, he fell into great fear:
he made preparations in person at Rome and he sent against the rebels
Rubrius Gallus and some others.

On learning that Petronius, [Footnote: _P. Petronius Turpilianus_.]
whom he had sent ahead against the rebels with the larger portion of the
army, also favored the cause of Galba, Nero reposed no further hope in
arms.

Being abandoned by all without exception he began forming plans to kill
the senators, burn the city to the ground, and sail to Alexandria. He
dropped this hint in regard to his future course: "Even though we be
driven from our empire, yet this little artistic gift of ours shall
support us there." To such a pitch of folly had he come as to believe that
he could live for a moment as a private citizen and would be able to
appear as a musician.

He was on the point of putting those measures into effect when the senate
first withdrew the guard that surrounded Nero, then entered the camp, and
declared Nero an enemy but chose Galba in his place as emperor.

But when he perceived that he had been deserted also by his body-guards
(he happened to be asleep in some garden), he undertook to make his
escape. Accordingly, he assumed shabby clothing and mounted a horse no
better than his attire. Closely veiled he rode while it was yet night
towards an estate of Phao, a Caesarian, in company with the owner of the
place, and Epaphroditus and Sporus. [Sidenote:--28--] While he was on the
way an extraordinary earthquake occurred, so that one might have thought
the whole world was breaking apart and all the spirits of those murdered
by him were leaping up to assail him. Being recognized, they say, in spite
of his disguise by some one who met him he was saluted as emperor;
consequently he turned aside from the road and hid himself in a kind of
reedy place. There he waited till daylight, lying flat on the ground so as
to run the least risk of being seen. Every one who passed he suspected had
come for him; he started at every voice, thinking it to be that of some
one searching for him: if a dog barked anywhere or a bird chirped, or a
bush or twig was shaken by the breeze, he was thrown into a violent
tremor. These sounds would not let him have rest, yet he dared not s