e ancient
examples were unnecessary; how often had the Roman people sustained
with equanimity the slaughter of their armies, the death of their
generals, and entire destruction of illustrious families--princes were
mortal, the commonwealth was eternal--they should therefore resume
their customary vocations." And because the spectacle of the
Megalesian games was at hand, he added, "that they should even lay
aside their grief for amusements."

The vacation ended, public affairs were resumed; Drusus departed for
the army in Illyricum, the minds of all men impatiently looking for
vengeance upon Piso; and amidst many complaints, that while he was
roaming at large through the delightful regions of Asia and Greece, he
was undermining by contemptuous and artful delay the evidences of his
crimes; for it was generally known that Martina, that notorious
trafficker in sorceries, and sent, as I have above related, by Cneius
Sentius to Rome, had died suddenly at Brundusium; that poison lay
concealed in a knot of her hair.

III

THE DEATH OF SENECA[113]

(65 A.D.)

The next death added by Nero was that of Plautius Lateranus, consul
elect; and with such precipitation, that he would not allow him to
embrace his children, nor the usual brief interval to choose his mode
of death. He was dragged to the place allotted for the execution of
slaves, and there, by the hand of Statius the tribune, slaughtered. In
his death he maintained the most invincible silence, not charging his
executioner with participation in the design for which he suffered.
The destruction of Seneca followed, to the infinite joy of the prince;
not because he had ascertained that he was a party to the conspiracy,
but that he might assail him with the sword, since poison had failed:
for Natalis only had named him; and his disclosure amounted but to
this, "that he had been sent by Piso[114] to visit Seneca, then
indisposed, to complain that he was refused admittance; and to
represent, that it would be better if they maintained their friendship
by intercourse: that to this Seneca replied, that talking to each
other and frequent interviews were to the service of neither; but upon
the safety of Piso his own security rested." Granius Silvanus, tribune
of a pretorian cohort, was ordered to represent this to Seneca, and to
demand of him, "whether he admitted the words of Natalis, and his own
answers." Seneca had that very day, either from chance or design,
returne