nd Italy he surrendered like captives to a
certain Helius, a Caesarian. The latter had been given absolutely complete
authority, so that he might confiscate, banish, and put to death (even
before notifying Nero) ordinary persons, knights, and senators alike.]

Thus the Roman domain was at that time a slave to two emperors at
once,--Nero and Helius; and I do not feel able to say which was the worse.
In most respects they behaved entirely alike, and the one point of
difference was that the descendant of Augustus was emulating
zither-players, whereas the freedman of Claudius was emulating Caesars. I
consider the acts of Tigillinus as a part of Nero's career because he was
constantly with him: but Polyclitus and Calvia Crispinilla by themselves
plundered, sacked, despoiled all the places they could get at. The former
was associated with Helius at Rome, and the latter with Sabina, born
Sporus. Calvia had been entrusted with the care of the boy and with the
oversight of the wardrobe, though a woman and of high rank; and she saw to
it that all were stripped of their possessions.

[Sidenote:--13--] Now Nero called Sporus Sabina not merely on account of
the fact that by reason of resemblance to her he had been made a eunuch,
but because the boy like the mistress had been solemnly contracted to him
in Greece, with Tigillinus to give the bride away, as the law ordained.
All the Greeks held a festal celebration of their marriage, uttering all
the customary good wishes (as they could not well help) even to the extent
of praying that legitimate children might be born to them. After that Nero
took to himself two bedfellows, Pythagoras to treat as a man and Sporus as
a woman. The latter, in addition to other forms of address, was termed
lady, queen, and mistress.

Yet why should one wonder at this, seeing that this monarch would fasten
naked boys and girls to poles, and then putting on the hide of a wild
beast would approach them and satisfy his brutal lust under the appearance
of devouring parts of their bodies? Such were the indecencies of Nero.

When he received the senators he wore a short flowered tunic with muslin
collar, for he had already begun to transgress precedent in wearing ungirt
tunics in public. It is stated also that knights belonging to the army
used in his reign for the first time saddle-cloths during their public
review.

[Sidenote:--14--] At the Olympic games he fell from the chariot he was
driving and came ver