neral 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 receive