a plot with some others against him, he made
them sit beside him at a spectacle--they were still ignorant of the fact
that they had been informed upon--and gave them some swords, nominally to
look at and see if they were sharp (as was often done), but really by way
of showing that he did not care if he died that moment where he was.

Aelianus Casperius, who was governor under him as he had been under
Domitian, and had become one of the Pretorians, incited the soldiers to
mutiny against him; his plan was to have them demand some persons for
execution. Nerva resisted them stoutly, even to the point of baring his
collar-bone and offering them his throat: but he accomplished nothing and
those whom Aelianus wished were put out of the way. Wherefore Nerva,
subjected to such profound humiliation because of his old age, ascended
the Capitol and cried aloud: "To the good fortune of the Roman people and
senate and myself I adopt Marcus Ulpius Nerva Trajan."

Subsequently in the senate he designated him Caesar and sent a message to
him, written with his own hand (Trajan was governor of Germany):

"The Danaans by thy weapons shall requite my tears." [Footnote: From
Homer's Iliad, Book One, verse 42.]

[Sidenote:--4--] Thus did Trajan become Caesar and afterwards emperor,
although there were relatives of Nerva. But the man did not esteem family
relationship above the safety of the State, nor was he less inclined to
adopt Trajan because the latter was a Spaniard instead of an Italian or
Italiot, [Footnote: Dio means by _Italian_ one born in Italy, by
_Italiot_ one who settles in Italy.] or because no foreigner had
previously held the Roman sovereignty. It was a person's virtue and not
his country that he thought needed examination.

[Sidenote: A.D. 98 (a.u. 851)] Soon after this act he passed away, having
ruled during the period of one year, four months and nine days. His life
prior to that time [Footnote: Reading [Greek: proebebiochei]
(Boissevain).] had comprised sixty-five years, ten months, and ten days.

[Sidenote:--5--] Trajan, before he became emperor, had had a dream of the
following nature. He thought that an old man in purple robe and vesture,
moreover adorned with a crown, as the senate is represented in pictures,
impressed a seal upon him with a finger ring, first on the left side of
his throat and then on the right. When he had been made emperor, he sent a
despatch to the senate written with his own hand, which